NEARLY half the area's primary schools will have vacant spaces this September.

Out of the 24 state primary schools in Bournemouth, 11 will have surplus spaces in their intake year.

St Clement's and St John's Infant School, Heathlands Primary School, Kingsleigh Primary School and Townsend Primary and Nursery School will all have less than half the pupils they have space for in the first year.

The threatened Townsend Primary School has space for 30 pupils but only five have been offered places.

If the council closes the school, as is intended, these pupils will have to be educated elsewhere but there will still be more than 200 vacant primary school places in first classes across the borough.

In Poole the situation is largely the same and only 12 out of 21 state schools will be full.

Across Poole there will be nearly 200 vacant spaces in first classes.

Sylvan First School, in Livingstone Road, will have 39 empty places as it has made 51 offers when it could potentially take 90 pupils.

Manorside Combined School, in Evering Avenue, has made only 18 offers but has space for 60 pupils.

Andrea Hand, chair of the governors for the school, said the low numbers presented staffing and teaching problems.

She said: "It is a very good school and anyone who comes here can see that it is just a question of getting people through the door. We have an open day on April 23 and anyone is welcome to come."

Stuart Twiss, head of children and young people's services in Poole, said: "The number of children attending first and primary schools in Poole has steadily declined since 1999."

Forecasts show the levels are likely to remain below 2004 levels until 2011.

He said: "Pupil numbers do have an impact on school budgets, but we have no intention of closing schools in our current school organisation plans. With careful planning and a good understanding of population trends we can avoid closures and job losses."

Felicity Draper, governor services and access manager at Bournemouth Borough Council, said: "It is not unusual for some schools in the borough to be oversubscribed while others have places remaining. This can be due to many reasons. Often these will include a change from year to year in the number of children living in any particular area as well as parental preference."

He said the council looked at expected demand for places each year. "We then have discussions with all schools to agree appropriate admission numbers, providing parents with as much choice as possible when looking to apply."