The number of on-time state school applications received by south west London councils has decreased following the autumn budget’s private school tax, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

Data obtained from Croydon, Kingston, Richmond, Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth councils each showed a decrease in the number of secondary school applications received by the 31st October deadline.

The announcement of a 20% VAT charge on private school fees last autumn had heralded outcry, but is yet to play out in the state sector. 

One teacher at a small private school in Surrey said: “There has been no sudden rise of pupil withdrawals. But I can see a few schools struggling in the future which could have a major impact on the state sector. 

“With the rising cost of living, even before the VAT increase, families were having to make sacrifices to send their children to private school. Now, the number of families who can afford the extra 10-20% gets even smaller.” 

The Independent Schools Council (ISC), which represents more 1,400 private schools in England, declined to comment on these figures but had previously suggested that an increase in private school fees to meet the additional VAT charges, would result in a migration of students into a ‘stretched’ state sector.

Richmond Council saw a 10% drop in applications from 2024 to 2025, although figures had already been decreasing since 2021, in line with dropping birth rates in the area. 

A council spokesperson said: “The number of on-time secondary school applications received for September 2025 shows a small decrease compared to the previous year, reflecting wider demographic trends that we will continue to track closely.

“At this stage in of secondary issions, we have not seen any discernible impact on our pupil numbers arising from the VAT charge on independent private schools. As we monitor this, our focus remains on ensuring that there are sufficient high-quality school places available for all children in Richmond upon Thames.” 

The capital’s rising cost of living, coupled with its dropping birth rates could be contributing to the fall in student numbers. 

One Wandsworth primary school is set to close over the summer, citing a dramatic decline in pupils and a resulting debt of approximately £300,000. 

St Anne’s Church of England took just eight children into their reception class in September 2024. 

Merton has seen a similar steady decrease in secondary school applications year on year, dropping by 10% since 2019. 

MP for Mitcham and Morden Dame Siobhain McDonagh said: “We have had a number of primary schools in Mitcham and Morden go down to one form of entry, you know, 30 a year rather than 60 because there simply aren’t the children around.

“We’re facing a terrible crisis in our schools in SW London with falling school rolls. Birth rates are down, people are just not having children and one of the factors at the top of our discussion is just how expensive it is to live in London and clearly if you have children, you need more housing and that is very difficult to access.” 

With regards to constituents raising concerns on struggling to afford the rising fees at independent schools, McDonagh added: “Maybe some time ago I had one or two, but as your Freedom of Information application indicates there has been no real impact.

“Some of the schools have absorbed the costs because private school fees have gone through the roof in recent years, so there may be quite a lot of money in the model.”

Despite dropping slightly this year, Sutton has seen a 5% increase in the number of state school applications received from 2019 to 2025.

A state school teacher in Sutton said: “Most of us here are in agreement that the move by the government makes sense. If what they’re saying is true then state schools will definitely benefit from the budget increases.

 “But I can see both sides, some people work really hard to just about manage to pay the fees so their child can get that top education, but probably won’t be able to afford it anymore.” 

The ISC together with a small collective of Christian faith schools and a parent-led group challenged the government’s VAT policy in court last month, arguing that it was discriminatory and against the legal right to an education. 

At the hearing, it was raised that higher fees could force 35,000 children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) into the state sector, which the claimants state to be ‘in crisis’. 

Representatives of the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, HMRC and the Department of Education argued instead that the policy will raise a predicted £1.3-£1.5b annually, to be put into raising the standards for the 94% of children in state schools. 

The hearing concluded at the Royal Courts of Justice on 1 May and a date for judgement has not yet been announced. 

Featured Image by MChe Lee on Unsplash

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When Craig Lightoller was diagnosed with dementia last year, he made a bucket list. The first item on it was to bring the Tudor court back to life.

The 52-year-old from Croydon has portrayed Henry VIII as part of the Tudor Players for two years, and has now brought the rest of the dynasty together to work on ‘Tudors Re-Imaged’ – a collection of photographic portraits made to resemble Old Master paintings.

