Latest news with #CultureDay
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Showing his true colours? What Union Jack dress row family REALLY think of stepfather who thrust girl into spotlight and triggered political storm
The family of the 12-year-old girl who was banned from wearing a Union Jack dress to her school's 'Culture Day' are furious over her stepfather's decision to thrust her into the national spotlight. Year Seven pupil Courtney Wright was prevented by Bilton School in Rugby in Warwickshire from wearing the flag dress and the resulting row dominated the national media conversation and was even discussed in Parliament.
Metro
4 days ago
- Metro
School who banned girl's Union Flag dress forced to shut early after threats
The father of a girl sent home for wearing a Union Jack dress has said he is 'disgusted' that 'threats' have forced the school to close. Bilton School in Rugby, Warwickshire, said 'extremist abuse' meant they were shutting early, before the last day of school on Friday. Teachers had put Courtney Wright, 12, into isolation last Friday after she chose to celebrate being British with a Union Jack dress The decision prompted a wave of backlash after dad Stuart Field posted about what happened on Facebook. Stuart received dozens of messages of support and won the support of the Prime Minister, MPs, and also Tommy Robinson. The board of governors and the headteacher also personally said sorry to the 12-year-old. But a string of threatening messages has forced the school to close before the last day of term on Friday. In a letter sent to parents, Bilton school said the decision was 'in the interests of student and staff safety' after they experienced 'extremist abuse online and via our telephone systems'. Staff had also been threatened, explained Ranjit Samra, CEO of Stowe Valley Multi-Academy Trust and headteacher Jayne Delves. The letter continued: 'The nature and tone of this abuse has escalated in recent days. '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.' Courtney's dad Stuart had told Metro that he and his daughter were horrified at how events had unfolded. He said: 'We don't agree with any threats of violence or protests at that school. I am very disgusted by anybody threatening violence at anybody over this whole this. 'We never asked anybody to send out threats of violence.' The school pupil, who has received hundreds of messages of support from across the world, is also upset that the last day was cancelled. Stuart added: 'She is sad to miss the last day. These protests have a negative effect on Courtney as well. 'This is not anything that we wanted. We wanted to make people aware about what had happened at the school.' The row broke out after Bilton School held a 'Culture Day' in which they'encouraged students to consider wearing attire that reflects their nationality or family heritage.' Dad Stuart said the school's actions went against this message when Courtney was not allowed to wear the dress, which was similar to the one worn by Spice Girl Geri Halliwell at the Brits in 1997. More Trending She had also written a speech about history and traditions for the day, but was never allowed to deliver it. A spokesman for Stowe Valley Trust apologised at the time, saying: '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.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Pupils hold 'wearing shorts matters' protest in sweltering heatwave MORE: Tenant left mountain of 3,000 beer cans in flat and only paid rent once MORE: 'I watched my classmate tear down my Pride poster – so I made an LGBTQ+ club'
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: Migrants are welcome - but not British schoolgirls in Union Jack frocks!
At first glance, there's nothing to connect the 12-year-old girl excluded from school for wearing a Union Jack dress to a 'Culture Day' and the disgraceful Afghan airlift cover-up. But bear with me and you'll discover how closely they are related. Courtney Wright, from Bilton, near Rugby, was told her frock, modelled on one worn by Ginger Spice and intended to celebrate British culture, was 'inappropriate'.
