100m more to create 15,000 added school places

Revealing the plans on Monday, children's secretary Ed Balls said that the Government was responding to local authorities' concerns by increasing funding by an extra £100m, in addition to the £200m already pledged.

Most of the money will be used to build permanent classrooms in 34 local authorities who have rising numbers of fourand five-year-olds, and the remaining £30m will be available for other councils who have not applied for funding.

Rising birth rates, the effect of the economic crisis on the housing market and fewer parents sending their children to independent schools have been blamed for the shortage of places.

Mr Balls said, 'It's down to local authorities to make sure there are sufficient school places available to meet parental demand across their areas. As part of that, they predict future needs. But it is clear that some local authorities are now facing big unanticipated rises.'

Sixteen London boroughs are to share £140m. Outside London, Birmingham will receive the largest amount at £24m, Bradford £11m and Luton £15.5m.

But the lobby group representing London's 33 councils warned that the funding would not be enough to meet the shortfall.

A report by London Councils last month predicted a shortfall of 50,710 places over the next seven years and a shortfall of primary school places in 20 boroughs by the end of next year.

London Councils' executive member for children and young people, Councillor Nick Stanton, said, 'While we are delighted for the boroughs who have won a share of the funding, this crisis is by no means over.

'We need the Government to accept how extreme this crisis is in the capital and provide us with a far greater slice of funding.'

Along with the extra funding for places, the Government also announced 11 more local authorities will have their secondary schools rebuilt as part of the next phase of the Building Schools for the Future progamme.