:00:00. > :00:00.missing. That's all from the BBC News at Six - so it's
:00:00. > :00:07.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight:
:00:08. > :00:18.We'll be at Stephen's former school in his hometown of Burntwood
:00:19. > :00:27.I feel as if someone has lied about Park View School. People doing that
:00:28. > :00:34.doesn't make you feel good. Our cameras have had an exclusive
:00:35. > :00:37.look in style at the school. We speak to the film`maker who
:00:38. > :00:43.captured the last year of Stephen Sutton's life.
:00:44. > :00:49.Fears that access to schools in rural areas could cost ?900. This
:00:50. > :00:55.kind of increase means that, for some parents, access will be denied.
:00:56. > :01:01.We have the world premiere of the video starring the people of
:01:02. > :01:05.Birmingham and the Black Country. You will see a few more of those in
:01:06. > :01:15.the days ahead in what should prove to be a cracking end to the week.
:01:16. > :01:33.Teachers and pupils fight back against allegations that teachers
:01:34. > :01:38.and pupils are trying to take over the education. It has dominated the
:01:39. > :01:42.national media for months. Today, our cameras went inside Park View
:01:43. > :01:53.School for the first time. In March, a letter detailing a so`called
:01:54. > :01:57."Trojan horse" plot appeared. Birmingham City Council confirmed it
:01:58. > :02:05.had been contacted by dozens of parents, some claimed pupils were
:02:06. > :02:08.taught separately ` boys and girls. Our special correspondent has been
:02:09. > :02:14.given exclusive access to the school today.
:02:15. > :02:19.The gates and fences surrounding the school can seem intimidating but it
:02:20. > :02:23.is exactly the same as any modern school as they take security
:02:24. > :02:29.seriously. We are the first TV camera team to be allowed inside to
:02:30. > :02:34.see the school for ourselves. Park View School is in one of the
:02:35. > :02:39.most deprived areas are Birmingham. At one time, the exam results were
:02:40. > :02:43.amongst the poorest in Britain. Now these children are getting top
:02:44. > :02:49.grades. But this academy school has also been accused by some of
:02:50. > :02:54.becoming increasingly strict along Islamic principles. These year eight
:02:55. > :02:59.pupils appear to be segregated ` girls separated from the boys.
:03:00. > :03:04.Children sit where they want to sit. Girls and boys will automatically
:03:05. > :03:09.sit with the girls and boys with boys. I don't stop them sitting
:03:10. > :03:16.anywhere. As far as the headscarves go, it is more of a tradition with
:03:17. > :03:28.the culture. Nobody forces them to wear a scarf. Do they? No. The white
:03:29. > :03:36.headscarves are the approved but it is not canned `` compulsory. We are
:03:37. > :03:44.not forced to wear it. We are treated equally. This science
:03:45. > :03:48.teacher wears a purple headscarf. The school is being investigated by
:03:49. > :03:54.the city council, Ofsted and the government. The teenagers claimed
:03:55. > :03:59.the allegations of extremism could affect their job prospects in the
:04:00. > :04:05.future. I am proud of the school in that we have done so well in a harsh
:04:06. > :04:11.environment, a deprived area but all of a sudden it got bad publicity. I
:04:12. > :04:18.feel people will stereotype me. There are no extremists. All
:04:19. > :04:26.religions are taught equally. We do community cohesion and people of
:04:27. > :04:33.different cultures are together. For months, allegations have been
:04:34. > :04:39.rolling around this school. The best way for our pupils to avoid becoming
:04:40. > :04:43.extremists if to give them a proper appreciation of their faith. Why are
:04:44. > :04:50.we hearing about Christianity `` Christianity being denigrated in
:04:51. > :04:59.assemblies? I have no idea why people would want to make those
:05:00. > :05:06.allegations. Some people along the way will feel uncomfortable from the
:05:07. > :05:15.improvements we have made. The chair of governors was asked directly
:05:16. > :05:19.about the serious allegations that, at an assembly, extremism was
:05:20. > :05:23.promoted and the guest speaker `` speaker praised a member of
:05:24. > :05:28.Al`Qaeda. These things have never happened at these `` this school and
:05:29. > :05:34.the people who made those allegations are anonymous. So, in
:05:35. > :05:38.spite of all these things, they have been published in the media and have
:05:39. > :05:44.generated a completely false image of our school. One teacher has been
:05:45. > :05:51.here for 26 years and is passionate about what has been achieved here.