Six wives, three royal children, two queens, a young Henry VIII and a photographer have all given up their time for the project, shot at a studio in a small Norfolk town in January. Craig hopes the portraits will eventually be exhibited at venues like Hampton Court Palace, if he can raise enough money for them to be printed, hand-varnished and framed.

“I want to leave a legacy behind when I go,” said Craig, a student nursing associate at the University of Roehampton.

“I’d like to leave this to a house and hope they’d protect it and keep it going. But I think it’s also really important because the Tudors never seem to die down, and what I’m trying to do is give a modern face to the people we’ve read about in the history books. It’s something I’m very ionate about.”

Historical re-enactment – or living history – began in Europe in the 1890s, and it’s thought there are around 20,000 active re-enactors in the UK today. Participants dress in period clothes, engage in activities from their chosen period and even recreate battles and festivals.

Craig’s own interest in Tudor history began while growing up near Bradgate Park in Leicester, the birthplace of Lady Jane Grey, who was queen of England for nine days in 1553.

He began re-enacting after hosting a banquet for his 50^th birthday, where he dressed in Tudor costume and was recognised as Henry VIII by his guests.

“All I kept hearing was ‘oi, Henry!’” Craig said. “So I thought I must look like him, there must be something in this.”

Growing up near Bradgate Park also sparked an interest in history for Jasmine Cooper, who portrays Anne Boleyn in the Tudors Re-Imaged project, although she became a re-enactor after watching TV show The Tudors.

Jasmine, 25, said: “I became absolutely besotted with Natalie Dormer’s character of Anne Boleyn.”

“I see a lot of myself in Anne, the good and the bad, she’s known for being quite opinionated and getting in trouble for what she says like myself.

“I can’t really explain it, but I just look up to her as a role model, she was so inspirational and so different to how people were back then.”

Before she met Craig, Jasmine had portrayed Anne Boleyn’s sister-in-law Jane Rochford at Tudor banquets at Hatfield House, Elizabeth I’s childhood home. When Craig messaged her on Facebook to ask if she’d do a shoot with him at the Guildhall in Leicester, she reluctantly agreed.

“It’s not something I’d usually do, but I fell in love with the man as soon as I met him,” she said, adding that she hopes the project will help change how young people see the Tudors outside the education system.

“It’s literally like EastEnders set 500 years ago, there’s so much drama and interest, it’s fascinating.”

But not every member of the group is such a confident re-enactor. For Becky Evens, who portrays Jane Seymour, the costumes are the main draw.

The 45-year-old from Reading made her own costume as well as her 15-year-old daughter Ivy’s, who plays Henry VIII’s fifth wife Catherine Howard. Becky started sewing costumes for her children when they were little, and made her own Tudor gown because she struggled to find a high-quality costume for herself.

She realised the dress resembled Jane Seymour’s portrait soon after starting it and got in touch with re-enactment groups to have somewhere to wear it.

“It was more about making and wearing the costumes than it was about wanting to re-enact,” Becky said. “I’m not very confident with the whole idea of pretending to be someone else, it takes me right out of my comfort zone.”

But she does feel she has some similarities with Jane, adding: “She was really into sewing, it’s thought she may have taught Henry VIII how to embroider.

“I really like that about her. It doesn’t feel like me in the pictures anymore, it does feel like we’re actually looking at the people we’re supposed to be.”

The quality of the group’s costumes was one thing that stood out to Salli Gainsford, who has been a professional photographer for 15 years and shot the portraits at her studio in Downham Market in Norfolk.

She started her career in equine photography because her daughter rode horses, and would dress up her subjects to accompany the animals before she started working with re-enactors.

She said: “I started buying outfits myself and the re-enactors found me.”

“It’s been wonderful to meet people, learn about their lives and what they do. Some re-enactors really believe they are these people, they live and breathe it.

“I think it’s something they can embrace, that gives them purpose. And everyone needs a bit of purpose, don’t they?”

