Parents fuming after children told they would be banned from wearing British costumes on 'Culture Day' - but school hits back

George Bunn
Sat, 18 Apr 2026 17:40:34 +0000

Parents at a Derbyshire secondary school have expressed fury over claims their children were informed that British attire would be prohibited during a special cultural celebration event.

Anthony Meakin, whose daughter attends Noel-Baker Academy in Alvaston, said he was outraged after learning of the alleged restriction ahead of the school's "Culture Day" on Friday.

"My daughter told me her teacher had said all cultures were welcome, but British is not allowed," Mr Meakin explained.

His stepdaughter, who also studies at the academy, reportedly received identical instructions in her own class.

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"We live in a society with many different cultures and they should all be celebrated. You can't just pull one culture out," he added.

The school has firmly rejected these allegations, insisting that no pupils faced being sent home for celebrating British or English heritage.

A spokesman for Noel-Baker Academy said: "No students were told they would be sent home for representing British or English culture, such as by wearing a football shirt, and none were."

The co-educational secondary school maintained that "students attended wearing a range of clothing representing different cultures", adding: "We did not allow any political materials."

"We are proud of being an inclusive school, which fosters a positive environment where students of all backgrounds are respected and learn from one another," the spokesman said.

Pupils attended the celebration dressed in clothing representing various cultural traditions from across the school community.

The Culture Day initiative originated from the school's Year 11 pupils, who wanted to showcase the wide range of traditions represented within their student community.

According to the academy, the event was designed to encourage greater understanding between students from different backgrounds whilst promoting an inclusive atmosphere.

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A spokesman explained: "Our Year 11 students proposed the Culture Day as they wanted to celebrate the breadth of cultures and traditions that make up our school community, promote inclusivity and further strengthen understanding between students from all backgrounds."

The celebration took place on Friday, with youngsters donning outfits representing numerous cultural heritages from around the world.

Mr Meakin told DerbyshireLive that his partner phoned the academy on Thursday to query the policy, claiming the receptionist confirmed that British costumes would be forbidden.

"I was fuming. We should celebrate every culture and my daughter should have the same right as everyone else to tell her story and show off her heroes," he said.

The parent expressed concern about the message such an exclusion would send to young people.

He said: "I don't see how it's healthy for children to exclude any culture from a day that's supposed to be celebrating them all.

"I don't want my daughter to be embarrassed to be British."

Following complaints from Mr Meakin and other parents, he claimed the school changed its stance on Friday morning, permitting British dress after all.