Latest news with #cultureday


Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Pupils at ANOTHER school 'are punished for wearing Union Jacks on culture day'
Pupils at another school appear to have been punished for sporting Union Jacks on the institution's culture day. Dozens of children were placed in isolation at Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy in Oldbury, West Midlands for wearing the flag just days after a 12-year-old girl was stopped from donning one at Bilton School in Rugby, Warwickshire. The students were asked to choose outfits which reflected their heritage but Leanne Wehrle told The Sun that when her daughter Isobelle, 15, turned up with a Union Jack over her shoulders, she was held in a meeting room. When the teenager argued with the decision, things got even worse and she was slapped with a five day suspension. Ms Wehrle, 39, said: 'Lots wore their flags over their shoulders, and others opted to wear them around their waists as skirts. 'Isobelle was put into an isolation room almost immediately, as were about 30 other kids. Yet many other children wore flags from the countries where their families originated, such as Jamaica and Spain, and had no problem.' The bar owner insisted that this was the first time her daughter had got into trouble and the head teacher failed to give sufficient reasoning as to why she had been suspended. Jenny Priest claimed her daughter Scarlett, 13, was also placed in isolation for sporting a white t-shirt with a Union Jack pattern on it. The 38-year-old mother said Isobelle had, in fact, tried to defend Scarlett landing her in more trouble. The school told The Sun that students were allowed to wear Union Jacks but added: 'We have clear guidelines on non-uniform days. No student was suspended due to their choice of outfit on the day.' MailOnline has approached Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy for comment. Last week, Bilton School was forced to close early for the summer after staff received threats and 'extremist abuse'. It came after Courtney Wright was stopped at the gates and told to change because the patriotic outfit was 'unacceptable'. She was made to sit in the school's reception all morning until her father could come and collect her. The school has told parents it is closing earlier than normal for the summer holidays in a letter, citing 'extremist abuse online and via our telephone systems'. 'The nature and tone of this abuse has escalated in recent days, including personal threats to our staff,' the letter continued. Ranjit Samra, CEO of Stowe Valley Multi-Academy Trust and headteacher Jayne Delves said staff had been threatened. It said: 'The nature and tone of this abuse has escalated in recent days including personal threats to staff.' 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 letter ended by thanking parents and guardians for their understanding and continued support during a 'very challenging time'. 'Straight A' student Courtney, 12, wore the Spice Girls inspired dress and wrote a speech about history and traditions as part of the celebrations. She was stopped at the school gates by a member of staff and ordered to change after picking it out for Culture Celebration Day. Courtney's father Stuart Field, 47, said he was 'gobsmacked' to learn his daughter had been segregated from her peers due to her choice of attire. 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. '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.' 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.' On Tuesday, Prime Minister Sir 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'. The PM's official spokesperson added: 'You can see that from everything this government has done. We are a tolerant, diverse, open country, proud of being British.' Mr Field previously told MailOnline: '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. '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. '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. 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.'


