Demand for school places in Kingston is expected to rise by more than 900 places within the next four years.

Figures from the Greater London Assembly (GLA) show the current projections for state-funded primary school places in the borough in 2019-2020 will have grown by 904, based on ward demands.

Problems over primary school places has become an struggle for the borough, with free schools being set up to address the growing need for more places.

Earlier this year, the Comet was able to highlight Surbiton’s desperate need for another school.

This year Greater London Authority statistics showed the predicted number of school places needed for four year olds in Berrylands in 2018 would be 144 – a rise of 12 per cent on current figures moving on to primary education.

Similar estimations were made for St Mark’s, where 114 nursery school places would be needed – an eight per cent rise.

Councillor Andrea Craig, cabinet member with responsibility for schools and school places planning, said the projected growth will be largely met by additional forms of entry already provided by the council at reception level, and cited the opening of the Kingston Academy.

She added: “It's important to note that the GLA's 'forecast' of a need for 904 additional places doesn't take into account the numbers of vacancies in schools, the school expansions that been have undertaken or the provision of free schools.

"Once the above are all factored in, this paints a very different picture. The Council is confident that it will meet the future demand for school places across the borough.

"To keep pace with proposed housing developments and general demographic growth, there will still be a need for some additional primary school places within Kingston and Tolworth/Surbiton in particular.

“This need will be met through the provision of more free schools and expansion of existing schools.

“At secondary level, we have already ensured a sufficiency of places to manage the growth in demand caused by the increases in primary numbers over the last seven years as they start to feed into year 7."

London’s population is expected to rise to 11m people by 2050, and the clear increase in demand for school places in the coming years has prompted London Mayor Boris Johnson to call for the appointment of a London schools commissioner.

He said: “We need a commissioner with the powers and oversight to ensure there will be enough school places for our growing population and that pupils will have access to the rigorous, high quality education that they deserve wherever they live in the capital.”