Salli’s portraits are hand varnished and painted over to give a brushstroke effect to make them resemble the work of the Old Masters, the most prominent European Renaissance artists – including Hans Holbein, who painted some of the most well-known portraits of the Tudors.

But she also uses artificial intelligence to create her backgrounds, a modern twist on a familiar cast of characters, but a method she says has proved controversial among other photographers.

“I think AI is a huge asset and photographers should embrace it more,” she said. “It’s incredible for this kind of thing, like creating a background of the Spanish Armada sailing away from a clifftop for Queen Elizabeth’s portrait. I don’t see any other way of producing a gallery like this.”

Salli has worked with Craig three times, first reaching out to him on Facebook after seeing a picture of him as Henry VIII.

She said: “I hope we can deliver some astounding portraits for people to ponder over, to be thoughtful about each image and each character. I’ve actually never come across anybody that’s as into something as Craig is, and I think if you’ve got such a love and ion for something, you can make anything work.”

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A Croydon charity is hosting club nights where DJs with learning disabilities and autism have the chance to show off their skills on the decks.

Club Soda provides an accessible approach to learning for creatives, under the guidance of their team of DJ tutors. 

Learning disabled adults often face barriers when trying to enter social scenes, like limited accessibility of venues and inflexible care late into the night. 

Club Soda Project Manager Evie said: “I think the most important thing with access is not being afraid of that two way conversation and constantly improving.”

The club nights also bring together another arm of the organization, Gig Buddies, where adults with learning disabilities and/or autism are matched with a volunteer to get out and explore their local social scene. 

Watch the full video below. 

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Crystal Palace host Millwall at Selhurst Park this Saturday in what will surely be a highlight of the FA Cup fifth round.

The south London sides haven’t faced each other since their heated affair at The Den three years ago where Michael Olise’s brilliance was the difference.

The current Bayern Munich star lit up south London that day with a goal and an assist, bringing on an onslaught of bottles from Millwall fans, although Palace er Tom Bucher has fond memories of the 2-1 win in 2022.

He said: “We were on a really nice run, Olise was just better than anyone else on the pitch.

“We knew we were witnessing something special, he went on to get better and better and now he’s banging them in in the Champions League.”

Former Millwall player Romain Esse will no doubt add a new spark to Saturday’s game after his January transfer to Palace.

Both sides sit 12th in their respective leagues, giving them the opportunity to go all-out for an FA Cup which has already lost some giants.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea have all been knocked out, leaving the competition open for a possible shock winner.

Bucher predicts Saturday’s tie to be a nervy and scrappy game.

He said: “I think we’ll win 1-0 and I hope it’s Esse coming up with a last-minute winner.”

Millwall fan Trevor Page’s highlight from the historic derby was a 3-0 win on New Year’s Day in 1994, when the Lions battered league leaders Palace in the First Division, now the Championship.

Millwall have also lost just one of their last eight games against the Eagles at Selhurst Park.

Page said: “I’m 50-50 on Millwall’s chances on Saturday, we have a great record at Selhurst Park.

“Our last FA Cup tie there was in 1985 when Steve Lovell scored from the spot to win us the game.

“I hope the Lions can keep up the good work and continue our great record at Selhurst.”

Palace fan Jacob Stocker is from a family of Millwall fans, but his uncle Steve pushed him towards Palace.

He said: “The first Palace vs Millwall games I can is when they were playing against each other in the Championship years ago.

“We had two sofas, one was for Palace and the other was for Millwall.

“It’s ionate, but it’s also banter, you’re giving each other stick but once the final whistle goes it’s a laugh and you get to brag about it for the next few months.”

The winner of Saturday’s tie may very well be London’s last hope for an FA Cup win this season.

The only other London side left in the competition, Fulham, travel to Old Trafford to face holders Manchester United.

The derby will be live on BBC One at 12.15pm on Saturday.

Featured Image Credit: Tom Brogan via Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)

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A new study has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur are the most expensive team in the Premier League to .

Spurs fans spend an average of almost £2,000 per year on season tickets and merchandise, and the team sits 14th in the league after 24 games played.

