I read over the weekend with great sadness the death of head teacher Ruth Perry.
Ruth, 53, had been a teacher for 32 years. She was appointed deputy head of Caversham Primary School, Reading, in 2006. The school, which Ruth had attended as a child, was rated outstanding by Ofsted when it was inspected in 2009. Ruth was appointed head teacher in 2010.
On 15th and 16th November 2022 Ofsted returned to Caversham Primary School to reinspect it. The inspection team consisted of Alan Derry HMI, the lead inspector, Gavin Evans, Ofsted inspector, and Clare Wilkins, Ofsted inspector.
There were many positive comments in the report, including:
- "Pupils' behaviour in lessons is exemplary. They love to learn and they relish the challenges that teachers provide."
- "Leaders have worked with determination to strengthen the quality of education."
- "Staff are supportive of senior leaders. They feel respected and appreciate the consideration leaders place on well-being and workload. Those who replied to the staff survey were unanimous in their view that they enjoy working at this school."
- The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.
- Leaders have a weak understanding of safeguarding requirements and procedures.
- Leaders do not fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities effectively.
As these concerns were related to safeguarding, they automatically reduced Caversham Primary's outstanding Ofsted legacy to one of inadequacy.
It is clear this criticism hung very heavily on Ruth's mind and she bore personal responsibility for it. Having spent weeks ruminating and beating herself up over Ofsted's opinion, Ruth decided there was nowhere left to turn.
Her sister Julia Waters told the BBC: "Ruth took her own life on 8th January, all during that process every time I spoke to her, she would talk about the countdown. I remember her clearly one day saying '52 days and counting', every day she had this weight on her shoulders hanging over her and she wasn't officially allowed to talk to her family.
"I remember the very first day I saw her, rather than just speaking to her on the phone, a couple of days after the end of the Ofsted inspection, she came, she was an absolute shadow of her former self."
Matthew Purves, Ofsted's regional director for the South East, said: "We were deeply saddened by Ruth Perry’s tragic death. Our thoughts remain with Mrs Perry's family, friends and everyone in the Caversham Primary School community."
I loathe Ofsted with a passion. They breeze in and out of schools forming snapshot judgements on the basis of selective and incomplete evidence.
There is no doubt at all that Ruth found the Ofsted inspection process overwhelmingly stressful, which has definitely played a part in her tragic death.
As for culpability? Well, my mind is made up.