London school accused of religious discrimination after pupil challenged over tilak

A highly rated primary school in north-west London has been accused of religious discrimination after a diaspora advocacy group claimed an eight-year-old pupil was challenged for wearing a tilak on his forehead.

Winter Heating Solutions

Solimo 2000/1000 Watts Room Heater

Adjustable thermostat • ISI certified • Ideal for small to medium rooms

📦 Featured Product Recommendation

Below is a top-recommended product you can buy on Amazon — support us by using the link below (we earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

🔗 Buy on Amazon

* Shop with confidence — Amazon Affiliate Link

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.* 1

Check Price on Amazon

RR Signature WARMAXX Room Heater

Dual heating mode • Overheat protection • 5-level safety • 2 year warranty

View on Amazon

Borosil 2000W Novus Electric Fan Heater

Made in India • Variable temperature • Horizontal & vertical placement

See Details on Amazon

*Affiliate links. No extra cost to you.

INSIGHT UK claimed in a statement on Monday (January 19, 2026) that the child and his family suffered “significant distress” over the issue at cin Wembley, leaving Hindu parents with no option but to remove at least four pupils from the school.

However, the school denied any form of discrimination at its “diverse and inclusive” institution, which has pupils from more than 50 language backgrounds, including a significant number of Hindus.

“The Tilak-Chandlo is not a cosmetic or cultural accessory, it is an integral religious observance for many Hindus,” said an INSIGHT UK spokesperson.

“Preventing a child from practising their faith, or making them feel ashamed or intimidated for doing so, is wholly unacceptable in a modern, multicultural Britain. For over 1 billion Hindus worldwide, sacred markings such as the Tilak-Chandlo, Bindi, Tikka, Tripundra etc are integral expressions of faith. To trivialise or mislabel such practices in an educational setting reflects a troubling lack of religious literacy,” the spokesperson said.

Among the reports collated by the group, the school headteacher and governors are said to have displayed a lack of “cultural and religious sensitivity” during attempts at dialogue.

“This was not a good-faith dialogue — it was an imbalance of power, where Hindu religious practices were scrutinised, minimised, and ultimately rejected,” INSIGHT UK claimed.

It has called on the school to review its policies and staff training to ensure compliance with equality and safeguarding laws. Ealing Council, the local authority in charge of the school rated “outstanding” by the independent Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED), responded to PTI’s inquiry with a statement from a spokesperson for Vicar’s Green Primary School.

“Our longstanding school policy asks pupils not to wear visible skin markings including religious ones. We met with the parents of a pupil who was wearing a Tilak-Chandlo on their forehead to discuss the matter sensitively and sought to understand the reason for it,” the school spokesperson stated.

“We fully recognised the family’s religious beliefs and, in a spirit of conciliation, we offered a reasonable compromise by making an exception to our policy so the symbol could be worn on a less prominent part of the body. This was, unfortunately, rejected by the pupil’s parents,” the spokesperson said.

The school went on to reference its recent OFSTED inspections as recognising its inclusive environment where children “thrive”. The spokesperson added, “The school’s governing body also thoroughly reviewed the case and wrote to the parents explaining the school’s decision in detail and also offered the reasonable adjustments the school had offered, as well as special religious occasions. Unfortunately, the parents did not accept either of these adjustment.

“We have always approached these discussions respectfully, sensitively and thoroughly, which has taken up a considerable amount of time and stress for the school, and its community. As a school, our priority is always the wellbeing of all our children.”

Vicar’s Green Primary School stressed that it values and respects the diverse cultural and religious backgrounds in its community, with its policy designed to “promote cohesion, fairness, equality and a shared sense of belonging while preventing division or disruption within the school community”.

The official U.K. Government classification describes it as a mixed (co-ed) “community school”, or a secular state school, that caters to pupils aged between three and eleven.