Downing Street has backed a 12-year-old girl after she was put into isolation for wearing a Union flag dress on a culture day.

“Straight A” student Courtney Wright wore the Spice Girls-esque dress and wrote a piece about British history and traditions as part of the celebrations on Friday.

She was later told the dress was “unacceptable” and was hauled out of lessons and made to sit in reception until her father collected her.

Speaking on Tuesday, Keir Starmer’s spokesman said that “being British is something to be celebrated” and welcomed the school’s apology.

They added: “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.”