PUPILS from outside Surrey have swelled the county’s school population by 2,000 – enough to fill a primary and secondary school.

Figures show in 2015/16, 3,200 pupils living outside county boundaries had places at Surrey primary schools and 2,700 pupils from the county went to primaries run by a neighbouring authority, giving a net influx of 500 – the equivalent of a large primary school.

At secondary level, 4,900 pupils came from outside the county in 2015/16 and 3,400 Surrey pupils went to school elsewhere, increasing pupil numbers by 1,500 – enough to fill a large secondary.

Linda Kemeny, the county council’s cabinet member for schools, skills and educational achievement, said: “With 93 per cent of Surrey schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, the county continues to attract significant numbers of pupils from outside our boundaries.

“As well as strong demand for school places from outside the county, there are rising pupil numbers within Surrey and we will continue to make sure every Surrey child who needs a place gets one.

“We know we need to provide an extra 11,000 primary and secondary school places to meet demand over the next five years but face a shortfall of tens of millions of pounds in the funds we need to create them, at a time when rising demand for elderly care is also stretching our budgets.”

Mrs Kemeny’s comments come after Liberal Democrat councillors on the council warned Surrey was facing a continuing crisis in adult social care, after the county forecasted a £7.4million overspend for this financial year.

Fiona White, the Lib Dems’ spokesman on social care said: “ We have a Conservative council that cannot run services properly and a Conservative government that will not fund them properly.

“This council needs a better funding deal from the Government, one that recognises the disproportionately high cost of providing care in Surrey, and an ever increasing demand for services.

“If that is not achieved, I fear that adult social care is heading for a breakdown here in Surrey.”