A Balham school is to open a second site more than a mile away in Streatham in a bid to ease a primary school place shortage in the area.

Henry Cavendish primary in Hydethorpe Road is to expand into the Woodfield Centre in Dingley Lane - where there is no other primary school in a 750m radius.

The move is part of Lambeth Council's federation school model, where management teams from the borough's best run schools are offered the chance to run new schools in the area.

Popular Streatham Hill school Julian's is also set to run the new primary school planned for West Norwood, it was announced last week.

Councillor Paul McGlone, Lambeth's cabinet member for children and young people, said: "Expansion is a key issue in Lambeth and this model will set a precedent for future school expansion plans within the borough.”

But some critics have raised concerns over opening up "federation super-schools". They say such schools could become overspill sites for siblings who could not get a place at the original school, rather than providing places for local children.

The creation of two separate forms of entry at the Woodfield Centre site would create an additional 420 primary school places by 2016.

The decision for Julian's to run the new school still needs approval by Lambeth Council's cabinet. Julian's school has already agreed in principle to run a new reception class in its current site in Leigham Court Road.

The expansion in primary school places, including an two additional reception classes in Kingswood School, means a total of five extra classes would run in Streatham and West Norwood this September.

The urgent expansion is to try and stop the crisis in primary school place provision experienced by parents in recent years, with some sending children to schools four miles away.

Dulwich and West Norwood MP, Tessa Jowell, said: “This is exciting and timely news for local parents. After many months of discussions and lobbying I am so pleased that this solution now looks close to being delivered."