A study by Compare.bet found that Spurs have the most expensive merchandise in the Premier League, costing an average total of £205.60 for the team’s home and away kits.  

Compare.bet lead writer Steven McQuillan said: “Dedicated football fans are why this sport is so unique, but these costly prices may be off-putting for many fans.  

“From soaring season ticket prices to the rising cost of merchandise and TV sports subscriptions, this study highlights that ing your favourite football team is becoming a luxury many fans can no longer afford.

“It has become a common criticism that the Premier League is starting to price out local fans to make as much profit as possible.

“This means that local fans can no longer bear to pay the extortionate prices to see the team they have ed all their lives.”

The study analysed various factors to determine the ranking, including the costs of hip, merchandise, and a season ticket, plus the price for a pie and a pint at each team’s stadium.

Newcastle United fans spend an average of £100 on away games due to their distance from the stadiums.

Fulham has the highest hip price, with fans paying £50 per year, and a season ticket for 2023/24 costing £3,000.

West Ham United’s London Stadium home has the most expensive pie for the 2024/25 season at £5.

Chelsea’s average season ticket, meanwhile, sets fans back £879.29 per year.

For many teams, such as Brentford, being a member is the only way to access Premier League tickets, which gives fans priority access before tickets go on general sale.

However, AFC Bournemouth, the second-smallest ground in the league, is the only club without a hip scheme and instead, ers get priority based on their previous booking history.

The Crystal Palace scheme is the cheapest club hip at £25.

McQuillan said: “With the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, being a football fan in 2024 shouldn’t be a luxury. 

“Hopefully, we will see a decline in these prices in future years, but for now, it’s clear that these teams need to address this issue.”

Picture credit: Free to use from Cover Images

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Croydon Council has launched a flagship health and wellbeing programme aimed at improving residents’ health and reducing inequalities across the borough.

The initiative will see the council’s public health team aim to build partnerships between practitioners and residents, and was approved by Mayor Jason Perry at a cabinet meeting on 22 January.

Mayor Perry stated he wanted to make it easier for people to seek opportunities to improve their health.

He said: “Working with our local community and statutory partners is at the heart of this initiative.”

The programme aligns practitioners to work directly with residents who face challenges that impact their health, the focus will be on providing tailored to help individuals get back on their feet.

Rather than duplicating existing services, it aims to reach residents at a grassroots level and strengthen current systems.

Gym enthusiast Gideon Mensah said: “Many people are uneducated when it comes to health and wellbeing, it is important to approach programmes in a holistic way.”

Easily accessible health information and a reduction in health disparities are the main pillars within in the mayor’s business plan.

The council plans to roll out the programme with local partners later this year, focusing on prevention, early intervention, and patient-practitioner partnership to improve health outcomes for Croydon residents.

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Croydon has become London’s fastest-growing hub for microbusinesses, according to new research from GoDaddy’s Venture Forward initiative.

The findings analysed data from over 600,000 UK microbusinesses, giving each constituency in a microbusiness density score.

Croydon East, previously Croydon Central, was ranked first in London and third overall in the UK as it saw a 24% rise in microbusiness numbers over the past year.

Mayor of Croydon and owner of a family-run small business, Jason Perry, said: “Croydon is fantastic and dynamic, it has a rich history that is diverse, vibrant and steeped in culture and arts.

“The borough has all the ingredients for small business owners to say yes to success.”

Croydon South also saw significant growth, with a 14% increase, making it the second fastest-growing area in London and eighth in the UK overall.

Start-up Croydon CEO Saffron Saunders said: “The community is ambitious, ive, and incredibly inclusive

“Our diversity is our strength.”

He described the hunger for growth within the community.

Croydon Council have put forward a three-year inward investment plan, in line with the announcement of the £7.2m regeneration of the town centre.

This additional investment aims to boost micro businesses in the area further.

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A Mitcham man has been convicted of the murder of his ex-girlfriend in Croydon.