The Sun
13 hours ago
- The Sun
Fury as dozens of pupils ‘put into isolation for wearing Union Jack clothes on school's culture day'
DOZENS of pupils were put in isolation at a school for sporting Union Jacks on a 'culture day', furious parents claimed yesterday. Leanne Wehrle said her 15-year-old daughter Isobelle, who draped a flag over her shoulders, was among those held in meeting rooms. 4 4 And she said when Isobelle questioned the decision she ended up being suspended for five days for arguing. The row echoes The Sun's revelations of a girl at another school being banned from a 'diversity day' for wearing a Union Jack dress. In the latest case, children at Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy in Oldbury, West Mids, were asked to wear outfits to reflect their heritage. Leanne, 39, said: 'Lots wore their flags over their shoulders, and others opted to wear them around their waists as skirts. 'Isobelle was put into an isolation room almost immediately, as were about 30 other kids. Yet many other children wore flags from the countries where their families originated, such as Jamaica and Spain, and had no problem.' Bar owner Mrs Wehrle added: 'Isobelle and her friends were made to feel like wearing something British was dirty. 'When she asked the head why, all he could say was, 'Because it's not allowed'. Isobelle never gets into trouble — not until this happened, at least.' Charity shop worker Jenny Priest said her 13-year-old daughter Scarlett was also put into isolation for wearing a white T-shirt with a Union Jack on it. Jenny, 38, said: 'Isobelle stuck up for my daughter and she got into trouble for that.' Last night the school insisted pupils had been allowed to wear Union Jacks. We should tell woke uni students to grow a pair, but they'd burst into tears & call the cops, says Piers Morgan But it added: 'We have clear guidelines on non-uniform days. No student was suspended due to their choice of outfit on the day.' Last week The Sun told how Courtney Wright, 12, was banned for wearing a Union Jack dress at Bilton School in Rugby, Warwickshire. The school later apologised. 4


The Sun
13 hours ago
- The Sun
Second schoolgirl ‘put in isolation' for wearing Union Jack on ‘culture day' as yet another school sparks woke rule fury
A FURIOUS mum told how her daughter was among dozens of children put into 'isolation' for wearing Union Jack flags to celebrate a culture day. Pupils at Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy in Oldbury, West Midlands, had been asked to wear something to reflect their heritage for the day. 10 10 But head teacher Peter McKinniss objected to British flags and had the pupils wearing them pulled out of class and held in a meeting room, it is claimed. One pupil who challenged him over his no-flags policy, Isobelle Wehrle, 15, was then sent home for arguing and suspended for five days. Another girl, Scarlett Priest, 13, claims she was put into the meeting room for wearing a white top with a Union Jack on it. It comes after we reported how a pupil at another school, Bilton School in Rugby, Warwickshire, was banned from a 'diversity day' for wearing a Union Jack dress. Isobelle's furious mother, Leanne, 39, said: 'Isobelle was absolutely devastated when she was suspended just for asking the head why she and other pupils weren't allowed to wear Union Jack flags. "They'd been asked to go to school that day wearing something that reflected their heritage and cultural identity, so it seemed appropriate to her to wear the flag. 'Lots of kids were doing the same - some wore their flags over their shoulders, like my daughter, and others opted to wear the around their waists as skirts. 'She set off for school with her flag and she was in good spirits, but almost immediately, after she arrived at school she was put into an isolation room. 'Isobelle was put into one of many meeting rooms the school has with about 30 other kids. 'It's absolutely ridiculous. Mum is instantly mortified as she returns from the school run, looks in the mirror & realises her almighty outfit fail "Yet many other children used culture day to wear flags from the countries where their families originated, such as Jamaica and Spain, and had no problem whatsoever. 'They were allowed to wear their flags with pride.' Charity shop worker Jenny Priest claims her daughter Scarlett, 13, was also put into isolation for wearing a white t-shirt with a union jack printed on it. Jenny, 38, said: 'When she went in she was told the jeans she was wearing were too revealing but I think the real reason was because she was wearing a union jack. 'She was put into the isolation room and was really upset. She has never been in isolation before and has a brilliant school record. 'There were about 30 kids in there and they all had some kind of British thing or England top. 'It was obvious that's why they had pulled her aside. 'I went to pick her up and I saw kids walking around the playground with flags and tops of other countries like Jamaica and Albania. They weren't put into isolation. 'Isobelle stuck up for my daughter saying she shouldn't be in there and she got into trouble for that.' Bar owner Mrs Wehrle, of Oldbury, added: 'Isobelle and her friends were made to feel like wearing something British was dirty. 10 10 10 "She took the suspension very badly because she couldn't understand why the head had been so unfair. 