:05:52. > :05:56.But what if Ofsted decide the schools should be placed in special
:05:57. > :06:00.measures? We are arguably the best school in our country of our type
:06:01. > :06:04.and people are talking about is going into special measures. How can
:06:05. > :06:10.you talk about that or how can it be a possibility? Park View School has
:06:11. > :06:16.become the symbol of the whole Trojan horse saga. 25 Birmingham
:06:17. > :06:21.schools are being investigated with 21 of them currently waiting for
:06:22. > :06:24.inspection reports from Ofsted. Children and staff today were
:06:25. > :06:32.ignoring all that and trying to concentrate on passing their exams.
:06:33. > :06:38.Peter is here now. You spent a long time bed today. What is your
:06:39. > :06:43.personal impression? I was allowed to go wherever I wanted and ask
:06:44. > :06:49.whatever I wanted to ask. In the past, as a reporter, more
:06:50. > :06:53.by the police or Home Office as part by the police or Home Office as part
:06:54. > :06:56.of my work. The school was trying to be transparent and they seemed to
:06:57. > :07:01.say that if they have got into trouble it is because they have been
:07:02. > :07:05.listening to parents and have changed the school to match parents
:07:06. > :07:12.wishes. 98% of children there are from Muslim families. What next?
:07:13. > :07:20.There is no police investigation into the "Trojan" plot affair.
:07:21. > :07:27.Ofsted will be reporting on about 21 schools early next month.
:07:28. > :07:35.In just 24 hours, the fund started by Stephen Sutton has raised an
:07:36. > :07:42.under ?400,000. The cancer he battled against for so long finally
:07:43. > :07:48.took his life yesterday. We report on how his hometown is coming to
:07:49. > :07:51.terms with his death. Across Burntwood, yellow ribbons
:07:52. > :07:56.have appeared overnight to remember him but it is at his old school
:07:57. > :08:01.where there is a focal point for tributes. Although he insisted his
:08:02. > :08:04.life be measured by achievement and not time, across an hour, Burntwood
:08:05. > :08:13.shared their thoughts on there now famous son. He has been awesome. We
:08:14. > :08:17.are so proud of him. He lived his life to the full and tried to raise
:08:18. > :08:25.as much money as possible for Teenage Cancer Trust. I have come
:08:26. > :08:38.from Worcester. I couldn't have given those extra few miles `` I
:08:39. > :08:42.couldn't not have driven. We keep going because we know that is what
:08:43. > :08:49.he would have wanted us to do. His impact is clear. It has changed our
:08:50. > :08:53.attitude to life. We are privileged to have seen a lot of Stephen and to
:08:54. > :09:01.really get to know him and understand him. It makes me want to
:09:02. > :09:07.get up and get going now. It has inspired me to do things I want to
:09:08. > :09:12.do. There are plans for the tag too that Stephen insisted on to become
:09:13. > :09:16.an unofficial symbol for fundraising in Burntwood. But today was about
:09:17. > :09:25.remembering the local lad to save so much. I am hoping he is happy and
:09:26. > :09:33.proud of him as we are. He has united the place. He has brought it
:09:34. > :09:40.back together. Hopefully, it will be for the good, you know what I mean?
:09:41. > :09:44.He won't be forgotten about. Throughout our time, the message
:09:45. > :09:45.from Burntwood was the same, Stephen Sutton inspired many and made his
:09:46. > :10:00.hometown crowd. `` proud. We are now joined by a German
:10:01. > :10:04.film`maker who captured the last year of Stephen's live on camera.