Hussain Haron, 24, was found guilty of murdering Felecia Cadore, at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 29 January, following a six-day trial.

Cadore, 29, was found by police with stab wounds after an altercation on Grenaby Avenue, Croydon, on 9 June 2023, dying from her injuries five days later.

Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Craig Magee said: “I hope the verdict provides her [Cadore’s] family with some comfort and allows them to begin to process the effect this brutal crime has had. 

“It is an example of the devastating impact violence against women and girls can have.

“We will continue to the family of Felecia following this horrific attack.”

The court heard how Haron climbed through a window in search of Cadore, grabbing a knife and violently stabbing her.

He was arrested later that afternoon and found in possession of the knife he used to attack Cadore, claiming to be acting in self-defence.

DCI Magee praised the police officers who worked tirelessly to secure evidence, and the courage of witnesses who helped establish the facts.

Featured image: Hussain Haron (credit: Metropoliton Police).

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Croydon mayor’s revised proposal for a new leisure centre including a swimming pool in Purley may finally meet approval. 

Executive Mayor Jason Perry has been committed to re-opening the pool in Purley as part of ongoing regeneration efforts, following the closure of the leisure centre to the public in March 2020. 

The new initiative is part of the mayor’s plan to regenerate the High Street, which he hopes will benefit residents and local businesses long term. 

Mayor Perry said: “Our focus is on delivering a facility that benefits everyone in the area and provides a great regeneration opportunity for Purley and the surrounding area.”

The pool was a key area for local people to enjoy an active lifestyle yet, prior to closing, the leisure centre ran at a loss of £150,000 a year and an estimated refurbishment cost was calculated at over £3 million.

The council has been in discussion with long-term leaseholder and developer Polaska about their plans for the site. 

Polaska’s original proposal to build 220 later living flats on the site of Purley pool was rejected by the Greater London Authority (GLA) in Spring 2024 due to the lack of affordable housing. 

Polaska’s proposed flats also threatened to remove around 400 car parking spaces in Purley town centre, which attracted widespread criticism from residents. 

Most objected to the long-term damage of removing the parking spaces and highlighted the fire risk of creating a car park underneath the retired flats.

The Mayor now proposed a new plan of action for the redevelopment of the site. 

The plan includes a new leisure centre, a later living housing scheme, shops and a new public square with the potential to host events such as markets and local festivals. 

The Mayor promised the Polaska proposal had been revised in response to previously received comments during the planning application. 

The leisure centre has been re-designed to accommodate a gym, fitness studio and a cafe overlooking a new soft play space for children.

Additionally, the council assured the revised proposal would increase the number of parking spaces available to the public. 

Along with the later living flats scheme, it proposed a total of 10% of affordable homes, in efforts to the housing needs of the borough. 

The London Plan aims for at least half of all new homes to be classed as affordable, with 30%  designated for low-cost rent options, and Croydon’s Local Plan aims for 40% of all new housing developments to be affordable. 

However, Inside Croydon noted Polaska’s revised proposal still offers only 18 affordable units out of 220. 

Following previous resident criticism, the new proposal aims to include a new public car park, with some parking reserved for s of the later living facility, and Mayor Perry moved to assure residents the council aims to strike a balance between community needs and economic regeneration.

He said: “It’s vital that the proposals are right for Purley and that the development preserves the character of the area. This process takes time. 

“I appreciate the community’s contributions throughout the consultation process and we will keep everyone informed every step of the way.” 

Photo credit: Polaska

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The FA Cup is football’s oldest domestic knockout tournament, which begins in August and ends in May every season. 

Beginning with the qualifying stages, the competition consists of 12 rounds, a semi-final and a final

The FA in the name of the competition stands for the Football Association

The first FA Cup was held in November 1871, with the final in March 1872 where the Wanderers beat Royal Engineers 1-0 to become the first winners.

The first FA Cup trophy was nicknamed the ‘Little Tin Idol’ and cost £20, but was stolen from a Birmingham shop window in 1895, resulting in holders Aston Villa being fined £25 to pay for a replacement

There is an entry round, which means that professional teams from Leagues One and Two enter the first round proper, while Premier League and Championship teams enter in the third round proper.

