Bilton School offers further apology to ‘the wider Rugby community’ following Union Flag dress controversy
Bilton School has offered a further apology to 'the wider community' of Rugby following its controversial decision to punish a pupil for wearing a Union Flag dress at its culture day celebrations.
The Rugby Advertiser's story on Monday (July 14) has now been read by millions of people, with media outlets around the world picking up our article and reporting on the controversy.
At the centre of it is 12-year-old Courtney Wright, who wore a Union Flag dress and wrote a piece about history and traditions as part of the celebrations at the school on Friday July 11.
But the school decided to punish and isolate her - and her dad, Stuart, was asked to come and collect her from school. Bilton School has declined to explain to us the reasons behind its decision, but Stuart said: "She was told she wasn’t allowed in school with the dress on because she gets to celebrate her culture every day.”
The school immediately apologised to the family - and has now offered a further apology to the wider community.
In a letter to parents, 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. That pride is not only welcome at Bilton School, but it is also what makes our community so vibrant, diverse, and special."
She added: "I understand that recent events may have been unsettling for some of our students, but I am confident that, by continuing to work together with honesty, empathy and mutual respect, we will emerge stronger as a community."