• Support Wokingham Today
  • Get the print edition
  • Sign up for our daily newsletter
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Wokingham.Today
  • HOME
  • MY AREA
    • All
    • Arborfield
    • Barkham
    • Beech Hill
    • Binfield
    • Bracknell
    • Charvil
    • Crowthorne
    • Earley
    • Emmbrook
    • Finchampstead
    • Grazeley
    • Henley
    • Hurst
    • Lower Earley
    • Norreys
    • Reading
    • Remenham
    • Riseley
    • Shinfield
    • Sindlesham
    • Sonning
    • Spencers Wood
    • Swallowfield
    • Three Mile Cross
    • Twyford
    • Wargrave
    • Winnersh
    • Wokingham
    • Wokingham Without
    • Woodley
    • Woosehill
    • Yateley
    Wokingham station

    Train lines reopened but delays and cancellations expected due to barrier

    MP Clive Jones

    MP swaps roles in Westminster

    Police

    Police seek witnesses following assault at Harmanswater Shops in Bracknell

    A flat has become available at Wokingham's Westende Almshouses. People are invited to apply immediately. Picture: Emma Merchant

    There’s an unusual opportunity for affordable almshouse accommodation in Wokingham

    Woodley. Pic: Stewart Turkington.

    Work to start on new route

    Maya Guelbert.

    Youth MP selected for national committee

    Roadworks Pictures: EsbenS from Pixabay

    Bearwood Road closure delayed

    Tabletop rakeover in Wokingham.

    Tickets on sale for tabletop takeover

    One of the country's oldest youth orchestras, RYO, has 50 members and seeks more joiners. PIctures RYO

    Reading Youth Orchestra reaches significant milestone

  • SPORT
    • All
    • Binfield FC
    • Reading FC
    Reading FC chairman Rob Couhig Picture: Luke Adams

    Reading FC co-owner to host Q&A session tomorrow

    Wokingham Town

    Can you help Sumas hit the target?

    Reading Aces

    Reading Aces Volleyball Club celebrates three promotions in exceptional season

    Bobby Trundley Picture: Steve Borowick

    Racing sensation Bobby Trundley further extends championship lead

    Racketball champions

    Father from Reading celebrates as his three children win for England in the Racketball Internationals

    Shinfield Cricket Club

    Shinfield Cricket Club Juniors finish another successful season

    Reading FC

    Reading FC keep long-standing league record after Liverpool lose at Crystal Palace

    Football Picture: Pixabay

    Footballers encouraged to alter ‘offensive’ terms as Berks & Bucks FA produce language guide

    Rams RFC v Sale Pictures: Tim Pitfield

    Reynolds admits slow start cost Rams

  • READING FC
  • COMMUNITY
    A flat has become available at Wokingham's Westende Almshouses. People are invited to apply immediately. Picture: Emma Merchant

    There’s an unusual opportunity for affordable almshouse accommodation in Wokingham

    Maya Guelbert.

    Youth MP selected for national committee

    Tabletop rakeover in Wokingham.

    Tickets on sale for tabletop takeover

    One of the country's oldest youth orchestras, RYO, has 50 members and seeks more joiners. PIctures RYO

    Reading Youth Orchestra reaches significant milestone

    Wokingham Town

    Can you help Sumas hit the target?

    A Shinfield View care home movie night entertained residents, families and local Cub Scouts. Picture, Shinfield View

    Cub Scouts enjoy a wizard evening with care home residents

    The sewer collapse has increased pressure on surrounding roads.

    Sewer repair needs more work

    Wokingham In Need presents a night of opera at Wokingham Town Hall. Picture: courtesy of WIN

    Royal Opera House professionals to sing in Wokingham

    St James Church, Woodley is holding an Eco Afternoon on Saturday, October 18. Picture: St James Church

    Woodley church Eco Open Afternoon should be ‘wild and wonderful’

  • LIFESTYLE
    • All
    • Food
    • Health
    • Obituaries
    • People
    Tabletop rakeover in Wokingham.

    Tickets on sale for tabletop takeover

    A Shinfield View care home movie night entertained residents, families and local Cub Scouts. Picture, Shinfield View

    Cub Scouts enjoy a wizard evening with care home residents

    Reginald Ashley Pick

    Matthewsgreen Community Centre.

