School places need to be created in Bournemouth to cope with an ongoing baby boom.

Councillors are being warned they need to add five more reception classes for September 2012 because the existing primary schools will not be able to provide enough places for future pupils.

In a bid to address the problem, the council is proposing to create new places at the following schools from 2012: Elmrise – 30 extra places to create a fourth reception class, making the school the equal largest primary school in the town.

Heathlands – 30 extra places to create a third reception class.

King’s Park – 30 extra places to create a fourth reception class. An annexe on the site scheduled for demolition could be used for temporary accommodation.

St Mark’s – 30 extra places to create a third reception class. School governors have already expressed reservations about the impact of this and the existing building is listed, making expansion expensive.

St Katharine’s – 30 extra places to create a third reception class. It’s likely this will require new temporary accommodation and, again, the site is restricted. There is also the possibility the council could invite bids from people seeking to open a new school in the borough or could try and reorganise existing schools.

If the expansion plans are agreed, it will be the third time Bournemouth council has created extra primary school places. An additional 6.5 reception classes were created for September 2010, followed by four further forms of entry for September 2011.

But the problem stems from a steep increase in the local birth rate, which has risen by 37 per cent since 2005. In 2009, the town’s birth rate was the highest in over 30 years.

Currently, there are reception year spaces at just eight of the borough’s 23 schools. The highest number is at Elmrise, where 48 of its 90 reception places are available. Heathlands, King’s Park, Kinson and Pokesdown are the only other schools with significant numbers of available spaces.

The proposals will go before cabinet next Wednesday.