Schoolgirl, 12, ‘punished' for wearing Union flag dress
'Straight A' student Courtney Wright wore the Spice Girls-esque dress and wrote a piece about British history and traditions as part of the celebrations on Friday.
She was later told the dress was 'unacceptable', and was hauled out of lessons and made to sit in reception until her father collected her.
Her father Stuart Field, 47, said he was surprised to learn she had been segregated from her peers due to her choice of attire at Bilton School in Rugby, Warks.
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 being British - nobody else I've spoken to can quite get their heads around it.
'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.
'It's about being British, the Spice Girls and even the freedom at being able to wear a dress. This is just what being British means to her.'
In a permission letter sent to parents, it said the 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 and other pupils with St George's flags and Welsh flags were also turned away from the school gates.
He added: 'It's the school who have made it political and it went against everything the event was being held for.
'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.'
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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
12 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Sky reveals ‘deeply concerning' change to popular kids TV channel
Sky Kids currently has around 150 original titles Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SKY has scrapped plans to make original kids' TV shows — sparking 'deep concern' from experts. UK-based watchdog the Children's Media Foundation (CMF) slammed the move, after Sky confirmed it will stop creating its own content and instead buy in shows from other providers. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Pip and Posy was co-commissioned with Channel 5's Milkshake Recent original titles from Sky include Pip & Posy — co-commissioned with Channel 5's Milkshake! — as well as BooSnoo! and The Brilliant World of Tom Gates. Sky Kids, led by Lucy Murphy, currently has around 150 original titles in its catalogue. Although it will honour content still in production, Sky confirmed it has no plans to greenlight any new original children's programming. The broadcaster also warned that some job losses may follow as a result of the strategy change. Jamie Morris, Sky's executive director of content strategy and performance, said: 'With a strong pipeline of new original shows still to come, we now have a rich slate of content that allows us to evolve our strategy. 'In the future, Sky Kids will focus on acquiring third-party content. "While this means reviewing the number of roles required to deliver the next phase of our offer, we remain committed to bringing the very best in children's entertainment to families across the UK.' The decision comes just over two years after Sky made headlines by launching its own children's linear TV channel — a bold move at a time when many other broadcasters were moving away from traditional channels in favour of digital platforms. But the CMF said the change was 'a depressing and short-sighted decision, which will leave UK children less well-served.' Highlighting that only the BBC and Milkshake! remain as major commissioners of factual and entertainment content for children, the organisation said Sky's exit removes 'healthy competition' in the market and urged the broadcaster to think again. Sky TV remotes have hidden trick that saves you so much time Greg Childs, director of the CMF, said: 'This is not the time to give up on great UK content for UK kids. "Just as we are working with government and platforms like YouTube to help children and young people find more personally and socially valuable content on video-sharing platforms. "Sky is walking away from its kids' needed is fresh thinking about deals and partnerships that take their content to where kids are watching, not a knee-jerk cost-cutting spree which will damage their relationship with their customers and certainly diminish the prospects of quality viewing time for children in their country.' Animation UK also hit out at the decision, calling it a 'significant blow' to the animation sector and those behind Sky's well-received original content. Will more kids TV channels vanish? Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun These latest closures don't come as much of a shock with children largely shifting to digital platforms for entertainment thanks to apps like TikTok and YouTube. Some of the POP's other channels have gone digital-only already. And in September 2023 the CITV channel closed down, switching to a new digital-only streamed channel ITVX Kids on the ITVX app. The BBC have been mulling the closure of CBBC's linear channel and making it digital only via iPlayer too. But it's been granted a temporary reprieve for now. Children's TV boss Patricia Hidalgo told the i paper at the end of 2024 that "currently the numbers don't tell us you have to close it yet", adding: "It's really important to us as public service broadcasters that if children still need us on a linear network, we're going to be there for them." It warned that losing a major commissioner like Sky limits creative opportunity and reduces access to culturally relevant UK storytelling. Kate O'Connor, chair of Animation UK, said: 'Sky has played a valuable role in backing original UK animation and children's programming. "Its decision to step away from commissioning is another signal that the children's content sector needs urgent attention. 'Without intervention, we risk losing the UK's ability to tell its own stories to its youngest citizens and to support our world class content creation sector.' The change to Sky Kids follows a wider shake-up across the broadcaster. Earlier this year, Sky shut down its standalone Sky Mix channel and moved some content to its streaming platform NOW, while also cutting several back-office roles as part of a cost-saving restructure. The group has been gradually shifting its focus toward digital-first content and streamlining services under pressure from increased competition and changing viewer habits. The Sun has reached out to Sky for further comment.
