A DECISION to have an extra form of entry at a primary school has been rushed through to try to meet the demand for places amid a schools crisis.

The chief executive of the council passed an urgent executive decision yesterday to build a £350,000 temporary classroom at George Tomlinson Primary School in Vernon Road, Leytonstone, to cope with the demand for places for September next year.

A combination of a rise in the birth rate and migration into and within the borough means that a total of 3,760 primary school places are expected to be needed by 2012.

Other schools undergoing urgent expansions to include an extra form of entry are George Mitchell School in Leytonstone, and Cann Hall Primary and Willow Brook Primary School in Leyton, and Saint Saviour's CofE and Edinburgh Primary School, both in Walthamstow.

The Lib Dem councillors have called on the authority to “get a grip on the problem”.

At the annual meeting of full council yesterday, Leb Dem leader Cllr Bob Sullivan said he was surprised the council leader Chris Robbins didn't mention the schools crisis in his speech about priorities for the next four years.

Cllr Sullivan said: “Opening up schools in the summer holiday is fine, but no substitute for giving children access to primary places. We will soon have a cabinet member for schools and I hope this will be one of their top priorities.”

Cllr Robbins responded after the meeting that the matter is already being addressed by children's services.

He said: “We are full assured that by September, every young person will be offered a place. We have taken action to ensure there's no crisis in September. I hope we don't have the same crisis in future years that we've had over the past two years, I think things will start to level up.”

He added: “Mobile classrooms aren't entirely satisfactory, but the quality these days is much higher than they used to be. They don't have a detrimental effect on the children's education, which is really important.”

George Tomlinson has had a waiting list for places because of standards at the school improving in the last three years, the council's report says.

Two parents opposed the plans during a consultation, questioning the suitability of the school for expansion and concern that the “personality” of the school may be lost if expanded.

One resident also opposed it, raising concerns about noise, traffic congestion and that the impact on neighbours in Vernon Road.

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