More than 450,000 extra primary pupils will need places in schools by 2015, Government figures have revealed.

Recent numbers show that the birth rate in 2010 was 20 per cent higher than in 2002, putting pressure on schools to accommodate for the rise in pupils, BBC News reports. 

"There is an acute need for new school building projects to get under way now to avoid a potentially critical shortfall of places in densely populated areas within the next few years," Steve Beechey, Head of Education at the family-run construction service Wates, said.

The soaring demand for primary places is said to be worrying for many local authorities who face spending constraints and growing numbers of schools moving outside of Local Education Authority control.

The rapid rise in the birth rate in some areas is also said to require a substantial increase in capacity, with implications for buildings, playgrounds and staffing.

It was reported in May 2011, that 4,000 university teacher training places were to be axed for the 2012 academic year, dropping from 31,000 to 27,000. With the increase in the primary population, this raised concerns that there would be less teachers trained to cope with the growing student numbers. 

The Government says that it is targeting extra funding at schools that are most under pressure by creating thousands more primary places.

Schools Minister Lord Hill said: "We're more than doubling targeted investment at areas facing the greatest pressure on numbers, to over £4 billion in the next four years. We are building free schools and letting the most popular schools expand to meet demand from parents."

A Department for Education (DfE) Spokesman has also reassured teaching staff and parents that there are no plans to remove the maximum class size limits for primary schools, a flagship policy introduced by the Labour Government. He commented: "No parent wants their child taught in huge classes, so the right local authorities create extra places to keep sizes down and relieve pressure on places."

"It remains illegal for infant classes to exceed 30 pupils per teacher. We take a tough line with any breach and pretty much every class must remain below the statutory limit, a level that has remained steady for the last few years."

Results of a 2010 survey conducted by Teacher Support Network and the British Council for School Environments (BCSE) with the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) showed that teachers overwhelmingly agreed (95.8 per cent) that the school environment had an influence on pupil behaviour, with 52.1 per cent believing that their surroundings had a negative effect.

Among teachers' criticisms were lack of space for students to "relax", lack of "exciting, flexible and appropriately sized classrooms for students". One teacher said "we currently have 250 more students in our school than we were designed to accomodate."

More than half of teachers who responded to the 2010 School Environment Survey felt that their school building was not supporting their "ability to teach effectively by providing an environment that has a positive influence on behaviour".

If you are finding large class sizes difficult to cope with, or are feeling stressed or anxious because of overcrowding, call our free, confidential Support Line on 08000 562 561 (England) or 08000 855 088 (Wales).

To read the full report on our School Environment Survey, click here.

Teacher Support Network has begun a three-year collaboration with Birkbeck College in London, exploring how headteachers can change the feel of a school.

The project includes a major study using online surveys where the headteacher is leaving, and a new one starts in post in Autumn 2012. If you know of any school which fits this profile we would love to hear from you.

For more information email our researcher Candy Whittome at: c.whittome@org-psych.bbk.ac.uk