Latest news with #schoolban
Daily Mail
5 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.
Telegraph
7 days ago
- Telegraph
School that banned Union flag dress closes early over ‘extremist threats'
A school that banned a 12-year-old girl from wearing a Union flag dress has been forced to close early for the summer over 'extremist threats'. Student Courtney Wright was pulled out of class after wearing a Spice Girls-inspired dress as part of culture day celebrations at her school in Rugby, Warwickshire, last Friday. Now, Bilton School has informed parents it will close early for the summer holidays 'in the interests of student and staff safety' after claiming to have received 'extremist abuse online and via our telephone systems'. The school's decision to brand the Union flag dress 'unacceptable' was widely condemned, with a spokesperson for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer saying: 'being British is something to be celebrated.' Ranjit Samra, CEO of Stowe Valley Multi-Academy Trust and Jayne Delves, headteacher at Bilton said staff had also been threatened after Courtney's father, Stuart Field, 47, shared online that he had to collect her from school because of her inappropriate attire. A letter to parents said: '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 well-being 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'. Mr Field, 47, said this week he was 'gobsmacked' to learn his daughter had been segregated from her peers due to her choice of attire. He added: 'She should not be made to feel embarrassed about being British. And she shouldn't be punished for celebrating British culture and history.' Courtney said teachers told her 'only other cultures were allowed to celebrate', leaving her feeling 'really embarrassed'. She said some teachers had told her 'they liked the dress as it was really sparkly' and that she 'looked like Ginger Spice'. However, Courtney added that teachers 'point blank refused' to let her read her speech about British culture and 'they didn't want to hear it at all'. She explained: 'My speech was about diversity and all the traditions that we have in Britain – our politeness, our humour, we drink tea, we talk about the weather a lot and we like rugby and football.' The school has since issued an apology to parents and the wider Rugby community. Headteacher Jayne Delves said: 'This incident caused upset for the student and the family as well as members of our wider community. I have spoken directly with the student and her family to offer our sincere and heartfelt apologies. 'However, I also want to extend that apology to everyone else who may have felt hurt, uncomfortable, or unsettled by what happened. As a school, we recognise that we don't always get things right. When mistakes happen, it is important that we are open, transparent, and reflective. 'We are committed to learning from this experience and ensuring that every student feels recognised and supported when expressing pride in their heritage. I have shared this message with students through assemblies, making it clear that everyone should feel proud of who they are, their identity, their culture, and their heritage.'
The Sun
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
School banned my daughter, 12, from ‘diversity day' for wearing Union Jack dress – the reason was ridiculous
A GIRL was banned from a school's cultural diversity day — for wearing a Union Jack dress. Heartbroken pupil Courtney Wright, 12, was told: 'You get to celebrate being British everyday, this is for everybody else.' 4 4 4 The Year 7 pupil teamed her dress — similar to the one worn by Spice Girl Geri Halliwell in the 90s, above — 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 Bilton School in Rugby, Warwickshire. Last night, he slammed the school for 'virtue signalling' and said he had since received a grovelling apology. The dad of five told The Sun: '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.' He said a mum told him her son was banned for wearing a farmer's outfit. The marine engineer, from Coventry, added: 'This was Courtney's interpretation of British culture and what it means to her. Homeowner divides opinion with Union Jack driveway as some praise 'patriot' but others say it'll 'knock £20k off house' "Their response goes against all the school's inclusion policies. She was segregated from the kids taking part.' Before last Friday's event, head Jayne Delves wrote to parents: 'This special day is dedicated to recognising and celebrating the rich cultural diversity within our school community. "Students across all year groups will have the opportunity to take part in a variety of cultural activities.' In her speech, Courtney 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 would add: '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.' The school responded: '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.' 4
Telegraph
01-06-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Dive-bombing buzzard terrorises primary school
A dive-bombing buzzard has forced a primary school to ban pupils from going outside during breaktime following a spate of attacks. Children at Dame Tipping Primary School in Havering-atte-Bower, north-east London, have had to stay inside since Easter for fear of the bird of prey. The bird has been terrorising villagers for months, but because buzzards are a protected species, the school says there is 'nothing which can be done' beyond the outdoor ban. The case strikes a startling resemblance to another bird of prey, a Harris Hawk nicknamed 'Bomber Harris' that attacked more than 50 people in Flamstead, Hertfordshire, in March. Bomber Harris was eventually caught and later adopted by Wayne Housden, a falconer. Stella McCarthy, the headteacher of the school, said the 'difficult decision' to ban outdoor play was made after the buzzard became 'highly present' in the playground. She said: 'As a school, safeguarding and protecting children is of paramount importance.' 'Dead shocked' The school rule comes after several incidents in the Greater London village, located north of Romford, with one woman claiming she was 'dive-bombed' by the buzzard while walking in the park in March. Nikki Dix, 37, said she was 'dead shocked' when the bird attacked her from behind and left scratches on her head. She said: 'I was scared, I was taken aback by it. He was giving me an evil eye so then I carried on my journey for quite a while just swinging my bag above my head because I was just like, 'hopefully this will deter him from coming to get me, because if he does try again to get me maybe he won't be so nice'. 'Nothing like that normally gets me so I'm a little bit on high alert at the moment, that's why I've stayed away from that area as well.' The school has decided to use the situation as a learning experience for pupils, who have created posters promoting the protection of birds – and have even named the buzzard 'Brenda'. Louise Whittle, a parents of one of the school's pupils, also narrowly missed being injured by the buzzard. She said Dame Tipping has handled the issue 'brilliantly'. Footage shows the moment the buzzard flies down from the roof of a nearby house, appearing to aim for the mother's head. Ms Whittle said: 'It's absolutely bonkers that there is a buzzard attacking people. But the school have been absolutely fantastic in prioritising the children's safety and finding other alternatives for getting out. 