Keir Starmer responds after girl, 12, put in school isolation over Union Flag dress
A schoolgirl thrown into isolation just for wearing a Union Flag dress to celebrate being British at her school's culture day has been backed by the Prime Minister.
Straight A student Courtney Wright, 12, wore a Spice Girls -esque dress and wrote a piece about history and traditions as part of the celebrations last Friday. But she was told the dress was "unacceptable" - and was then hauled out of lessons and forced to sit in reception until her dad collected her.
Her dad Stuart Field, 47, said he was stunned to learn that his daughter had been segregated from her friends due to her choice of attire at Bilton School in Rugby, Warwickshire. 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".
The decision to punish her caused fury and PM Keir Starmer's spokesperson appeared to side with the schoolgirl and her family. They said: 'I think the school has put out a statement on this so I'm not going to comment further, but the Prime Minister has always been clear that being British is something to be celebrated.'
Dad Stuart said the school's actions went against its message and other pupils with St George's flags and Welsh flags were also turned away from the school gates. He 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.
"They 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.
"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 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."
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.'
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