Protesters claiming Tooting's Graveney School excludes local pupils in favour of a middle-class "elite" have failed to force a change in selection policy.

Friday's decision marks the second time in two years that an adjudicator has had to rule on local parents' objections, and Wandsworth Council wants a law change to prevent disruption from frequent challenges.

Graveney selected half of all its pupils on the basis of ability until August 2000 the figure is now one third.

Each time protests are made, Graveney is obliged to make a detailed defence of its policy before the adjudicator makes a final decision.

Wandsworth's cabinet member for education Councillor Malcolm Grimston welcomed the decision, but said the process caused "great anxiety among local parents and has been a major distraction for school staff."

He said: "Instead of allowing excellent schools like Graveney to be attacked in this way, ministers should be learning from them."

He called for a time limit between challenges of five years, adding that scrapping entrance tests would bring "selection by house price, with the best schools reserved for the parents who can afford to buy in the area."

Labour's education spokesman Councillor Andy Gibbons claimed selection by house price is the consequence of Graveney's current policy.

He said the policy was introduced because "they weren't getting the quality of intake they wanted.

"Previously it would draw quite a lot from lower socio-economic groups. Now it's got parents who can afford coaching to get their children through the entrance test." He added.

"People I've spoken to want it to be a true community school."

The council said 94 per cent of Graveney pupils live within three miles of the school, and 75 per cent from within one and a half miles.

The adjudicator, Professor David Newton, ruled that changing the admissions policy would harm the school's standards and would be to "the detriment of all local parents".

A spokesman for the Department for Education said the adjudicator could refuse to consider an objection if it was more or less the same as one made the previous year.