:10:05. > :10:11.Good evening. How did you meet Stephen? Me and my team were hired
:10:12. > :10:16.last year to film the opening ceremony of the champions league
:10:17. > :10:22.final and he was part of a large group of drummers who performed in
:10:23. > :10:25.front of 90,000 people. I was introduced to him by the director of
:10:26. > :10:31.the ceremony and that is where things started. What were your first
:10:32. > :10:38.impressions of him? The first minute and a half I talk to him I wasn't
:10:39. > :10:42.sure because it was just days after he had been diagnosed with incurable
:10:43. > :10:47.cancer. I wasn't sure how to approach him about it. He looked me
:10:48. > :10:53.in the eyes and said, don't worry about any of this. It's my burden.
:10:54. > :10:58.I'm happy where I am right now so you shouldn't worry and then he just
:10:59. > :11:02.smiled. That smile lasted for the next 12 months. That is how I want
:11:03. > :11:12.us to remember him and I think everyone will. You got some very
:11:13. > :11:18.personal stuff ` you and others, including his holiday pictures from
:11:19. > :11:23.Ibiza. He has got some of the best friends you can imagine. We were
:11:24. > :11:28.privileged. We gave him a few cameras and that holiday was on his
:11:29. > :11:33.bucket list. It was his last vacation with his best friends in
:11:34. > :11:36.Ibiza. They got some incredible footage. I watched it last week and
:11:37. > :11:44.I just keep smiling, it was so beautiful. What will you do with the
:11:45. > :11:50.film you have shot? It is an open`ended project, or was, until he
:11:51. > :11:55.passes. We are just slowing down a bit and leaving his family and
:11:56. > :11:59.friends to grieve. In a few months, hopefully, we can pick it up again
:12:00. > :12:05.and do something beautiful with this footage and turn it into an amazing,
:12:06. > :12:09.beautiful documentary that he can be proud of and everybody he knows
:12:10. > :12:13.untouched can be proud of and say, yes, that is the message Stephen
:12:14. > :12:15.wanted all of us to carry for ever. He changed the world.
:12:16. > :12:29.Thank you very much. Our top story tonight: Teachers and
:12:30. > :12:36.pupils hit back at claims that Muslims and extremists are trying to
:12:37. > :12:41.take over their school. Then the weather forecast and also: Charting
:12:42. > :12:48.the history of generations of Chinese people who made their home
:12:49. > :12:53.in and around Birmingham. Dancing in the street, why scores of
:12:54. > :12:54.people have been throwing some super shapes across Birmingham and the
:12:55. > :13:10.Black Country. Access to sixth form education in
:13:11. > :13:16.Shropshire could be denied to many students in rural areas ` that is
:13:17. > :13:22.the fears of one teacher after Shropshire Council set out plans to
:13:23. > :13:26.reduce travel subsidies for 16 to 18`year`olds. From September,
:13:27. > :13:31.parents could have to pay up to ?900 in fares.
:13:32. > :13:36.These sixth formers board a train each morning. Their college is 15
:13:37. > :13:43.miles away. It is a lot of money just to go to college. Their rail
:13:44. > :13:50.passes are subsidised by Shropshire Council. In 2010, parents
:13:51. > :13:56.contributed up to ?262 per child per year towards the cost. Last year,
:13:57. > :14:05.the fee had gone up to ?550 and from this September they want to raise it
:14:06. > :14:10.to ?876. A 59% increase in a year is enormous. You either have to pay the
:14:11. > :14:20.money or forget to find for not sending your child to school. It is
:14:21. > :14:25.madness. `` or get fined. This is about a local authority trying to
:14:26. > :14:30.save ?18 million. No one from this council was available. A statement
:14:31. > :14:34.says that a final decision hasn't been made. They say they are
:14:35. > :14:39.sensitive to the needs of local communities and they add the changes
:14:40. > :14:44.offer good value for money for students. The move has angered some
:14:45. > :14:49.headteachers preparing teenagers for life at just a handful of sixth form
:14:50. > :14:55.colleges in the area. It is incumbent upon the authorities to
:14:56. > :15:00.allow the transport to be accessible. This kind of increase
:15:01. > :15:04.means that, for some parents, access will be denied. Shropshire Council
:15:05. > :15:09.is promising reduced charges for families on low incomes but only
:15:10. > :15:16.where parents earn less than ?16,000 a year.
