A school’s decision to place a 12-year-old girl in isolation over her Union Flag dress has sparked outrage — with her father accusing staff of turning a celebration of culture into a political row. Courtney Wright, a high-achieving student at Bilton School in Rugby, had chosen to wear the iconic Spice Girls-style dress for the school’s culture day last Friday (July 11), pairing it with a speech about British history and traditions.
But instead of taking part in the event, she was removed from lessons, held in the school’s reception area, and told her outfit was “unacceptable” — leaving her humiliated and confused. Her father, Stuart Field, 47, said he was stunned to receive a call informing him that his daughter had been pulled out of class over her clothing choice. 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 ashamed about being British — and she certainly shouldn’t be punished for it.
“Someone at the school has politicised a Union Jack dress. That was never her intent. This was about celebrating being British in a way that made sense to her — the Spice Girls, culture, freedom of expression.
“Instead, they made her sit in reception until I could get away from work and come collect her. It completely undermines what the day was supposed to be about.”
The event was billed as a celebration of cultural heritage, with a permission letter telling parents the day aimed to promote “inclusion, understanding, and appreciation of different backgrounds, traditions and heritages.”
But Mr Field said the school’s actions did the opposite — claiming other pupils were also turned away for wearing items representing the UK.
He added: “Courtney chose the dress herself and wrote a speech to go with it. She was proud of what she’d put together.
“Then at 9am I get a call saying she’s been pulled out because it’s ‘unacceptable’. I couldn’t leave work until midday, so she sat there in isolation in front of the reception staff for hours.
“She’s never been in trouble. Straight A student. One of the brightest in her year. She was devastated.
“I asked the school for an explanation and couldn’t get a straight answer. Her head of year said he wasn’t the right person to speak to — which tells me he probably didn’t agree with it either.”
Mr Field claimed Courtney wasn’t the only one singled out.
“One child dressed in traditional farming clothes — flat cap and checked shirt — wasn’t allowed in. Another with a St George’s flag. One had a Welsh flag. All turned away.
“It felt like anything remotely British was deemed unacceptable. Yet pupils in burkas, niqabs, or Nigerian traditional dress were allowed through.
“They didn’t even listen to Courtney’s speech, which was actually about inclusivity and celebrating all cultures. It just felt like being British wasn’t something that could be celebrated.
“The governors eventually got involved and the school backed down and apologised. But by then the damage was done.”
Mr Field said he later posted about the incident on Facebook and was flooded with messages of support from as far afield as Australia and Poland.
“People just couldn’t believe a young girl would be punished for being proud of where she’s from,” he said.
Bilton School’s leadership has since apologised for the incident.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the 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.”