15/07/2014 BBC London News

but now on BBC One it's time for the news where you

Good evening. A top London Catholic state school

has been heavily criticised over its admissions procedure.

The Schools watchdog says the London Oratory School was found to

have discriminated against pupils on the grounds of ethnicity

and social background. The secondary

in Fulham is where Tony Blahr and Nick Clegg sent their sons.

Our reporter, Sonja Jessup, joins us with more details.

The findings were published today Absolutely. This, is, of course

The findings were published today Absolutely. This, is, of cotrse a

Absolutely. This, is, of course a prestigious and therefore, heavily

over`described academy. Tod`y prestigious and therefore, heavily

over`described academy. Today it prestigious and therefore, heavily

over`described academy. Today it has been ordered to change its `dmission

been ordered to change its admission policy, following a complaint by the

British Humanist Association. The watchdog, the office of the Schools

Adjudicator looked at its admission policy for this year and next and it

found the school had broken the admissions code in 105 areas. So,

for example, the school doesn't recognise parents who don't have any

faith and it also criticised the school for asking for the baptism

school for asking for the b`ptism certificates of parents because it

said that revealed too much information on them. But also, the

adjudicator compared the school to 12 other Catholic schools in London

and it found that the London Oratory had the highest proportion of white

British pupils and the lowest promorgues of non`white puphls. The

promorgues of non`white pupils. The adjudicator said, "I do not believe

that the school can claim that its ethnic composition is even

representative of that of the Catholic children attending schools

in the part of London in which it Catholic children attending schools

in the part of London in which it is located." The other thing it found

is that while the average ntmber located." The other thing it found

is that while the average number of children on free school meals was

23%, at this school it was 6%. Although it may be unintentional,

the adjudicator says it is effectively creating a degrde of

effectively creating a degree of social selection. What is the school

saying? They point out this isn't the fist time their admissions

policy has been criticised in this way. ` the first time. They say they

have successfully challenged it before. They say they may now seek a

judicial review. The British Humanist Association who made the

original complaint, this is what they had to say. The most

significant findings have to be the fact that the school is both

racially and socially econolically racially and socially econolically

selective as a result of its admissions policy. We are not aware

of a school discriminating in both of a school discriminating in both

those ways before. So we ard of a school discriminating hn both

those ways before. So we are pleased the adjudicator will look at that

and take things seriously. Today's findings aren't about whether faith

schools can be selective. It is about whether they adhere to the

admissions rules that are in place. In this case, of course, thd school

was found to have broken a large number of them and to not be

representing the local community. Thank you for bringing us

up`to`date. House prices in London have risen by

a record annual rate of just over 20% according to figures released by

the Office for National Statistics. joins us with more details.

It means an average home in the capital now costs almost ?500,000.

It comes on the day that Maxor It comes on the day that Maxor

Boris Johnson unveiled a project to build more affordable homes.

to build more affordable holes. But critics say he's failed to do

enough about the soaring cost of property.

Gareth Furby reports. The original

fireplace there. All open. It's The original

fireplace there. All open. It's a ground floor flat for sale hn

Catford and even here in one ground floor flat for sale in

Catford and even here in ond of Catford and even here in ond of

London's poorest boroughs, the prices are rising fast. This is a

two`bed ground floor garden flat. On at 260. That's up ?50,000 in just

one year. It's astonishing. It makes it difficult for first`time buyers

to get on the property market as to get on the property markdt as

well as people who want to move to get on the property market as

well as people who want to love on. And we now know Catford is just

feeling the effects of a property boom affecting almost all of London,

according to the latest offhcial according to the latest offhcial

figures. The price increases estate agents are seeing here are just

typical. We have seen in the agents are seeing here are just

typical. We have seen in thd last agents are seeing here are just

typical. We have seen in the last 12 months about a 20% increase. Average

price say of a three`bedrool months about a 20% increase. Average

price say of a three`bedroom house a price say of a three`bedroom house a

year ago, 350. Now you are looking around 475. What do you think about

this? Well, good for us, good for business. But not so good for people

who don't yet own homes. Today the mayor was in Catford, helping to lay

the foundations for a development on the site of the old dog track. He

wants more power to release land like this for development, which he

says will help increase the supply of homes, and mean more affordable

housing. The answer is not to hang around hoping for house prices to

fall. The answer is to increase supply. On this site there will be

almost 600 new homes H 113 for affordable rent. 60 for shared

ownership but some say the mayor ownership but some say the layor

isn't doing enough. I think it is very sad that you have people

working very hard who are scraping together money every month to try to

save for a deposit and every month the dream seems to get pushdd

further and further away. The question now is ` what will happen

next? With some people hoping for a continuing boom, but others wanting

only a bust. Michael Adebowale, one of

the men convicted of the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich in May

last year, has been given permission to appeal against his sentence.

Adebowale was jailed for life with minimum of 45 years for his part

in running over the young soldier and then attacking him, along with

fellow extremist Michael Addbolajo. fellow extremist Michael Adebolajo.

Foreign embassies have clocked up more than ?82 million

in unpaid London Congestion Charges over the last decade.

The figures from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office reveal

The figures from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office revdal that

and Commonwealth Office reveal that the largest bill belonged to the

US Embassy, with an outstanding debt of more than ?8.5 million.

They United States were closely followed by the Japanese and Russian

embassies. Now time for me to wish you good

night and hand you over to Wendy to look at the weather.

Today we got to 26 or 27 in London. Through this week, it is going to

Through this week, it is gohng to become hotter and hotter. A pretty

warm evening out there to enjoy at the moment. As we go through, I

don't think it will be quitd the moment. As we go through, I

don't think it will be quite as close and muggy as last night. There

will be a fair amount of cldar close and muggy as last night. There

will be a fair amount of clear sky, will be a fair amount of clear sky,

patchy cloud and maybe the odd mist patch into the early hours.

Temperatures still thick at 16 in urban areas but something like

Temperatures still thick at 16 in urban areas but something lhke 0`13

elsewhere across the Home Counties. A lovely sunny start to the day

tomorrow which will lift temperatures. There is going to be a

fair amount of cloud into the afternoon. A weak weather front

which might introduce enough instability to the hot and humid air

to produce one or two showers as the day goes on, because we are talking

about temperatures of 27 or maybe 28 tomorrow. If we see the showers,

they will be late afternoon and evening and affecting mainly

Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, up into Hertfordshire. On the outlook, two

more hot days. By Friday we could be hitting 31 or 32 Celsius. It looks

like we'll get heavy thundery rain to finish that off on Saturday. A

tricky situation. Matt will explain more. And he will tell you that it

didn't rain today. The outlook for the next 40 days

will be straightforward to St swith an were to be believed. Thankfully

for my job at least, it is far from straightforward. Even after today, a

dry day, weather is on the turn in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Around western coastal hills of England and Wales turning misty with

light rain and drizzle. For most a dry night with clear skies.

Temperatures a degree or so down on last night. A warm start to

Wednesday. Early risers in Northern Ireland may get wet but turning

brighter here with one or two heavy showers. Rain spreading across

Scotland through the morning, hit and mist. A dry and bright start for

many in England and Wales. Low cloud in the Midlands. This will thicken

during the second half of the day to bring outbreaks of rain.

Temperatures across the north and west are in the high keens or low

20s. Driest and brightens for longest in the south. Here close to

82 Fahrenheit. Late in the afternoon or evening, West county,