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The Sun
19-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Union flag dress girl's school exclusion was mad & cruel but good thing could come out of this sorry saga
ANYONE with two brain cells to rub together knows that the exclusion of a young girl from her school's 'Culture Celebration Day' for simply wearing a Union Jack Dress is utter madness – and cruel. But it is also utter madness that schools spend so much time and effort on ridiculous 'days' like this, which can so often end up being brutal for both kids and parents. 8 8 8 Courtney Wright's school in Rugby, Warwickshire, said the celebration day was 'designed to promote inclusion, understanding, and appreciation of different backgrounds, traditions and heritages'. But it has backfired. Hugely. It has now had to close early for the summer over 'extremist threats'. Utterly ridiculous The dress Courtney carefully chose was deemed 'unacceptable' and she was segregated from class and unable to read out the speech on British history she had worked hard to prepare. After the 12-year-old's dad spoke out the school was forced to issue a grovelling apology and it sparked a political debate, with Downing Street saying the Prime Minister always believed that being British is to be celebrated. Marvellous. But what I hope this saga really does now is lead to a sensible decision to clamp down on the amount of organised events like this within schools. Because they are getting out of control and are often utterly ridiculous. It was once just Red Nose Day but now there is everything from diversity weeks to history days and dinosaur days to recycling week. I get that some are educational but the ones that involve buying expensive new clothing that only gets worn once, or full-on fancy dress outfits with a theme, are unfair on both parents and kids. Many dread them. There are schools now having such regular themed events that some parents pretend their kids are ill to avoid sending them in. School banned my daughter, 12, from 'diversity day' for wearing Union Jack dress - the reason was ridiculous Luckily, my son's primary school only marks the bare minimum. But when the notifications on my Year 1 WhatsApp group go off before 8am, I get a sinking feeling, knowing I've probably forgotten to prepare him for some event or another. It is usually the same kindly and organised parents who remind the forgetful ones like me that a jazzy sock or specific coloured T-shirt is required at an hour's notice. I don't want to seem like a bah humbug misery here. I am sure all the schools around this country mean well when they arrange activities to bring the kids together and make them happy. But what can seem like a genuinely brilliant, fun, and inclusive 'day' to the school can cause misery for others. Dressing up means they don't only have to feel good, but look good too. The wrong outfit can cause mayhem. The last thing busy parents need is a half-hearted outfit that can be ridiculed, and those battling to manage a weekly food budget can do without coughing up for one-off outfits too. Obviously schools will say there is the option to opt out but who really wants to be the parent that does that to their kid? The worst event of the year is surely World Book Day in March. At some schools it has become an event of the creatively gifted, craft-loving parents versus the panic-stricken ones who are forced to purchase pricey Amazon next-day delivery numbers. The average cost for an Insta-worthy outfit for the day is now £20 — which could be better spent on buying actual reading books instead. Sighing with relief This week, parents went into meltdown after discovering the price of summer holiday camps have soared to more than a grand for six weeks. But many will be sighing with relief that they have a break from preparing for the next obscure school celebration. I would imagine Courtney's school won't be arranging one any time soon after she said she felt 'embarrassed' and 'upset'. But, as dreadful as this episode has been for her, I hope it has given a valuable lesson to other schools around this country. A reminder they are primarily there to teach our children — and maybe they should just stick to celebrating that. Yamal's small hassle SO, Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal is being accused of 'exploiting' dwarves by hiring them from a company to serve drinks and entertain guests at his 18th. The Barcelona forward could face a court case. It's fair to say that hiring dwarves isn't for everyone. But as one of those who was employed for the evening explained to Catalonian radio station RAC1: 'No one disrespected us – let us work in peace. I don't understand why there's so much hype. 'We're normal people who do what we want in an absolutely legal way.' He has a point. If they weren't for hire, this stupid footballer wouldn't have been able to book them. SMURFS star John Goodman looks amazing after dropping 200lb. But reading how he did it sounded like some kind of history lesson of the future. 8 John says it is thanks to ditching booze, hiring a health coach, eliminating sugar, working out and mindful eating. We will one day remember this as the 'old- fashioned way we once dieted' before we all started shoving needles in our bellies. Bun of a kind IT seems baffling that a man who owns a chain of takeaway burger restaurants has now become the face of a . . . takeaway burger restaurant. But that is exactly what Gordon Ramsay has done. The chef owns a string of Street Burger outlets and now he's landed a six-figure deal from Burger King for a new campaign. Gordon is a burger fan and once even admitted that part of his 'final meal' would be a burger from American chain, In-N-Out Burger. You wonder where his loyalty would lie now. Ladies on the brink ENGLAND are through to the semi-finals of Euro 2025 – not a sentence that you can always say with confidence. But the Lionesses got lucky with penalties, and after battling past Italy they could be in the final a week today. 