MORE classrooms will need to be built if extra primary schools places are to be found permanently in Worcester.

As we previously reported, 15 reception places will be created at Stanley Road Primary School and 15 more places at Nunnery Wood Primary School in September.

The temporary move came after complaints from 14 Battenhall families with 15 reception-age children who did not gain places at the three over-subscribed schools nearest their homes.

Instead, 14 children were offered places at Pitmaston Primary School in St John’s and one at Gorse Hill Community Primary in Tolladine.

In March, councillors agreed in principle that Nunnery Wood Primary School could increase its intake to 60 from September 2013 – but cabinet members will make a final decision in June.

Plans to increase the intake at Stanley Road permanently will be discussed later this year.

However, both schools would need new buildings and a recent Government announcement for school building projects did not include any at Worcestershire schools or academies.

Anne Potter, head of Stanley Road, said although the school had a published admissions number (PAN) of 45 it had taken 60 pupils from September 2011 following a previous temporary increase.

Mrs Potter said: “We’ve already got accommodation.We’ve created two new classrooms so it’s not a change for us.

“We won’t have to put anything in place except for additional staff as the extra staff we took on last year were only on a one year contract.”

She added: “A PAN of 45 is one and a half classes so long term we would much prefer to be a two-form entry and have 60 all the way through.

“But if we went to two form entry permanently we would need two new classrooms.”

Susan Mason, head of Nunnery Wood, said the extra places would temporarily take the school from 45 to 60 from September.

She said: “We don’t need additional buildings next year.

“We are waiting to see what’s going to happen about a permanent increase of the PAN.

“If there is one we will be having more building work.”

Robin Walker, Worcester’s MP, said he would write to the Secretary of State to request more capital funding for primary schools and for repairs to some secondary schools.

He said the previous government’s Building Schools for the Future programme had prioritised building new secondary schools over repairs to existing ones and neglected the primary estate.