'All she had done was question him in a very mature way about what was wrong with the British flag, but all he could reply with was: 'Because it's not allowed.'. 'He gave her no explanation beyond that. "Isobelle is not a disruptive child. She works incredibly hard and she's doing well at school. 'She always tries her best and her behaviour is impeccable. 'She's never late and she never gets into trouble – until this happened, at least.' She was put into the isolation room and was really upset. She has never been in isolation before and has a brilliant school record. Jenny Priest Mrs Wehrle said around 60 per cent of children at the 2,000-pupil school were from non-British heritage. On the day Isobelle was suspended for five days, other children were sent home for just one day for fighting, according to her mother. Another pupil, who climbed over the school gates after arriving late that day, was suspended for two days, she added. Leanne said: 'Why did Isobelle get suspended for five days just for asking mature, reasonable question? 'It feels like the headteacher reacted in a very childish way and I think she deserves an apology. "She's halfway through her GCSE course and that should be the school's priority. This is going to stay with her for a long time.' She's halfway through her GCSE course and that should be the school's priority. This is going to stay with her for a long time Leanne Wehrle Earlier this week, The Sun reported how a pupil at another school, Bilton School in Rugby, Warwickshire, was banned from a 'diversity day' for wearing a Union Jack dress. Heartbroken pupil Courtney Wright, 12, was told: 'You get to celebrate being British every day, this is for everybody else.' The Year 7 pupil teamed her dress — similar to the one worn by Spice Girl Geri Halliwell in the 1990s — with a matching bowler hat. She also planned to read a speech celebrating tea, Shakespeare, fish and chips and the royals. But the grade-A student was stopped by teachers who gave her the option of wearing a second-hand uniform instead. Courtney refused before her dad Stuart Field, 47, arrived to collect her from school. He accused teachers of 'virtue signalling' and said he had since received a grovelling apology. It feels like the headteacher reacted in a very childish way and I think she deserves an apology Leanne Wehrle A spokesperson for Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy, said: 'As part of our recent Culture Day, students were invited to wear a wide range of outfits and traditional clothing that reflected their heritage and cultural backgrounds – including those which represent British culture such as the Union Jack. 'On non-uniform days, we have clear and consistent guidelines in place that apply to all students, although no student was suspended due to their choice of outfit on the day. 'These help us maintain a positive and focused learning environment, while still allowing students to enjoy and celebrate special occasions. 'All our policies are designed with the best interests of our students at heart, and we remain proud of the inclusive and respectful culture we promote across our school community.' 10 10 10


Telegraph
4 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
It is Britain's utter disgrace that wearing the Union Flag has become the ultimate taboo
It was a small and sorry tale that went big. On Friday July 11, as the sun shone down in Warwickshire, Courtney Wright, a Year 7 pupil at the village school in Bilton, Rugby, ought to have had a lovely day. It was the school's 'culture day', and so Courtney donned a cute sequinned Union Flag number and a hat to match. It had shades of the famous dress worn by Geri Halliwell of the Spice Girls in 1997, back when Britannia was briefly considered 'cool'. But a few hours later, Courtney's day had turned into an Orwellian nightmare. She found herself sitting outside the school waiting for her father to collect her, having been castigated and expelled. Her crime was wearing British garb, and with it, the suggestion that on a day of cultural celebration for the school 'community' in Warwickshire she was somehow … what? Asserting white supremacy? Racist nationalism? Expressing disgust for the 'diverse' members of the school? This sweet 12-year-old girl was treated as if she'd come dressed as a member of the Ku Klux Klan, or a skinhead from the National Front. Never for a moment dropping the imbecilic woke jargon that led them into this perverse position in the first place, the school issued a sort of bureaucratic apology, which reminded me of the Labour party's apologies for repeated outbreaks of anti-Semitism. Clearly missing the point, it droned that it was 'learning from this experience and ensuring that every student feels recognised and supported when expressing pride in their heritage'. One felt a queasy guffaw rise in the throat as the statement went on. '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.' No, you buffoons. This isn't about 'reviewing policies' or 'values of inclusion'. It's about a culture that is so embarrassed and actually hostile to itself that it can't even countenance its own flag worn in sequins and good spirit by a 12-year-old girl. It's about the disastrous policies that have led to a moment in which terrorists are painstakingly afforded all the