8 This amazing team of never-say-die women have changed all that and are giving inspiration to a generation of little girls who for years only had female role models in the world of athletics and tennis to look up to. They are on the brink of brilliance, and with every kick they are changing the future of hundreds of girls around this country. What's up doc SOMEBODY needs to have a word with Ncuti Gatwa, who has quit Doctor Who at just 32 because he says: 'I'm getting old and my body was tired.' Ncuti said it was strenuous and took a lot out of him. 8 Unless he's rolling in it he will presumably have to keep acting for another few decades before his pension kicks in. Let's hope he doesn't land anything too strenuous. SPEAKING of age, the news that over-80s have been applying to become the legal parents of children born through surrogacy is quite shocking. As Ncuti has shown, some people really don't feel their age, but there's just something not quite right about celebrating your 18th when one of your parents is opening their 100th birthday card from the King. AS family holiday rip-off days go, I don't think you can beat Weymouth's Sandworld. A family of four can spend £36.50 to see sculptures made out of sand, including a life-size Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley. 8 When it was unveiled on This Morning, Ben asked: 'Is that us?' Exactly.
Sky News
18-07-2025
- Sky News
School that took girl out of class for wearing Union Jack dress closes after receiving 'extremist abuse'
A school that took a 12-year-old girl out of a diversity class for wearing a Union Jack dress has told parents it has closed early for summer after being the target of "extremist abuse". Bilton School in Rugby, Warwickshire, said the "difficult decision" had been made in the "interest of student and staff safety". The school, which is part of the Stowe Valley Multi-Academy Trust, had earlier offered its "unreserved apologies" after saying an incident on Friday 11 July had caused "considerable upset to one of our pupils, her family and members of the wider community". Courtney Wright's father Stuart Field had written on Facebook last week that the girl had been removed from a "Culture Celebration Day" without being able to make a speech on why being British was important to her. Mr Field said the speech was going to reference drinking tea, fish and chips and the values of fairness and politeness. In a letter to parents yesterday, the school said: "I am writing to inform you, with great regret, that we have taken the difficult decision to close the school tomorrow, Friday 18 July 2025, in the interest of student and staff safety." The letter continues: "As many of you are aware, over the last week the school has been the target of extremist abuse, online and via our telephone systems, which deeply saddens us. The nature and tone of this abuse has escalated in recent days including personal threats to staff. "While we have been working closely with our multi-agency partners to address the situation, our primary responsibility remains the safety and wellbeing of every child and member of staff." The letter was signed by the school's headteacher and the CEO of the Stowe Valley Multi-Academy Trust. Today was supposed to be the school's last day before closing at 12.30pm for the summer holidays. How did the row first emerge? Mr Field wrote in his Facebook post that he was on his way to collect Courtney from school and that she was "currently being made to sit at reception waiting for me". He continued: "The reason? It's cultural diversity day at school where children can wear clothing representing their culture and write a speech about their heritage. She's been told it's not for her as she gets to celebrate being British everyday." There is no suggestion Mr Field or anybody he knows is linked to the abuse the school says it has been receiving over the past week. School apologises In a statement issued on its behalf by the Stowe Valley Multi-Academy Trust, the school later said: "On Friday 11 July, an incident occurred during our Culture Celebration Day that caused considerable upset to one of our pupils, her family, and members of the wider community. "We deeply regret the distress this has caused and offer our sincere and unreserved apologies. "We have since spoken directly with the pupil and her family to listen to their concerns and reflect on how this could have been handled better. "We are committed to learning from this experience and ensuring that every student feels recognised and supported when expressing pride in their heritage." The statement, which said the school was proud of the diversity of its students and the rich heritage they bring to the community, added: "As a school, we are reviewing our policies and strengthening staff training to ensure our practices reflect our values of inclusion, respect, and understanding for all. "We are committed to fostering an environment where every pupil feels respected, valued, and included." The school had billed the day as an opportunity for pupils to wear attire reflecting their nationality or family heritage, rather than a school uniform.
