'We're proud of being British' No10 responds after schoolgirl, 12, is sent home for wearing Union Jack dress on culture day

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's spokesperson said 'being British is something to be celebrated' after Courtney Wright was sent home for wearing a Spice Girls-inspired dress to school.

She was told by Bilton School in Rugby, Warwickshire, that her choice of clothes was ‘unacceptable’ and was hauled out of lessons and made to sit in isolation in reception until her father Stuart Field was able to collect her.

She was also given the option of wearing a second-hand uniform. The Grade-A student had planned to read a speech celebrating Shakespeare, fish and chips, and the royal family, her dad has claimed.

Responding to the incident, a Downing Street spokesperson said: "We’re a tolerant, diverse, open country. We’re proud of being British, I think the school has put out a statement apologising for this specific incident.

“So I’m not going to comment any further on that, but the PM has always been clear that being British is something to be celebrated.”

Mr Field, 47, said his daughter was left ‘embarrassed’ and had no idea what she’d done wrong after she was dragged out of class.

He 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 letter to parents, the school said culture day was “designed to promote inclusion, understanding, and appreciation of different backgrounds, traditions and heritages”.

Mr Field 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.”

Mr Field said another mum at the school told him her son was banned for wearing a farmer’s outfit.

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.”

Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has since caught wind of the story and invited Courtney and Mr Field to his next public event.

He wrote on X: "They stopped this brave little girl giving her speech to a class room of 30 pupils . Millions will watch as she delivers her speech on stage on September 13th in London . I can already see the reception she will receive."

"Our British pride we will not hide," Robinson added.

The piece Courtney wrote for 'culture day'

"Today I want to talk about my culture — British culture — and why it’s important to me.In Britain, we have lots of traditions including drinking tea, our love for talking about the weather and we have the royal family.

We have amazing history, like kings and queens, castles, and writers like Shakespeare. It's also modern, diverse and always changing - with music fashion and food from all around the world blending into daily life. And let’s not forget fish and chips!

Its also the way we speak, our humour, our values of fairness and politeness, and the mix of old traditions and new ideasBut 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.

I think culture should be for everyone — not just for people from other countries or backgrounds.

Being British is still a culture, and it matters too. It’s part of who I am.

So let’s celebrate all cultures — whether they come from far away or right here at home."