Daily Mail
12 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
I'm a beauty editor, and this is the one big mascara swap I recommend making for summer
Mascara is the ultimate staple in your make-up bag. A desert island product for many, and a daily must for most. And for those of us without luscious dark lashes, swiping through some black mascara before running out of the house is second nature. However, if you've been addicted to black mascara for as long as you can remember, then I have news for you. Because the most up-to-date way to wear it this summer is to swap black for a the chicer shade of brown - and it could make you look even better. Yes, it looks more subtle, but it can also make certain eye colours - particularly blue and green - pop more. It's mascara's version of quiet luxury; polished but understated. Which explains why more brands than ever are adding the shade to their bestselling mascaras. Read on to discover our tried-and-tested favourites. FOR HIGH OCTANE LENGTH: Hourglass Instant Extensions Espresso Mascara, £32, Space NK This is their cult tubing mascara – so cult one sells every 60 seconds. Tubing mascaras basically work by using polymers that set into flexible tubes that wrap round the diameter of each lash, like a tube coating. These rings extend the length by building beyond the tip of your natural lash, don't crumble like traditional mascaras, and can be removed without using make-up remover. Due to those clever polymer tubes, you can simply slide the mascara off using warm water. Deeply satisfying. £32 Shop FOR GREAT VALUE: L'Oreal Paris Volume Million Lashes Panorama Mascara in Brown, £12.99, Boots The increased length and volume this powerful tube can give is gob-smacking. The wand combs clumps out really well and it layers so you can turn the volume up to 11 with two coats. L'Oreal Paris Volume Million Lashes Panorama Mascara £12.99 Shop FOR A NATURAL EFFECT: Glossier Lash Slick Lift and Lengthening Mascara, £20, Space NK This is as subtle as it sounds – more weightless than your typical mascara thanks to tiny one- and two-millimetre long fibres that it sticks to your lashes. You apply it just like a normal mascara and brush through, plus it can also be removed with warm water. £20 Shop FOR DRAMATIC LIFT: Westman Atelier Eye Want You Mascara in Clean Le Brun, £42, Cult Beauty From the mind of Gucci Westman, a high profile celebrity make-up artist and previous Artistic Director at both Lancome and Revlon, this mascara is a real overachiever -which it should be for the price. It has a tapered tip to allow reaching tiny lashes in the corners of your eyes, a creamy formula filled with carnauba and she butter to avoid flaking and help condition, and is highly pigmented for a rich payoff. Plus it has no nasties like silicones, parabens, phthalates, fragrance or talc. Westman Atelier Eye Want You Mascara £42 Shop FOR EXTREME DEFINITION: Sculpted by Aimee My Mascara in Brown, £18, The wand on this is ever so slightly curved for the perfect amount of curl without having to use eyelash curlers. The back of the wand has a really effective comb on it to help define and seek out any lumps – no wonder one sells every second. Sculpted by Aimee My Mascara £18 Shop To get more of what you love from your favourite Sunday supplement, follow us on Instagram (@youmagazine), Facebook (YOU Magazine) and X (@YOUMagSocial).
The Sun
12 minutes ago
- The Sun
The big row that's rocking Alesha Dixon's relationship with her man of 12 years – just months after they reunited
ALESHA Dixon reconciled with her partner of 12-years Azuka Ononye back in April after a 'really rocky patch' left their relationship on the brink. But insiders claim the Britain's Got Talent judge's romance has hit another rough patch - and it all boils down to one big question. 6 6 6 Those close to Azuka say the choreographer, who has two daughters with Alesha, is struggling to come to terms with Alesha's refusal to marry him - despite him asking multiple times. In recent weeks, pals tell me, the issue has become a recurring argument between them - with Azuka unable to convince Alesha that marriage is the way forward for them. Alesha, 46, was previously married to rapper MC Harvey but their year-long union ended in heartbreak after his affair with singer Javine Hilton. A friend said: 'Azuka wants Alesha to be his wife and thinks marriage is the way forward for them after everything that has happened over the past six months. 'He has proposed but to no avail. 'It's becoming an argument that keeps coming up between them and Azuka is finding it hard to move past it. 'He is a proud man and wants Alesha to be his wife. His parents have said the same and think marriage is the way forward. They've applied some pressure too, which has led to rows between Alesha and Azuka. 'It's been a difficult six months but this feels like another bump in the road they can't get past.' Over a decade ago, Alesha revealed that Azuka had proposed to her multiple times but joked he wasn't serious. Speaking about their relationship on Piers Morgan 's Life Stories programme, she said: 'He's asked me about five times but I won't take him seriously. Alesha Dixon SPLITS from father of her two kids after 12 years - but reveals why they're still living together 'He asks me when he's jokey and I won't take him seriously until he does it properly.' Those close to Azuka say he has since proposed properly but that Alesha has stonewalled his attempts. 'Azuka says he can't work out why Alesha won't marry him,' the friend said. 'He thinks this could be the making of them and something that would help them properly move past everything that has happened. 'It's become a bit of a stalemate again. He's leaning on his friends for support but it's difficult for him.' 6 Alesha previously called Azuka her 'best friend' and said she had found the love of her life in the dancer. But then in November last year, those close to Alesha said she had confided in them that their relationship had run its course. STAR'S BREAK-UP This March Alesha confirmed the pair had split but said they were living together for the sake of their children. A month later, those close to the couple confirmed they were giving their romance another try. A close source said: 'They went through a really rocky patch and decided to call it a day. It had been difficult for a long time and Alesha just couldn't see a way forward. 'AZ even moved out to a hotel for a while, despite the fact they were co-parenting. 'But there is still a huge amount of feeling between them. They've been together for 12 years and have two beautiful children. 'So they have decided to give it one last try. "They both desperately want to be a family again and are going to do all it takes to make it work.' WEDDING CONFLICT At the time, those close to Alesha admitted they ' weren't convinced' their relationship would last. And now Azuka's friends say they feel the same - with the talk of weddings driving a wedge between them. One added: 'Without a wedding on the horizon, Azuka doesn't know what to do. 'He wants Alesha to be his wife but she isn't budging. 'It's another hurdle they've come up against and it seems there isn't a way they can move past it.' 6 6