The Irish Sun
18-07-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
School which banned girl, 12, from ‘diversity day' for Union Jack dress closes early for summer over ‘extremist threats'
THE SCHOOL which banned a girl from wearing a Union Jack dress has been forced to close following "extremist threats". Courtney, 12, had chosen to wear the dress as part of the Advertisement 4 Courtney was banned from wearing a Union Jack dress at her school Credit: Roland Leon 4 Now, the school has been shut down following 'extremist' threats Credit: Roland Leon Bilton School in Rugby, The school released a letter to parents on Thursday in which is said it was receiving "extremist abuse online and via our telephone systems". Headteacher Jayne Delves and Ranjit Samra, CEO of Stowe Valley Multi-Academy Trust, both said that members of staff had been threatened. The letter said that the "nature and tone" of the threats had escalated in recent days too. Advertisement Read More on UK News The letter continued: "While we have been working closely with our multi-agency partners to address the situation, our primary responsibility remains the safety and wellbeing of every child and member of staff. "This is not a decision we have taken lightly. We understand the disruption this may cause to your families and your child's education, but the safety of our school community must come first." The abuse followed an online frenzy over Courtney's decision to wear the now controversial dress on her school's Culture Celebration Day. Courtney had chosen the Union Jack dress in reference to the iconic outfit worn by Spice Girl Geri Halliwell. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Exclusive Exclusive Exclusive However, she was allegedly told: 'You get to celebrate being British every day, this is for everybody else.' The 12-year-old had planned to read a speech about tea, Shakespeare, fish and chips and the royals as part of her presentation. Sir Keir issues rallying cry to 'reclaim our flag' for St George's Day as PM savagely attacks those who 'sow division' Courtney was offered the chance to wear second-hand uniform, instead of the dress she had chosen. When she refused, her father, Stuart Field, arrived at the school and took her home. Advertisement Stuart said the school had issued an apology before slamming them for "virtue signalling". He said: 'Her head of year bizarrely said that if she had worn a suit of armour or a nurse's outfit, she probably would have been allowed. It's ridiculous. "The irony is they were having a cultural diversity day and yet they singled out a group of people. 'She's a Advertisement Stuart added that another mum at the school told him that her son had been banned from wearing a farmer's outfit. Ahead of the event, the school's headteacher had described the Culture Celebration day as an opportunity for "celebrating the rich cultural diversity within our school community". 4 Bilton School in Rugby says that its members of staff have been 'threatened' Credit: Roland Leon In her speech, Courtney had hoped to say: 'We have lots of traditions including drinking tea, our love of talking about the weather and our Royal Family. Advertisement 'We have amazing history, like kings and queens, castles and writers like She was also planning on saying: 'Sometimes at school we only hear about other cultures — which is great because learning about different countries is interesting and important. 'But it can feel like being British doesn't count as a culture, just because it's the majority.' Speaking out about the incident, a spokesperson for the school said: 'We deeply regret the distress this has caused and offer our sincere and unreserved apologies. Advertisement "We've since spoken directly with the pupil and her family to listen to their concerns and reflect on how this could have been handled better. 'We are committed to learning from this experience and ensuring every student feels recognised and supported.' Courtney's dad has also suggested that other children carrying He said: "Another with a Advertisement "It's ironic they were having a cultural diversity day but then decided to single out a group of people." 4 Courtney said that her dress was a reference to Geri Halliwell Credit: PA More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Advertisement Like us on Facebook at
Scottish Sun
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
School which banned girl, 12, from ‘diversity day' for Union Jack dress closes early for summer over ‘extremist threats'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE SCHOOL which banned a girl from wearing a Union Jack dress has been forced to close following "extremist threats". Courtney, 12, had chosen to wear the dress as part of the school's Culture Celebration day but was told the day was for "everybody else". Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Courtney was banned from wearing a Union Jack dress at her school Credit: Roland Leon 4 Now, the school has been shut down following 'extremist' threats Credit: Roland Leon Bilton School in Rugby, Warwickshire, announced that it was closing "in the interests of student and staff safety" following threats. The school released a letter to parents on Thursday in which is said it was receiving "extremist abuse online and via our telephone systems". Headteacher Jayne Delves and Ranjit Samra, CEO of Stowe Valley Multi-Academy Trust, both said that members of staff had been threatened. The letter said that the "nature and tone" of the threats had escalated in recent days too. The letter continued: "While we have been working closely with our multi-agency partners to address the situation, our primary responsibility remains the safety and wellbeing of every child and member of staff. "This is not a decision we have taken lightly. We understand the disruption this may cause to your families and your child's education, but the safety of our school community must come first." The