0:00:00 > 0:00:00That's all from us.
0:00:09 > 0:00:10Welcome to South Today.
0:00:10 > 0:00:11Coming up:
0:00:11 > 0:00:12The classrooms facing a funding crisis.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15We'll hear what the main parties would do to improve children's
0:00:15 > 0:00:16chances of a good education.
0:00:16 > 0:00:17Also...
0:00:17 > 0:00:19The Chinese brother and sister who've taken over
0:00:19 > 0:00:20Reading Football Club.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22And how the rapper Stormzy has helped an Oxford student
0:00:22 > 0:00:32achieve her dream of studying at one of America's top universities.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Good evening.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Teaching posts have been cut, class sizes have increased...
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Now an Oxfordshire headteacher has written to the county's politicians
0:00:41 > 0:00:43urging them to spend more on education.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Gillotts School in Henley-on-Thames is among those saying it will need
0:00:46 > 0:00:48to ask parents for contributions to help tackle a funding shortfall.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50With the general election just over three weeks away,
0:00:50 > 0:00:52David Lumb has been asking candidates from the main
0:00:52 > 0:01:00parties what they would do to guarantee a good education.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03At Gillotts School, textile lessons will soon be a thing of the past.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06The subject's being axed next year in the latest bid to cut costs.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11The fact that we are now so short of money means
0:01:11 > 0:01:14that we are changing our curriculum, we are changing it to reduce
0:01:14 > 0:01:15the number of teachers that we need.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18That means that we are reducing the number of subjects on offer,
0:01:18 > 0:01:22it means we are increasing class sizes and it means we are asking
0:01:22 > 0:01:25teachers to teach more hours, all of which have an impact on both
0:01:25 > 0:01:29the experience of teachers and students.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31Government funding accounts for 80% of the academy's budget.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33In 2010, it received ?4,700 per pupil.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38This year, it got the same.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41The school says in real terms, that is a 14% funding cut.
0:01:41 > 0:01:50Redundancies are a last resort, but they are a possibility.
0:01:50 > 0:01:51You can't rule anything out.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55In order to make the sort of size of savings that we are making,
0:01:55 > 0:01:57we need to save about ?80,000 this year.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00The only way we can do that is to start to reduce
0:02:00 > 0:02:02the number of staff.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05The problem is not unique to this school and with the general election
0:02:05 > 0:02:11pending, politicians are promising different remedies.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Education is about more than money, with the Conservatives -
0:02:14 > 0:02:17and Ukip too - backing more grammar schools, an idea shunned
0:02:17 > 0:02:18by other parties.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Our plan to fund our visionary national education service
0:02:20 > 0:02:24is by reversing the Tories' corporation tax, which will raise
0:02:24 > 0:02:32within the region of ?19.4 billion.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35The Liberal Democrats say they'll reverse Tory cuts.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38What we would do would be to restore the budgets as they are and,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41in fact, top them up, because at the moment what we are
0:02:41 > 0:02:45seeing is schools that are unable - not just having to cut staff -
0:02:45 > 0:02:49but schools that are not able to maintain the school premises
0:02:49 > 0:02:53on the budgets that they have got.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55While the Conservatives are defending their record.
0:02:55 > 0:02:56The Conservative government is entirely committed
0:02:56 > 0:03:00to investment in education.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03In fact, with the 40 billion invested in this current year,
0:03:03 > 0:03:07it is at record levels.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10The Green Party is promising to invest ?7 billion in education.
0:03:10 > 0:03:11There you go, perfect.
0:03:11 > 0:03:11Any more?
0:03:11 > 0:03:13James?
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Back in Henley, Gillotts School is planning to ask parents to make
0:03:16 > 0:03:19a voluntary contribution of up to ?30 a month to pay
0:03:19 > 0:03:22for things like chemicals for science lessons and books.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Headteachers across the region will be waiting to see
0:03:24 > 0:03:25what the next government brings.
0:03:25 > 0:03:31David Lumb, BBC South Today.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Two further strikes at the Mini plants in Oxford and Swindon have
0:03:36 > 0:03:39been called off while union members consider a pensions offer from BMW.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Yesterday saw the third walkout over plans to end their final
0:03:41 > 0:03:42salary pension scheme.
