Tristram Hunt MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, responding to figures showing 1 in 4 English councils are forecasting a shortage of primary places, said:

“David Cameron is failing in his most important duty to children in this country: to ensure every child has a place at a good local school. He has created a crisis in school places, ignoring the warnings and diverting millions of pounds away from children in areas where there are shortages of places.

“This is damaging standards in our schools, with class sizes soaring, more temporary and unsuitable classrooms and children forced to travel further and further to get to school.

“A future Labour Government will have the right priorities for driving up school standards. We will prioritise new school places in areas where there are shortages, have rigorous local oversight of schools and ensure that all teachers have or are working towards qualified teacher status.”