abuse followed an online frenzy over Courtney's decision to wear the now controversial dress on her school's Culture Celebration Day. Courtney had chosen the Union Jack dress in reference to the iconic outfit worn by Spice Girl Geri Halliwell. However, she was allegedly told: 'You get to celebrate being British every day, this is for everybody else.' The 12-year-old had planned to read a speech about tea, Shakespeare, fish and chips and the royals as part of her presentation. Sir Keir issues rallying cry to 'reclaim our flag' for St George's Day as PM savagely attacks those who 'sow division' Courtney was offered the chance to wear second-hand uniform, instead of the dress she had chosen. When she refused, her father, Stuart Field, arrived at the school and took her home. Stuart said the school had issued an apology before slamming them for "virtue signalling". He said: 'Her head of year bizarrely said that if she had worn a suit of armour or a nurse's outfit, she probably would have been allowed. It's ridiculous. "The irony is they were having a cultural diversity day and yet they singled out a group of people. 'She's a grade-A student and they have vilified her and punished her for being proud of being British.' Stuart added that another mum at the school told him that her son had been banned from wearing a farmer's outfit. Ahead of the event, the school's headteacher had described the Culture Celebration day as an opportunity for "celebrating the rich cultural diversity within our school community". 4 Bilton School in Rugby says that its members of staff have been 'threatened' Credit: Roland Leon In her speech, Courtney had hoped to say: 'We have lots of traditions including drinking tea, our love of talking about the weather and our Royal Family. 'We have amazing history, like kings and queens, castles and writers like Shakespeare.' She was also planning on saying: 'Sometimes at school we only hear about other cultures — which is great because learning about different countries is interesting and important. 'But it can feel like being British doesn't count as a culture, just because it's the majority.' Speaking out about the incident, a spokesperson for the school said: 'We deeply regret the distress this has caused and offer our sincere and unreserved apologies. "We've since spoken directly with the pupil and her family to listen to their concerns and reflect on how this could have been handled better. 'We are committed to learning from this experience and ensuring every student feels recognised and supported.' Courtney's dad has also suggested that other children carrying flags belonging to Wales and England weren't allowed in either. He said: "Another with a St George's flag and another with a Welsh flag were not allowed in either. It was ridiculous. It just seemed anything that was remotely British wasn't allowed. "It's ironic they were having a cultural diversity day but then decided to single out a group of people." 4 Courtney said that her dress was a reference to Geri Halliwell Credit: PA More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
Daily Record
18-07-2025
- Daily Record
School at centre of Union flag dress row closes early for summer after 'extremist threats'
Bilton School in Rugby told parents it was closing "in the interests of student and staff safety". A school at the centre of a row over a dress with the Union flag has been forced to close early for summer after receiving 'extremist threats'. Bilton School in Rugby told parents it was closing "in the interests of student and staff safety". In a letter sent to parents on Thursday, they were told the premises would shut earlier than usual. School officials said they had decided to do so due to "extremist abuse online and via our telephone systems". As reported in the Mirror, the letter added: "The nature and tone of this abuse has escalated in recent days, including personal threats to our staff. "Our primary responsibility remains the safety and wellbeing of every child and member of staff. This is not a decision we have taken lightly... the safety of our school community must come first." On arrival at the school for an 'inclusion day', 12-year-old Courtney Wright was told her outfit - a sequined Union flag dress inspired by the Spice Girls - was "unacceptable". The schoolgirl was told to sit alone in reception until her dad could get off work to pick her up. Speaking to the Express, she said: "It upset me because I came in really proud, I bought the dress, I chose it myself ... and then I was told I am not allowed in lessons." The school issued an apology shortly after the row was made public, saying it would "reflect on how [it] could have been handled better". The school said: "We deeply regret the distress this has caused and offer our sincere and unreserved apologies. "We are reviewing our policies and strengthening staff training to ensure our practices reflect our values of inclusion, respect and understanding for all." A spokesperson for Stowe Valley Trust said: 'At Bilton School, we are proud of the diversity of our students and the rich heritage they bring to our community. We are committed to fostering an environment where every pupil feels respected, valued, and included. "On Friday 11th July, an incident occurred during our Culture Celebration Day that caused considerable upset to one of our pupils, her family, and members of the wider community. We deeply regret the distress this has caused and offer our sincere and unreserved apologies. "We have since spoken directly with the pupil and her family to listen to their concerns and reflect on how this could have been handled better. We are committed to learning from this experience and ensuring that every student feels recognised and supported when expressing pride in their heritage. "As a school, we are reviewing our policies and strengthening staff training to ensure our practices reflect our values of inclusion, respect, and understanding for all.'