0:03:42 > 0:03:49Strikes planned for tomorrow and Sunday have been suspended.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52An interim headteacher has been appointed to run the troubled
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Chiltern Edge School in South Oxfordshire.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56The school in Sonning Common was placed in special measures
0:03:56 > 0:03:58in April after it was rated inadequate by Ofsted.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00The consultation over its future has been extended till
0:04:00 > 0:04:04the end of next month.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07A Chinese brother and sister have taken over Reading Football Club.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09The news emerged last night as fans celebrated reaching
0:04:09 > 0:04:10the Championship play-off final.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12If the club's promoted to the Premier League,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15it stands to gain hundreds of millions of pounds in income.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Lewis Coombes reports.
0:04:18 > 0:04:19Kermorgant...
0:04:19 > 0:04:20Scores!
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Yann Kermorgant puts Reading 1-0 up.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27Now, Reading, clean sheet, you're at Wembley!
0:04:27 > 0:04:30While Reading's footballers secured their place at Wembley,
0:04:30 > 0:04:35the club's hierarchy was securing their future.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Trying to complete a deal halfway through the second half is a first
0:04:38 > 0:04:40for me and I have done a few.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42So, who are the Chinese billionaires now in charge?
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li are a brother and sister combo
0:04:45 > 0:04:46to be reckoned with.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48They made their fortune from converting old air raid
0:04:48 > 0:04:51shelters into shopping malls, but last year an American
0:04:51 > 0:04:53credit agency raised doubts about the health
0:04:53 > 0:04:56of their real estate company.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00In August, their takeover bid for Hull City collapsed amid claims
0:05:00 > 0:05:03they had failed the Premier League's fit and proper person test.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05The English Football League are satisfied with the Reading deal,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08but the Premier League is yet to comment.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12For the fans, at least, it is an exciting prospect.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16They have not just gone away at the first sign of trouble
0:05:16 > 0:05:19when the EFL and the Premier League were throwing red flags at this
0:05:19 > 0:05:22deal, they have hung around and really wanted to get this deal
0:05:22 > 0:05:23over the line.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26I am really hoping this is the next step in a really,
0:05:26 > 0:05:27really positive future for Reading.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29As developers, the new owners are looking to build.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31A new training ground and increased stadium capacity have
0:05:31 > 0:05:34already been mentioned.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Chinese investors are changing the face of football,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38investing heavily in English clubs while trying to establish
0:05:38 > 0:05:43their own domestic league.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46For Reading, they will be hoping the property tycoons from Beijing
0:05:46 > 0:05:48will put the building blocks in place to construct
0:05:48 > 0:05:49a brighter future.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Lewis Coombes, BBC South Today.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Organisers of a campaign to erect a statue of David Bowie in Aylesbury
0:05:56 > 0:05:59have revealed a model of it at a fundraising event this evening.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01When completed, the life-size sculpture will be installed under
0:06:01 > 0:06:03the arches in Market Square, referenced by Bowie
0:06:03 > 0:06:04in the song Five Years.
0:06:04 > 0:06:10Brennan Nicholls reports.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Bowie debuted his Ziggy Stardust persona and his Hunky Dory album
0:06:13 > 0:06:17at the Friars club in Aylesbury in the very early 1970s.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20He played the underground venue four times en route to global fame.
0:06:20 > 0:06:29Last year over ?115,000 was raised to kick-start the project.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32It was the idea of the music promoter who brought
0:06:32 > 0:06:37him to the town.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Tonight, Buckinghamshire businesses are the first to be asked to help
0:06:40 > 0:06:42raise the remaining ?65,000 needed to complete
0:06:42 > 0:06:49the first Bowie memorial statue in the world.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Well, there are so many businesses in the county,
0:06:51 > 0:06:53so many businesses in the county, you know, we are one
0:06:53 > 0:06:55of the high-growth areas in the UK.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57So, absolutely, if everyone donates a little bit,
0:06:57 > 0:06:59I don't see why it can't be done.
0:06:59 > 0:07:00I think it is a fabulous idea.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02I mean, when I was a lad...
0:07:02 > 0:07:03I grew up in Aylesbury.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06So when I was a lad, I grew up with Friars
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Aylesbury and Dave Stopps, I used to work security there.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11So the whole music scene in Aylesbury is something that has
0:07:11 > 0:07:14been with us as long as I have been around.
0:07:14 > 0:07:15Each generation has their own aspect of Bowie
0:07:15 > 0:07:18that they relate to and they love.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21For example, with me, it was Space Oddity.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24But with my PA it is the Goblin King from Labyrinth.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26So it is just a fantastic thing.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Speakers would play the star's music once an hour day in, day out.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Little wonder then that the music fans could be dancing in the streets
0:07:32 > 0:07:40of Aylesbury for generations to come to one of pop's greatest heroes.
