Britain's strictest headteacher has claimed "white guilt" is behind a greater push for diversity in schools.

Headteacher of Michaela Community School in Wembley, Katharine Birbalsingh, said schools did "the wrong thing" by splitting children into ethnic, religious or LGBT+ groups.

Birbalsingh said that pupils should be learning algebra rather than taking part in "diversity days".

Speaking at a conference for the Family Education Trust over the weekend, she said schools did not instil a feeling of belonging to their country.

Katharine Birbalsingh took aim at 'diversity days' in a blistering speech

She said: "You’ve got various diversity days bringing all different foods, etc.

"I am the most diverse person you’ll ever find in terms of my background. But the fact is that there’s nothing unifying the school.

"If there are no values that everyone buys into, whatever their background, whatever their religion, then there’s nothing to hold them together."

Birbalsingh also cited the case of one London school, which she did not name, which she said "abandoned all Shakespeare" instead choosing to focus on "the great works" of Panti Bliss, an Irish drag queen and gay rights activist.

Referring to diversity days, she said: "Why are they not learning algebra? That’s what I’d like to know."

Michaela Community School in North LondonGETTY