:15:17. > :15:22.It is estimated there are some 20,000 ethnic Chinese people living
:15:23. > :15:26.in and around Birmingham. A new exhibition has been put together to
:15:27. > :15:37.chart their history. Our reporter joins us from the exhibition launch.
:15:38. > :15:41.The launch is happening right now. It marks the culmination of a year
:15:42. > :15:46.'s hard work by the Chinese community Centre in Birmingham which
:15:47. > :15:51.has been hearing personal stories of those who've been living here and
:15:52. > :15:58.how they came settle here. Married for 60 years, this married
:15:59. > :16:02.couple are in Vietnamese Chinese. When war broke out in Vietnam they
:16:03. > :16:07.escaped by boat to Hong Kong and came to Birmingham in the early 90s.
:16:08. > :16:12.They have adapted to local life. At 91, she has noticed significant
:16:13. > :16:20.changes. TRANSLATION: I have lived in the UK
:16:21. > :16:26.for 30 years. Birmingham has changed a lot. You couldn't find Chinese
:16:27. > :16:30.people before and now there are a lot. Shops have everything here as
:16:31. > :16:38.well. Transport, street cars have changed as well.
:16:39. > :16:40.The couple's history is featured in an exhibition called the British
:16:41. > :16:44.Chinese Heritage Project about Chinese migrants who've come to live
:16:45. > :16:56.here over the past 60 years. Among them is the Chinese catering tycoon
:16:57. > :17:01.who moved here in the 60s. The local people have been to Asia on holiday
:17:02. > :17:08.and they have changed their way of thinking slightly. A lot of them
:17:09. > :17:12.have got TV and they see Bombay, cart `` Bombay, Hong Kong and sinker
:17:13. > :17:23.for. Before they would say, where is Hong Kong? `` Singapore. The centre
:17:24. > :17:29.has received over ?35,000 from the Heritage lottery fund. This is
:17:30. > :17:33.important for the younger generation because many of these memories have
:17:34. > :17:40.not been recorded. Through this project we will be able to make a
:17:41. > :17:42.record. Preserving memories to inspire and inform future
:17:43. > :17:49.generations. I am joined by the `` one of the
:17:50. > :17:53.coordinators of this project. We heard how important it is for
:17:54. > :17:59.younger generations and you yourself are in your 20s. How have you been
:18:00. > :18:03.inspired? It has been a privilege to be part of this meaningful project
:18:04. > :18:13.and leave a legacy for Birmingham city. It was created as part of the
:18:14. > :18:17.Hidden Stories project. A lot of people have fascinating tales to
:18:18. > :18:24.tell of poverty, determination and grit. It has been so inspirational.
:18:25. > :18:27.How well do you think this exhibition will be received by the
:18:28. > :18:33.Chinese community living in Birmingham? Not just the Chinese
:18:34. > :18:37.community, I think it will be well received by the public in Birmingham
:18:38. > :18:42.as well. The Chinese community have called Birmingham home for over six
:18:43. > :18:48.decades. There are 20,000 ethnic Chinese in the city and there is not
:18:49. > :18:56.much more that people know about the culture and heritage. It will be on
:18:57. > :19:01.from Saturday. Thank you. Thank you, Amy. She is up there on
:19:02. > :19:08.the eighth floor. We will keep the Chinese connection
:19:09. > :19:12.going. Half a mile from here is the Chinese quarter in Birmingham. Ben
:19:13. > :19:16.Sidwell is standing there. If recently you've seen loads of people
:19:17. > :19:21.gyrating outrageously in Birmingham and the Black Country and will
:19:22. > :19:28.explain why. Thank you. I would join in but my
:19:29. > :19:32.pad the dirt is not what it used to be!