0:07:48 > 0:07:48Staying
0:07:48 > 0:07:49Staying with
0:07:49 > 0:07:50Staying with music...
0:07:50 > 0:07:52He's an award-winning rapper who's helped an undergraduate
0:07:52 > 0:07:54in Oxford achieve her dream of studying at one of
0:07:54 > 0:07:55America's top universities.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Stormzy donated almost all the money Fiona Asiedu needed to do
0:07:58 > 0:07:59a Masters degree at Harvard.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01And it all happened because of a tweet,
0:08:01 > 0:08:02as Alpa Patel explains.
0:08:02 > 0:08:03# Shut up.
0:08:03 > 0:08:04# Mention my name in your tweets.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06# Oi, rude boy, shut up.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07# Shut up... #.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Stormzy is one of the biggest names in music, but on Sunday,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13he turned into a fairy godfather too, and this women is very happy.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Fiona Asiedu wants to go to Harvard, but she didn't have the money
0:08:16 > 0:08:19to pay for the fees, so she set up a Crowdfunding page
0:08:19 > 0:08:23and got her friends involved.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24My friend actually tweeted Stormzy saying, "Hi,
0:08:24 > 0:08:28could you, like, retweet or could you support the campaign?"
0:08:28 > 0:08:33He retweeted it and then he put the money into the Crowdfund
0:08:33 > 0:08:35and then just sent, like, a little good luck message.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39HE RAPS.
0:08:39 > 0:08:40It was just surreal.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43It was quite a shock, I couldn't believe it, I am
0:08:43 > 0:08:44still quite overwhelmed about it.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Fiona managed to raise what she needed in 20 hours, thanks
0:08:48 > 0:08:53to the man she and her friends look up to.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Stormzy, for us, he's from south London, he is also Ghanaian,
0:08:56 > 0:08:57so he's just a bit more...
0:08:57 > 0:08:59He's a bit real to...
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Like, we kind of relate to him in some way.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05The 21-year-old will begin her psychology course
0:09:05 > 0:09:08at Harvard in August.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12Thanks for making my dreams come true and I hope that I can use
0:09:12 > 0:09:15what you have given me to go on and inspire other people.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17HE RAPS.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19So far, Stormzy's stayed shtoom over the donation,
0:09:19 > 0:09:24apart from this tweet, agreeing to some thank-you chicken
0:09:24 > 0:09:28courtesy of Fiona's friends.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31When Fiona goes out to the US, she plans
0:09:31 > 0:09:34to catch Stormzy in concert.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36The opportunity made possible thanks to the man himself.
0:09:36 > 0:09:43Alpa Patel, BBC South Today.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Heavy rain led to flash flooding in some places today.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Alexis is on the way with the forecast.
0:09:48 > 0:09:49Goodnight.
0:09:50 > 0:09:50Hello, good evening.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Well, we've had a good deal of rain today.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56But the rain is slowly clearing away and there is a fresher feel
0:09:56 > 0:09:57to things once the rain does clear.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59In the countryside, under the clearing skies,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02we could see lows of 6 Celsius - these are the temperatures
0:10:02 > 0:10:03in urban areas.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06So a lovely day in store tomorrow, plenty of sunshine on offer.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Through the course of the day, we may see the odd isolated shower
0:10:09 > 0:10:12pop up almost anywhere and there could be the odd rumble
0:10:12 > 0:10:13of thunder with hail.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Most places will stay dry and temperatures tomorrow
0:10:15 > 0:10:17will reach a high of 16, possibly up to 17 Celsius.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19And feeling warm in any sunny spells.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Low pressure is in charge of our weather and will draw in that
0:10:22 > 0:10:24north-westerly breeze making it feel fresher tomorrow and also
0:10:24 > 0:10:27through the day on Friday, so Friday is very similar to tomorrow.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31We could see the odd isolated shower here and there.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Both Thursday and Friday will be dominated by this
0:10:34 > 0:10:38area of low pressure, the winds coming in from
0:10:38 > 0:10:41the north-west, drawing in some fresher air,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43so feeling less humid over the next few days.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46So, as we look ahead to the rest of the week,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49tomorrow we will see some sunny spells, the risk of
0:10:49 > 0:10:50the odd isolated shower.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Showers are possible both Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday
0:10:53 > 0:10:56there is still the risk of a shower, and on all of those days,
0:10:56 > 0:11:04there is the chance of hail and thunder.