A fifth of English local authorities are reporting increased pressure on school places due to the recession, the Local Government Association says.

One reason may be parents abandoning private education to save money. Immigration is also likely to have an impact on demand for places.

Paralysis in the housing market also means fewer families are moving house when their children reach school age.

The government is set to announce £200m to overcome the shortage of places.

The survey by the LGA says that 20% of councils have experienced increased demand for state school places in the past six months - with another 13% of councils expecting extra pressure on places in the future.

Housing market

The LGA says the recession may be forcing some parents to abandon costly private education in favour of the state sector.

However, the latest annual school census actually shows a slight increase in the overall proportion of pupils in England receiving private education.

The census, which covered to September 2008 (so not applicants for this September) showed the numbers in the independent sector rose by 380 on the previous year to 569,080.

A bigger factor behind the growing pressure on some state schools may be the lack of movement in the housing market.

An inability or unwillingness to move means more families are remaining in inner-city areas, rather than moving out to the suburbs.

There are also signs of the economic downturn in the fact that 15.5% of councils are reporting a rise in families applying for free school meals for their children.

"Predicting how many school places will be needed from year to year is a complex issue," said Les Lawrence, chairman of the association's Children and Young People's board.

"Councils do their best to produce accurate calculations on how many children will be starting in their schools, but it is not an exact science and will vary from area to area."

Immigration

Another factor which is likely to affect demand for school places is immigration.

Co-chairs of the cross-party group on balanced migration, Frank Field and Nicholas Soames, said the percentage of births to foreign born women in England has risen from 17.1% in 2001 to 24% in 2007.

"The need to increase funding for primary schools is a direct result of mass immigration feeding into our population," they said.

"This is a major reason for the pressure on our primary schools but the government remain in denial about the consequences of their losing control of our borders.

"Instead they refer to 'local circumstances'. This is deliberately misleading."

Temporary classrooms

The LGA survey follows warnings about the problems facing families looking for primary places for their children.

This is a problem that appears to be affecting pockets of urban England, with the availability of places unable to keep up with surges in demand.

In parts of London, rising birth rates and fewer private school applications have been blamed for the rise in demand, particularly for places for four and five-year-olds.

A report earlier this year by London Councils said 25 of the capital's 33 authorities were experiencing capacity problems or were expected to within two to three years.

In the worst-hit areas, councils have been building temporary classrooms or making plans to expand schools.

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