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Parents outraged after schoolgirl, 12, is sent home for wearing Union Jack dress on diversity day
Outraged parents at a school where a pupil was sent home from a culture day celebration for wearing a union flag dress have called on the mistress to publicly apologise Courtney Wright, 12, was forced to spend a morning in isolation at Bilton School in Rugby, after staff told her she couldn't wear her Spice Girls-style dress or make a speech like other pupils. The straight-A student, who had planned to talk about history and traditions in a talk she had prepared, was told the dress was unacceptable, removed from her lesson and left to wait into the school reception until her dad arrived from work to collect her. Today, Prime Minister Keir Starmer appeared to support Courtney's choice of dress after his spokesperson said he had always been 'clear that being British is something to be celebrated.' Outside the Warwickshire school today, parents said they were 'disgusted and surprised' by the event that had prompted an apology by the school's Stowe Valley Trust. 'I couldn't believe it when I saw it on social media,' said one 44-year-old dad, whose 12-year-old daughter is in the same year as Courtney. 'It's disgusting if you think this was supposed to be about celebrating diversity. My daughter wore a tie made of the family tartan because we are Scottish and nothing was said about that. 'It's a medium multi-ethnic school and there were other pupils who wore traditional Asian dress and headwear which was acceptable, so why not allow a union flag dress?' Another parent with a daughter in the same year, said 'I was really surprised by this because it was supposed to be all about inclusivity and cultural tradition. She should have been allowed to wear the dress and make her speech.' Another dad said an email to parents before last Friday's event had only referred to children not being allowed to wear football team strips. 'What kind of message does this send out to the local community?' he asked. 'Cancelling a child because she's proud of her British heritage is outrageous. It's the head mistress who needs cancelling and who needs to stop hiding behind the school trust and make a public apology.' Another father said 'The school needs calling out for this. My son really enjoys going here and is doing well academically but this kind of publicity is really damaging for everyone, especially the girl it happened to.' Despite other children being allowed to wear traditional international dress, parents said an apology from the school's Trust apology was 'too little too late' and the decision to remove Courtney 'ill-judged.' 'Most parents are behind the girl's dad from speaking out about this,' another mum added. 'My daughter said she'd heard that she had been told she couldn't wear the dress because the school celebrates British culture every day and this was a chance to be more diverse.' Courtney's dad Stuart Field, 47, said 'Courtney was so embarrassed and couldn't understand what she'd done wrong. It's the school who have made it political and it went against everything the event was being held for. She chose the dress and wrote the piece off her own back. 'She should not be made to feel embarrassed about being British. And she shouldn't be punished for celebrating being British - nobody else I've spoken to can quite get their heads around it.' Mr Field said the school's actions went against the message of inclusion and other pupils with St George's flags and Welsh flags were turned away from the school gates. The school contacted Stuart over the weekend and have since apologised for the move. A spokesman 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.' When Mail Online called at the school gates today and asked to speak to head teacher Miss Jayne Delves about the decision and parents comments, a member of staff said 'We can't talk about this. She won't be speaking to you.' Following outrage at Courtney's exile from class, the government stated the child was right to celebrate being British. Courtney's speech for Culture Day Today I want to talk about my culture - British culture - and why it's important to me. In Britain, we have lots of traditions including drinking tea, our love for talking about the weather and we have the royal family. We have amazing history, like kings and queens, castles, and writers like Shakespeare. It's also modern, diverse and always changing - with music fashion and food from all around the world blending into daily life. And let's not forget fish and chips! Its also the way we speak, our humour, our values of fairness and politeness, and the mix of old traditions and new ideas. But 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. I think culture should be for everyone - not just for people from other countries or backgrounds. Being British is still a culture, and it matters too.. It's part of who I am. So let's celebrate all cultures - whether they come from far away or right here at home. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'The PM has always been clear that being British is something to be celebrated. 'You can see that from everything this government has done. We are a tolerant, diverse, open country, proud of being British.' Mr Field said Courtney wanted to wear the dress to celebrate being British, the Spice Girls and the freedom of being able to wear a dress. 'This was her interpretation of British culture and what it means to her,' he said. The child's father added: 'She also wrote this speech to go with it and was very proud of what she'd done.' Courtney said after the ordeal: 'I felt really embarrassed. I wad made to sit in reception all day. All my friends were getting angry at why the teachers were doing that because my dress was wonderful.' Mr Field, who works in marine restoration, said: 'Courtney was so embarrassed and couldn't understand what she'd done wrong. 'The next thing I get a call at work at around 9am to say she's not allowed in school dressed like that and that it was unacceptable.' 'I wasn't able to get away from work until about midday. They made her sit in reception all morning in front of the receptionists and kept her in isolation. 'She's a straight A student, one of the brightest in her year and she's never been in trouble before so she was really upset. 'She wasn't the only kid picked out either - one child from a farming background was turned away at the gates for wearing traditional flat-cap and checked shirt.