protections of British and European human rights, and pro-Palestine obsessives can drape themselves in keffiyehs and Palestinian flags, but a girl is humiliated, ostracised and sent home by teachers for celebrating, in the most light-hearted of ways, her British heritage. It's about the catastrophic melange of bad ideas leading to the blind worship of 'multiculturalism'. Careful observers have always known that this term was a mess; it has killed off any understanding of the importance of having a flexible but dominant home culture. One that is critically engaged with its history and heritage, but also insistent upon the Western values that are the fruits of that history and heritage. One that could not only handle, but enjoy, a dress like the one Courtney wore. We all know that Bilton School's aims are not for a moment about actual diversity, whether it is conscious of this fact or not. They are about brainwashing. And what happened to Courtney Wright is a microcosm of what has been happening, at greater intensity, in Britain's wider culture for years. Indeed, Bilton School's notion of 'heritage' as something that's first and foremost 'inclusive', and thus worth celebrating so long as it's not British, will feel very familiar to many. For example, the students at university or pupils at school who, for years, have dared not say anything about the British empire lest they end up conveying something other than scathing hostility. Britain faces a massive crisis of identity, and the events in Rugby have shone a direct light on it. The anti-Britishness of Britain is leading directly to policies, like those of the police and the security services, that harm British children. The grooming gangs weren't stopped, in part, because of a fear of Islamophobia. The security services didn't chase up a lead that might have stopped Salman Abedi from bombing the Manchester Arena; there is no reason to think this blind-eye-turning wasn't, at least in part, caused by the same fear. At the 20th anniversary of the 7/7 bombings in London, the great and the good hung their heads in respect of the victims, but few named what caused the carnage: Islamist terror. Fear of inflaming 'community tensions' – the same reason Jews were told not to hang 'missing' posters of the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 – no doubt explain that reticence. I'm as averse to chest-thumping jingoism as the next cosmopolitan, rootless Jew whose patriotic grandparents had to flee their nations – their national loyalty counting for less than zero. Nationalism has long been associated with violence, racism, anti-Semitism and loutishness, to say nothing of Nazism, the most terrifying empire the world has ever seen. But Britain isn't plagued with Nazism, or the murderous racism of the Ku Klux Klan. Not even close. We are, in fact, dealing with a country on its knees, suffering from a lethal lack of confidence. As ever, Europe both experiences and responds to such tensions in volatile technicolour. In Germany, the far-Right, nationalist, anti-immigrant AfD has closer links, for obvious reasons, to the dangerous rhetoric of Germany's recent past. Indeed, celebrating 'Germannness' is, in my view, something that should only be done with the utmost caveating for quite some time to come. At any rate, the AfD's Thuringia chapter is considered its most extreme Right-wing and is on German state watch lists. Its leader, Björn Höcke, has many views ranging from dubious to repellent. He has said that 'the big problem is that one presents Hitler as absolutely evil', wants less Holocaust education and a return to the 'natural gender order', whatever that is. But in his book, Never Twice in the Same River, Höcke, a former school teacher, stumbles on a kernel of truth. He tells how one summer, students at the school started wearing T-shirts with the names of countries printed on them, including 'Turkey', 'Russia' and 'Italy', but of course not Germany. And then a girl showed up wearing a 'Germany' shirt. 'The Turkish and African boys were beside themselves,' writes Höcke. 'These otherwise divided Turks and Africans spontaneously agreed in their aggressive rejection of 'Germanness'.' Höcke then turned up in a 'Germany' shirt the next day, and he was elated when some students followed suit. The point is not that poor old Germany deserves to forget the Holocaust and rehabilitate Hitler; that would be monstrous. It's that societies founder without a clear sense of where they've been, where they are and where they are going. Germany and the rest of Europe do not need to embrace far-Right politics to do this. No, they have only, at least in the first place, to refuse to let worries about offending minorities, or being seen to do so, get in the way of asserting the rule of law. And for the rest of us, the job is to assert the customs and values of the land without fear. Without that clarity of mission and identity, we will continue to see travesties from the small to the cosmic. Thankfully, Britain is not Germany. We have a history without the atrocities of the Nazi era. Our cultural inheritance is so rich, and has so many brilliancies alongside the less good things, that we have a feast of opportunity to work on, if only we were able. Seeing things this way would not only be more interesting and educative for children, it would also save lives.


Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The letter sent to parents about diversity day before girl, 12, in Union Jack dress was 'isolated from friends and ordered to change' before being sent home... as school now apologise
Pupils at a school where a girl was sent home from a culture day celebration for wearing a Union Jack dress were told to 'proudly represent their heritage', a letter to parents has revealed. Bilton School, in Rugby, Warwickshire, has sparked a major backlash after 12-year-old Courtney Wright was ordered to change after staff told her she could not 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, said she had come into school 'proud' to show off her 'iconic' Ginger Spice dress but was left feeling 'embarrassed' and 'upset'. Courtney has revealed how she was 'isolated' from her friends and was not allowed to attend lessons, instead having to wait in reception until her father Stuart Field picked her up. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer appeared to throw his support behind Courtney, with No 10 releasing a statement which said he had always been 'clear that being British is something to be celebrated'. The almighty backlash has forced Bilton School to perform a dramatic U-turn, saying 'we deeply regret the distress this has caused and offer our sincere and unreserved apologies.' They have even offered Courtney the chance to run a charity event wearing the Union Flag dress and allow her to give her speech - something her father said was simply a 'box ticking' exercise. A letter sent to parents on June 27 now reveals how pupils were actively 'encouraged' to celebrate Culture Day on Friday July 11. This is the letter that was sent to parents ahead of Culture Day - before the schoolgirl was sent home for wearing a Union Jack dress 'This special day is dedicated to recognising and celebrating the rich cultural diversity within our school community,' the letter said. 'Students across all year groups will have the opportunity to take part in a variety of cultural activities, designed to promote inclusion, understanding, and appreciation of different backgrounds, traditions, and heritages. 'As part of the celebration, we would like to invite students to wear traditional cultural dress to school instead of their usual school uniform. 'This is a fantastic opportunity for students to proudly represent their heritage and learn about the cultures of their peers and staff. There is no requirement for a donation-this day is purely about cultural celebration and connection. We encourage students to consider wearing attire that reflects their nationality or family heritage. 'This cannot include sports kits such as football kits. Please ensure that any outfit worn is appropriate for a school setting and holds cultural significance. 'If your child is unsure about what to wear or has any questions, they are welcome to speak with their form tutor for guidance. If your child chooses to wear cultural dress the document below must be completed by Tuesday 8th July. 'We look forward to a joyful and meaningful Culture Day at Bilton School.' Outside the Warwickshire school on Tuesday, parents said they were 'disgusted and surprised' by the action taken against Courtney. In a new interview with The Express, Courtney recounted how the drama began as soon as she arrived at the school gates. She said: 'You were supposed to be allowed to say something about your culture, and then the teachers were taking pictures of everyone in their costume, but they didn't take pictures of me. I wasn't even allowed in the school. 'I went to the school gates, and someone came up to me and said I am going to take you somewhere to get changed and then after that, I was just put in reception all day.' Courtney was left devastated by the response, adding: 'It upset me because I came in really proud, I bought the dress, I chose it myself as I was going to be Ginger Spice, it's iconic and then I was told I am not allowed in lessons either.' The schoolgirl says her friends have rallied around her, telling her they love the dress and can't believe how the school reacted. Courtney says that although the school have now offered her the chance to deliver her speech in assembly, she does not feel 'comfortable' enough to do so. She is in disbelief at why she couldn't do the speech on Friday but can suddenly do so now. Mr Field also told The Express how the school have offered Courtney the chance to do a charity run in the dress but he said this was a 'box ticking' exercise. Following outrage at Courtney's exile from class, the government stated the child was right to celebrate being British. 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 was 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. '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.' 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.'