An extra class is being created at a North Oxford primary school in a bid to ease the strain on places in the area.

Cutteslowe Primary School, in Wren Road, is to receive £25,000 in extra funding from Oxfordshire County Council to create 30 extra places for pupils going into the reception class in September.

Applications for primary places across the county in September 2009 rose by more than 500 from last year, with particular pressure on places in Oxford city.

In spite of the rise, primary school places were available for all 1,496 city applications made on time.

In December, chairmen of governors at primary schools across North Oxford called for a meeting with Janet Tomlinson, the council’s director for children, to highlight competition for places which they said was “causing real distress to some parents and children”.

Officers from the council have been working closely with headteachers and governors to identify schools with capacity for extra pupils, and a spokesman for the council said the 30 extra places would cater for current applications for Cutteslowe’s September intake.

Jean Fooks, Liberal Democrat city councillor for Summertown, said: “We welcome the extra places – they are much needed. The pressure looks to be even worse this year with almost 100 late applications, and more to come.

“It is very unlikely these 30 places will be enough for the whole of North Oxford – the council must work out how to provide more, not just for this year but for years to come.

“There are a number of unhappy parents whose children aged four and five have been allocated places a long way from north Oxford.”

Michael Waine, the county’s cabinet member for schools improvement, said: “The council sees Cutteslowe Primary as the ideal school to create additional places.

“It is a fast improving school and, by providing new facilities and additional staff, we believe this investment will help the headteacher and governors to raise standards even further.”

Ms Tomlinson and Mr Waine are visiting the school tomorrow to discuss arrangements for September with headteacher Peter Renshaw, who was unavailable for comment.