Thousands of pupils could be forced on to three-day weeks because of a chronic¹ shortage of school places.

 

Working parents face the 'logistical nightmare' of having to arrange childcare on week days when their youngsters would normally be in lessons.

 

The radical² measure may be introduced by a London council in 2015 at dozens of primary schools as a huge influx³ of youngsters threatens to fill classes to bursting.

 

Other local authorities are already using emergency measures such as building over playgrounds, constructing temporary classrooms, introducing extra reception classes and creating 'titan' schools of more than 1,000 pupils.

 

In some parts of England there could be nearly twice as many pupils as available primary places in two years, according to research by the Local Government Association.

 

Up to two-thirds of councils may have to deal with more youngsters starting primary school than their school can fit in by September 2016.

 

Education chiefs are considering a three-day week in which half a school's pupils would go to lessons from Monday to Wednesday and the other half from Thursday to Saturday.

 

This could see the borough's 21,430 primary-age pupils in classes for three days from 8am to 6pm instead of 8.30am to 3.30pm for five days, with working parents having to find childcare on the remaining days.

 

An alternative is a shift system in which one half of a school works from 8am until 2pm and the other half from 2pm until 8pm.

 

Rocky Gill, the council's deputy leader, yesterday warned that three-day weeks or split shift days could be introduced within two years without sufficient Government cash.

 

He said: 'Logistically, there are impacts on working parents. But I have queues of people at my surgeries that can't get a school place.'

 

Other councils are likely to monitor the council's plans after Education Secretary Michael Gove gave head teachers more flexibility⁴ to alter the school day and set term dates.

 

LGA figures released yesterday forecast that Costessey in Norfolk, Purfleet in Essex and central Croydon, South London, will have at least 75 per cent more pupils by 2015 than the number of places currently available.

 

The Government this week said 93 free schools would open across the country, creating an extra 43,000 spaces for primary and secondary school children.

 

Mr Gove said yesterday: 'We have more than doubled funding for new school places and we are setting up great new free schools, which are giving parents a choice of high quality school places.'

 

But Margaret Morrissey, founder⁵ of the pressure group Parents Outloud, said: 'It's not acceptable to have three-day weeks for children.'

 

Parents and pupils could be asked to rate their teachers to help set performance-related pay in all state schools.

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