Richmond’s education chief says he is willing to listen to ideas from parents about how to address the soaring demand for primary school places.

Last week the Richmond and Twickenham Times revealed how derelict offices and hospitals could be turned into new schools in an attempt to deal with the rocketing birth rate and economic downturn which has seen parents move away from private education.

Councillor Malcolm Eady, Richmond Council's cabinet member for education and children’s services, revealed the borough may need an additional 14 reception classes in the next two years to deal with the increased demand.

It has added bulge classes to Lowther Primary School, in Barnes, Chase Bridge Primary School, Whitton, St Mary’s CE Primary School and Orleans Infant School, both in Twickenham, and St Elizabeth’s RC Primary School, in Richmond, for this September.

Coun Eady said Darell Primary School, in Kew, will be taking on seven extra children and St Mary’s and St Peter’s CE Primary School, in Teddington, and Holy Trinity CE Primary School, in Richmond, will also have bulge classes.

Holy Trinity and St Mary’s and St Peter’s will be expanded into larger schools by September 2010 and 2011 respectively as part of the authority’s £32m primary school revamp.

The scheme will also see the expansion of Chase Bridge, the merger of Stanley Infant and Junior Schools into one large school and Orleans and St Stephen’s Junior School becoming all-through primary schools.

Coun Eady said if residents had any different ideas how to tackle the problem he would listen but rejected a plan from St Margarets resident Nigel Cannings to keep Orleans and St Stephens as infant and junior schools but expand them to four forms each and switch their locations.

He said: “I don’t want to discourage people from coming up with ideas, the council is not the font of all knowledge, but this will not solve our problem in St Margarets.”

Coun Eady said moving the schools would mean the reception places would move from Twickenham to St Margarets and leave a different set of parents with difficulty getting a place and it would also mean giving the Church of England - which operates St Stephen's - a large piece of land for free.

“That proposal would just move our problem,” continued Coun Eady.

“I would have a different lot of upset parents.

“Our proposal for two all-through primary schools will give us two different entry points. It doesn’t create more places than this suggestion but spread them out.”

Coun Eady said there were “probably educational benefits” to all-through schools and the governing bodies at the schools were not against the plans and were being “helpful in discussions”.

He added council officers were working on a bid for some of the £200m made available by the Government for primary school expansion.