The headteacher of an Enfield academy has described the demand for school places as “desperate” as his school forms plans to open a new primary school.

Ashmole Academy in Cecil Road, Southgate, has launched proposals to build a new primary school on its 28-acre site.

The west of the borough is heavily deficient in primary school places and campaigners hope the proposals to build a new primary school on the grounds by 2015 will go a long way to easing pressure.

At a meeting between planners, Southgate MP David Burrowes and local residents' associations, headteacher Derrick Brown said: “Our school straddles the Enfield and Barnet boarders and there seems to be a black hole in terms of primary school places in this part of the borough.

“I would describe the demand for school places as desperate and we saw it this September as children missed out on their getting a place at their local primary school.”

Half of the school’s pupils are from Enfield and the other half of its intake is from Barnet – proposals of 120 places for reception and year one will hope to ease fears.

However, the stipulation of funding for this new build has not gone unnoticed and is something Mr Brown is keen get.

He said: “Roughly, we will need five or six million to complete a project like this and that is the biggest hurdle we face. We hope to take our proposals to the government in January and we are confident of getting the funding.”

Mr Burrowes said: “I very much welcome the proposal for a new primary school at Ashmole Academy. It is an excellent opportunity to provide good primary school places. The new school would help meet the great need for school places in my constituency and would at last give parents a local choice.

"A 'through school' at Ashmole Academy would also spread the outstanding teaching and learning to all school ages. I would encourage all parents of pre-school children to register their interest in the proposal by completing a form at www.ashmoleacademy.org."

Member of the Grovelands Residents’ Association, Wendy Boast, who lives in Queen Elizabeth’s Drive, Southgate, which backs on to the park, said: “The Grovelands Residents' Association are supporting Ashmole Academy and its proposal for a primary school, because it means it will save building on ‘green’ land next to Grovelands Park.

“Grovelands Residents' Association have always been in support of the need for local primary school places and we have always been hopeful of finding an alternative site to Grovelands”.