:19:33. > :19:42.This is a collaboration. It is all about celebrating the Heritage and
:19:43. > :19:48.music of Birmingham and the Black Country and the people as well.
:19:49. > :19:54.We'll see the video in a minute but you are the choreographer. How happy
:19:55. > :19:59.are you with it? I am delighted. It is an amazing showcase of the talent
:20:00. > :20:05.in the West Midlands. It is difficult to choreographed, isn't
:20:06. > :20:10.it? We had to do 13 different dance `` dance tracks to the music and we
:20:11. > :20:13.went to goodness knows how many locations and we worked with youth
:20:14. > :20:20.groups, professional than nonprofessionals. Let us meet one of
:20:21. > :20:27.the dancers. Tell us about what has been so good about this. The best
:20:28. > :20:34.bit about this project was that I managed to meet different dancers
:20:35. > :20:39.from different ages, cultures which reflect Birmingham now. I teach
:20:40. > :20:44.loads of different dancers to communities and to be able to learn
:20:45. > :20:51.different dancers from the community as well. That was fantastic.
:20:52. > :20:58.Now for the video. Indeed. This is it. A collaboration between the
:20:59. > :21:01.International dance Festival and BBC W M radio, celebrating everything
:21:02. > :21:07.good about Birmingham and the West Country `` Black Country.
:21:08. > :21:17.It is a great place to live. The people are genuine and it is like a
:21:18. > :21:24.community. So friendly. We love it. It is our town. Multicultural and I
:21:25. > :21:30.am proud of that. I love where I live and I would never change it for
:21:31. > :21:31.anything. It is another beautiful day across to Birmingham and the
:21:32. > :24:12.Black Country on BBC W M. I am exhausted watching that! My bit
:24:13. > :24:17.was mercifully short. Part two will be on tomorrow. The whole thing is
:24:18. > :24:26.on our Facebook page. It is cloudy out there. How is it looking for the
:24:27. > :24:32.next few days? It will actually be quite sunny. It
:24:33. > :24:40.is a tonic the weather at the moment. As always the usual warnings
:24:41. > :24:44.apply. High UV levels and pollen levels will rise, particularly at
:24:45. > :24:51.the weekend when the sun will be strong. Even today we have had some
:24:52. > :24:51.cloud milling around and not unfettered sunshine. Temperatures
:24:52. > :25:06.have been impressive. This evening and overnight, today we
:25:07. > :25:15.had cloud streaming down from the North. We will continue to see this
:25:16. > :25:20.tonight. A mixture of cloud and clear spells but temperatures will
:25:21. > :25:27.still be comfortable at double temperatures.
:25:28. > :25:34.The cloud will melt away brilliantly tomorrow morning so there will be
:25:35. > :25:45.bags of sunshine to start off with. Then, we will see cloud bubbling
:25:46. > :25:49.up. Temperatures will rise to possibly 22 Celsius during the
:25:50. > :25:54.latter half of the day. Very light winds from the south`west so maybe a
:25:55. > :25:55.day of bangers and barbecues but not bathing suits. A beautiful weekend
:25:56. > :26:07.ahead. Before we go, he arrived to a mother
:26:08. > :26:13.called Five. Meet the first baby elephant to be born at West Midland
:26:14. > :26:18.Safari Park in its history. It weighed in at 100 kilograms. His
:26:19. > :26:22.mother went through 822 month pregnancy following artificial
:26:23. > :26:25.insemination. The dad lives in a reserve in South Africa. This is
:26:26. > :26:29.just the second elephant calf in the world to be using this technique.
:26:30. > :26:55.That is all for today. Good evening. at the European elections
:26:56. > :27:07.on May the 22nd. even though that would wreck
:27:08. > :27:12.the recovery and destroy jobs.