London has 12 teams which have made it to or ed the FA Cup in the third round.

Bromley sit 14th in the League Two table and beat Solihull Moors 2-1 in the second round. 

They will face Premier League side Newcastle United away, the first time these two sides will have met each other.

Bromley’s manager, Andy Woodman, was goalkeeper coach at Newcastle, which has won the FA Cup six times.

At the other end of the scale, Premier League side and eight-time FA Cup winners Tottenham Hotspur have been drawn away to Tamworth, the lowest-ranked team still in the competition.

Tamworth reached the third round of the FA Cup after winning on penalties 4-3 against Burton Albion, following a 1-1 draw with the League One side. 

League One Londoners Leyton Orient will face Championship side Derby County after beating Oldham Athletic 2-1 in the second round. 

These two sides played one another somewhat recently in April 2024, with that match resulting in a 3-0 victory for Derby. 

Orient have won 18 games compared to 1946 FA Cup winners Derby’s 24 games in their head-to-head record. 

Fulham, meanwhile, host fellow former FA Cup runners-up and Championship side Watford in their third-round tie.

For both clubs, this is their first FA Cup game of the season and the last time they played each other was in April 2019 in the Premier League, with Watford winning 4-1. 

West Ham United‘s trip to Aston Villa is one of several all-Premier League showdowns in the FA Cup third round.

Their most recent meeting was in August 2024, with Villa winning 2-1. 

The last time these two met in the FA Cup was in 1980 when West Ham beat Villa 1-0 in the sixth round. 

While Aston Villa have lifted the trophy seven times, West Ham have won it three times. 

As far as their three previous FA Cup meetings go, Villa have won two and West Ham the other.

Another all-Premier League blockbuster tie pitches Arsenal against current holders Manchester United.

Arsenal hold the record for the most FA Cup triumphs with 14, while United have lifted the trophy on 13 occasions.

This will be the 17th occasion that these two sides have met in the FA Cup, including the 1979 and 2005 finals which were both won by Arsenal.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are t-third with Spurs and Liverpool on the all-time list of FA Cup winners, with eight to their name

The Blues host League Two strugglers Morecambe, who beat Bradford City 1-0 in a second-round clash which saw City received a red card. 

These two sides have met only once before, which was in the FA Cup in January 2021. 

Chelsea won 4-0 that day although none of the goal scorers, who were Mason Mount, Timo Werner, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Kai Havertz, are at the club. 

Indeed, Ben Chilwell is the only player named in the Chelsea squad for that game who is still at the club. 

Queens Park Rangers travel to Premier League outfit Leicester City, who recently sacked Steve Cooper as manager and now have Manchester United icon Ruud van Nistelrooy at the helm. 

QPR have never won the Cup, although were runners-up in 1982, while Leicester’s sole triumph came in a 1-0 victory against Chelsea three years ago.

The last time these two sides met was in March of this year, with a 2-1 victory for the London side.

Crystal Palace, runners-up in 1990, are at home to League One high-flyers Stockport County, who reached this stage thanks to a 3-1 win over non-League side Brackley Town.

The last time these two sides faced each other was over 22 years ago in January 2002, in which Crystal Palace won 1-0. 

In total, Palace have won 11 games, drawn eight and lost four against Stockport.

An all-London tie sees Championship side Millwall hosting non-League Dagenham & Redbridge.

The Daggers reached the third round after beating another London club, AFC Wimbledon, 2-1 and currently sit 15th in the National League. 

The last time these two sides met was in the FA Cup 12 years ago, when Millwall won 5-0 in a replay after a 0-0 draw in the first match.

Finally, League One Charlton Athletic will be away to Championship side Preston North End after winning 4-1 against Walsall in the second round. 

Both sides have won the Cup in the distant past, with Charlton victorious in 1947 and Preston lifting the FA Cup twice, in 1889 and 1938.

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