THE INQUEST into Ofsted’s role in the death of Caversham headteacher Ruth Perry earlier this year has concluded in Reading today (Thursday, December 7).
It has heard this morning that the schools inspectorate “likely contributed” to her death, after she took her own life in January at the age of 53.
Senior Coronor Heidi Connor said that the inspection into Caversham Primary School, of which Ruth was head teacher, lacked “fairness, respect, and sensitivity” at the conclusion of the hearing.
She also said that inspectors had treated staff rudely, and had been “intimidating.”
The inquiry took place in Reading Town Hall after it was launched in March by MPs concerned about the effect that the education standards organisation, particularly its inspections, had on Ms Perry and its role in her subsequent death.
She had been the head at Caversham Primary School for 13 years before taking her own life back in January, just days before the school was expected to drop from an ‘Outstanding’ rating.
While legal aid was denied for Ms Perry’s family just days before it was due to begin, a crowd-funding campaign launched two weeks ago successfully raised more than £70,000 in just three days, meaning that they had full legal representation at the inquest.
Coroner Heidi Connor said at the outset that Ruth’s story “lies at the heart” of the inquiry, and that it would seek to find out who Ms Perry was and the circumstances surrounding her death.
On Monday it heard that there was no guidance for inspectors relating to how to deal with distressed teachers.
The only relevant guidance explains that inspectors should “take all reasonable steps to prevent undue anxiety,” but no information about what steps to take should they feel distress.
Ofsted’s national director for educated confirmed that there was no specific guidance for inspectors, and added that: “We feel that we train inspectors… in a way that minimises stress and anxiety.”
He was also quizzed by Hugh Southey KC, acting on behalf of Ms Perry’s family, as to whether there was any guidance for inspectors about the impact of inspections on the mental health of staff–he said that we was “not aware” of any such guidance.
The question was also raised at the inquest as to whether there was any system in place by which an inspection could be paused or put on hold for any reason.
Ofsted confirmed at the inquest that inspectors were aware of the ability to put an inspection on hold for “public health” reasons, and cited cases where inspections were paused last year for staff illness and broken water pipes.
The inquest heard that Ms Perry was “extremely distressed” and “upset” in the days surrounding the inspection at Caversham Primary late last year, and that she had said she feared she wouldn’t be able to “show her face” following the inspection.
It also heard from the coroner, Heidi Connor, that “insensitive” comments from Ofsted officials were “inappropriate.”
Mr Derry added that the events surrounding the inspection had left him changed, and that it followed that changes to subsequent inspections would also change.
Attendees then heard from Ofsted’s director of education, Chris Russell, who said that the consequences of inadequate judgements by the inspectorate were the concern of the Department for Education.
Despite this, he also explained that judgements made regarding safeguarding in schools were made with careful consideration, though ‘ineffective’ ratings were “very rare.”
