Kingston is predicted to have a shortfall of more than 1,000 primary school places within the next four years.

The September 2014 intake will leave 405 children without a primary school in the borough, according to predicted figures by the Local Government Association (LGA).

If no more primary school places are created this number is expected to rise to 1,301 by 2016-17.

Councillor David Ryder-Mills, lead member for schools, said: “Obviously we have a problem along with all the other London boroughs.

“We will be working as hard as we can to provide school places and we are still confident we will have enough. There are three or four potential schemes in the pipeline.”

Adding an extra class every other year to primary schools might help ease the crisis, he said, but schools have already been blighted with bulge classes and temporary classroom huts in playgrounds in the past five years.

A mother whose daughter is due to start reception in 2015, but did not want to be named, said: “We’re lucky to live in an area where the schools are of a very high standard, but that does mean there is already pressure on places.

“This is an extra worry that parents can do without.”

Earlier this year a free primary school on the border with Merton and Kingston, to be run by Chapel Street charity, was approved by the Department for Education hoping to start with 60 reception places and creating 420 places within seven years.

Last week, the Surrey Comet revealed a planning brief for the former gas holder site in Seven Kings Way, Kingston, was being put together for a two-form entry primary school – but this is in its very early stages.

Coun Ryder-Mills said both of the new free primary school projects would create 1,000 school places for borough children – still leaving 301 children without schools according to the data.

He added: “The more schemes you get on the ground, the less of the pot you end up with, because more money goes to authorities that are less far ahead with their planning and therefore in more dire straits.”

Councillor David Simmonds, chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “The process of opening up much-needed schools is being impaired by a one-size-fits-all approach and in some cases by the presumption in favour of free schools and academies.”