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Schoolgirl, 12, banned from wearing 'unacceptable' Union Jack dress to school for culture day when other pupils were 'able to wear burkas and traditional Nigerian clothing'
A 12-year-old girl was left devastated after being put into isolation for wearing a Union Jack dress to celebrate being British at her school's culture day. 'Straight A' student Courtney Wright wore the Spice Girls-esque dress and wrote a speech about history and traditions as part of the celebrations on Friday. But the Year 7 pupil was left shocked after being told the dress was 'unacceptable' and she was hauled out of lessons and made to sit in reception until her father collected her. Her father Stuart Field, 47, said he was gobsmacked to learn she had been segregated from her peers due to her choice of attire at Bilton School in Rugby, Warwickshire. He added that while other pupils with St George's and Welsh flags were also turned away, students were allowed in burkas, niqabs and traditional Nigerian clothing. Mr Field, who works in marine restoration, said: 'Courtney was so embarrassed and couldn't understand what she'd done wrong. 'She should not be made to feel embarrassed about being British. 'And she shouldn't be punished for celebrating British culture and history; nobody else I've spoken to can quite get their heads around it.' The father added: 'Another with a St Georges 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. 'Others were allowed in burkas, niqabs or traditional Nigerian clothing.' Mr Field said Courtney wanted to wear the dress to celebrate being British, the Spice Girls and the freedom of being able to wear a dress. 'This was her interpretation of British culture and what it means to her,' he said. 'Somebody at the school has politicised a Union Jack dress even though that was clearly not Courtney's intent. Courtney didn't do anything to be political.' In a permission letter sent to parents, it said the Culture Celebration Day was 'designed to promote inclusion, understanding, and appreciation of different backgrounds, traditions and heritages'. But Mr Field said the school's actions went against the message of inclusion and other pupils with St George's flags and Welsh flags were turned away from the school gates. The father-of-five added: 'The day was to celebrate everyone's cultures and Courtney chose this Union Flag dress so she could celebrate hers. 'She also wrote this speech to go with it and was very proud of what she'd done. Geri Halliwell launched a Union Jack collection designed in collaboration with Next at Mercer Studios in February 2012 'The next thing I get a call at work at around 9am to say she's not allowed in school dressed like that and that it was unacceptable.' He added: 'I wasn't able to get away from work until about midday. They made her sit in reception all morning in front of the receptionists and kept her in isolation. 'She's a straight A student, one of the brightest in her year and she's never been in trouble before so she was really upset. 'All the kids there are British in my eyes, I like to think I'm a tolerant person but this was just not right. Courtney's speech for Culture Day Today I want to talk about my culture - British culture - and why it's important to me. In Britain, we have lots of traditions including drinking tea, our love for talking about the weather and we have the royal family. We have amazing history, like kings and queens, castles, and writers like Shakespeare. It's also modern, diverse and always changing - with music fashion and food from all around the world blending into daily life. And let's not forget fish and chips! Its also the way we speak, our humour, our values of fairness and politeness, and the mix of old traditions and new ideas But 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. I think culture should be for everyone - not just for people from other countries or backgrounds. Being British is still a culture, and it matters too.. It's part of who I am. So let's celebrate all cultures - whether they come from far away or right here at home. 'I wanted an answer as to why they thought this was acceptable - and nobody could give me a straight answer, I wanted to know how they had justified it. 'I spoke to her head of year, and he said he wasn't the best person to talk to about it, so I can only assume he didn't really agree with it either. 'It obviously came from above him but I don't know for sure who made the decision. 'I was fobbed off and told that I'd get a phone call and I took Courtney straight out for a nice meal to cheer her up. 'If anything I was extremely proud of what she chosen and what she had written in her speech. 'She wanted to celebrate being British, she couldn't understand what was wrong with that. 'She wasn't the only kid picked out either - one child from a farming background was turned away at the gates for wearing traditional flat-cap and checked shirt. 'They didn't even read or listen to her speech which actually celebrates inclusivity and other cultures. 'It was just like British culture could not be celebrated. She was punished for being proud of being British. 'I put a post on Facebook and I've had messages of support from all over the world really, from Poland to Australia to America. 'Everybody is saying how ridiculous it is that any young person cannot celebrate where they are from. 'The school now want her to come back and read the speech, but she doesn't feel comfortable about it or wearing the dress anymore. 'She feels like the school is parading her a bit now. It could have all been avoided if the school just followed their own policy of inclusivity and let everyone share a little about their culture.' The school contacted Mr Field over the weekend and have since apologised for the move. A spokesman 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.'
