Unprecedented' demand for primary school places: LGA, Two-thirds of local authorities in England could have more pupils ready to start primary school than available places by 2016, the Local Government Association (LGA) said Tuesday.
The pressure is already weighing on school facilities and teaching, with some schools expanding class sizes beyond the legal maximum of 30, the LGA warned.
Others have converted libraries and music rooms into classrooms or reduced playground space to accommodate greater numbers of pupils, it said.
The LGA attributed the "unprecedented" demand for places to the birth rate in Britain rising at its fastest pace since the 1950s.
It said the problem is particularly acute in certain pockets of the country, such as Costessey, in Norfolk, Purflet, in Thurrock, and central Croydon, where there will be at least 75 percent more pupils than places by 2015.
By 2016/17 the biggest demand for primary places will be in the areas of Central Bedfordshire, Croydon, Bedford, Waltham Forest, Newham and Hounslow which will need to increase their number of places by 25 percent.
The latest figures on births in England and Wales from the Office for National Statistics shows that the number rose 0.8 percent to 729,674 in 2012 from 723,913 in 2011.
The number of births to UK-born mothers rose 0.2 percent compared to a 2.5 percent increase among mothers who were not born in Britain.
David Simmonds of the LGA said the "extreme" measures being taken by some schools to meet demand "seriously risks prioritising quantity of places at the expense of the quality of education".
"Local councils have a legal duty to ensure there is a school place for every child in their area but they are being hampered by uncertainty and unnecessary restrictions," he said.
The LGA is calling for a single capital funding pot for free schools, maintained schools and academies to help tackle the problem.
The warning comes as the government announces 93 new free schools opening across the country, creating an extra 43,000 primary and secondary school places.
Education Secretary Michael Gove told the BBC that the coalition government had "taken swift action to repair the damage" he said was caused by the previous Labour government.
"We have more than doubled funding for new school places and we are also setting up great new free schools, which are giving parents a choice of high quality school places in areas Labour neglected," he said.