'If anything, it's been a great learning experience for the children – they have learnt all about buzzards that they otherwise wouldn't have done.' However, Ms Whittle added that she is still concerned that 'the birds are being prioritised over the children' and said she is 'hopeful that they fly away so everyone can get back to normal'. Ms McCarthy said: 'Luckily, as part of LIFE Education Trust, we have had excellent support enabling us to use the trust minibus to regularly visit The Frances Bardsley Academy for Girls where our children have engaged in outdoor learning activities, PE lessons and visited the school's farm. 'We have also introduced additional indoor breaks with lots of engaging activities including traditional boardgames, cup stacking competitions and puzzles.' Dame Tipping has been liaising with Havering council and various bird organisations to find solutions to the issue. The council said its health and safety team has provided the school's trust with 'detailed advice' on legal deterrents and hiring a falconry expert. A Havering council spokesman said: 'The RSPCA has advised that the buzzard may be protecting its nest or chicks, which lines up with the information we have received. ' Buzzards are protected under UK law, therefore our intervention options are very limited, and we have advised that warning signs would be the easiest solution at this time. 'We completely understand how difficult and worrying this situation is for the school and local residents and we regret that there is not a quick or straightforward solution.'
The Independent
01-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Ban smartphones in schools, Starmer told – by the country that's done it
Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure to consider the 'overwhelming evidence' from New Zealand to consider banning smart phones from schools. In an exclusive interview with The Independent, New Zealand's education minister Erica Stanford said she has heard 'overwhelmingly positive feedback' about the world-leading phone ban in her country, with more engagement and less cyberbullying in schools. The New Zealand National Party government now hopes to take it further and introduce a ban on social media for under-16s. It comes as Sir Keir's government is under increasing pressure to introduce similar measures in English schools, with the Tories and campaign groups pressing for a ban. New Zealand's government introduced a ban on mobile phones in schools last year. Ms Stanford told The Independent: 'I've been told students are much more focused on their learning in class, they are engaging with their peers, reading more books, spending more time playing outside and there are fewer reports of cyber-bullying. 'I am committed to ensuring children are not only safe but remain focused in the classroom. Taking away the distraction of cell phones ensures better engagement in class and improves student achievement and wellbeing.' In the UK, a recent push by the Tories to add an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which would require schools to prohibit phone use during the school day, was shut down by the government. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has urged ministers to reconsider after Sir Keir Starmer labelled the amendment as 'completely unnecessary', claiming 'almost every school' already bans phones. Ms Badenoch claimed: 'The prime minister is wrong: not all schools do this. Only one in 10 schools is smartphone-free.' Despite the government's stance, education secretary Bridget Phillipson has commissioned a review into 'whether schools in England are banning children's phones and whether bans are effective'. In New Zealand, the National Party's election promise was greeted with scepticism, criticism, and an assumption that students would become sneakier. Now, it's being praised by students and educators. Anna Wilson, acting principle of Wellington East Girls' College in the nation's capital, said the state-funded school has seen only positive results from the ban. She said: 'We see a lot more social interaction at break times, such as playing cards, volleyball on the courts, joining in on lunchtime activities and clubs that are student-led.' The nationwide ban came into effect in April last year, but Ms Wilson's school introduced the policy slightly ahead of the nationwide rollout, embedding it firmly into school life from the start of the year, 'and the momentum continued across the year.' Although they took charge with the ban, she said, 'the government policy across all schools was helpful as collectively each school was doing it at their campuses at the same time'. Fred Oppenhuis, head prefect of Wellington College, an all-boys secondary school, told The Independent the ban had a positive impact on students. He said: 'I think that the phone ban has significantly increased engagement and efficiency in class because students know that if they check their phone or bring it out without teacher permission, there are well-known consequences.' Oppenhuis said the initial reaction came with concerns as the thought of not having a phone at school was 'daunting'. But, he said it didn't take long for students to adjust, and most students said it wasn't as bad as they had anticipated. One of the loudest advocates for phone-free schools has been Jonathan Haidt, a prominent US social psychologist and author of the bestselling book The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. She said that two years after schools go completely phone-free, they always seem to report big drops in disciplinary problems and increases in student engagement in class. 'My favourite outcome: teachers and administrators say 'we hear laughter in the hallway again'.' The New Zealand ban applies to all state schools and expects cell phones to be off and away during day, however, schools are allowed to decide how to enforce it. Mobile phones can only be used for educational purposes, however, there is an exemption for students who need their phones for learning challenges or health reasons. Parents and guardians must contact their child by going to the school office. However, some doubts have been raised by the Labour Party in New Zealand. Willow-Jean Prime, the New Zealand Labour opposition's spokeswoman for education, told The Independent: 'It is important young people are able to focus at school, and phones can be a distraction; but on the flip side, many students need cell phones, for example for accessibility reasons. 'In New Zealand, it is individual school boards of trustees that set the rules for the operation of schools. Schools have always been able to ban cell phones at school if they believe this is appropriate, and many already did."
