There could be a pressing need for people to fill new primary teaching jobs in London in the future, as the school-age population continues to grow.

New figures from the Greater London Authority (GLA) show that the existing primary school infrastructure will come under increasing strain as the number of youngsters in the capital increases by 100,000 over the next four years.

Several boroughs of London are set for population increases of around 50 per cent and a combination of new housing developments, the recent baby boom and immigration will mean that increases in the four to ten-year-old age group could be even higher. 

GLA's figures show that at the start of this academic year, there were 696,105 children enrolled in state-funded primary schools in London, but by 2017, around 801,000 children will be attended state-funded primaries.

The population growth will be spread across the capital with Colindale in north London, the Botwell ward in Hillingdon borough and the Peninsula ward in Greenwich to the south-east seeing the most marked rises.

In response to the issue, last week, GLA launched the London Schools Atlas, which is an innovative online resource that allows parents to search for schools and project school-age population growth in different areas of the city.

Even before the latest projections, mayor of London Boris Johnson had said that demographic pressure will mean an extra 4,000 primary classes will be needed in the capital within the next seven years.

"The mayor wants to see councils, communities and parents set up new academies and free schools to meet this challenge. The school atlas is an important tool in providing the information to do that," a GLA spokesman said.

A similar problem - albeit to a lesser extent - is expected in many areas of the UK, with the Local Government Association stating two-thirds of councils in England could have more parents looking for primary school places in September 2016 than they have places available.