    Day service on the move

    Thames Hospice Sunflower Walk 2025. Picture by Emma Sheppard

    Sunflower Walk raises thousands for charity

    New students are being urged to register with a GP and download the NHS App as they prepare to start university. Picture: Nicolas J Leclercq via Unsplash

    NHS urges new students to get ‘NHS ready’ as they move to university

    Revd Mark Nam is delighted to have won a National Diversity Award. Picture: Diocese of Oxford

    Woodley vicar wins national award for diversity

    Sit & Sip Wokingham is bringing back its popular Oktoberfest celebration.

    Oktoberfest returns this weekend

    David Dunham (left) with David Cliff.

    Can you help this year’s poppy appeal?

  • WHAT’S ON
    • All
    • Arts
    • Entertainment
    London's New Players' Theatre Company, with Tom carradine on pianoforte, will entertain at Wokingham's Whitty Theatre on Saturday, October 4. Picture: New Players Theatre Company

    My lords, ladies and gentlemen, for your delight and delectation, an old time music hall show

    A Fairytale for Christmas

    Irish Christmas concert extravaganza A Fairytale for Christmas returns for 2025 tour, including date at The Hexagon, Reading

    CSI will perform for one night only at Wokingham Theatre, on . Picture: Jayda Fogel

    An absurdly funny murder mystery is coming to Wokingham

    Audiences can see Mozart's The Magic Flute, performed by Park Opera, at Wokingham's Whitty Theatre at the end of October. Picture: A Different Perspective via Pixabay

    Enjoy a night of opera in Wokingham

    Hurst Morris People (HuMP) invite new dancers and musicians to join them at two trial sessions this month. Picture: Picasa

    Try Morris dancing with HuMP

    Find out more about EVs at an event in Elms Field on September 20. Picture: Wokingham Borough Council

    Switch on to EV – at Elms Field

    Reading School for Boys has named the Royal Berks Charity as its charity of the year. Picture: Reading School

    Reading students will enjoy musical rivalry as part of their school’s 900th anniversary celebrations

    Wokingham Theatre's new season of plays begin with Dead Guilty, a psychological thriller. Pictures: Emma Merchant

    When is going to the theatre a guilty pleasure? When it’s Dead Guilty in Wokingham

    EMMANUEL SONUBI

    Life After Near Death: Emmanuel Sonubi announces new tour, including Bracknell date

  • JOBS
  • ADVERTISE
  • CONTACT
No Result
View All Result
Wokingham.Today
No Result
View All Result
Home Featured

Ruth Perry inquest concludes Ofsted ‘likely contributed’ to her death

by Jake Clothier
December 7, 2023
in Featured, Reading
The inquest into Ofsted's role in the death of Caversham head teacher Ruth Perry has concluded in Reading. Picture: Jake Clothier

The inquest into Ofsted's role in the death of Caversham head teacher Ruth Perry has concluded in Reading. Picture: Jake Clothier

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

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.

Related posts

Opinions divided over proposal to unite the suburbs into a ‘Greater Reading’

Ruben Selles heaps praise on “exceptional” Sam Smith after scoring winner.

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.”

Keep up to date by signing up for our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people who have requested it.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Tags: Caversham Primary Schooleducationinquestofstedofsted inquiryprofessor julia watersrdgukreadingRuth PerryRuth Perry InquestSchoolsteachersteaching
Previous Post

Demand soars for school holiday lunches in Woodley as charity turns three

Next Post

Three for the price of one at special festive concert

FOLLOW US

POPULAR THIS WEEK

Engineers installing a new junction. Pic: Network Rail.

Plan ahead for three-day railway closure

September 29, 2025
Matthewsgreen Community Centre.

Day service on the move

September 28, 2025
Clive Jones with Ming Campbell in the Wokingham MP?s back garden.

Jones pays respects to former leader

September 30, 2025
Hurst village shop is poised to reopen

Hurst shop reopens

September 28, 2025
Thames Hospice Sunflower Walk 2025. Picture by Emma Sheppard

Sunflower Walk raises thousands for charity

September 27, 2025
Derrick Williams

Reading FC face defensive issues with crucial player set to miss several weeks of action

September 26, 2025

ABOUT US

Wokingham Today is dedicated to providing news online across the whole of the Borough of Wokingham. It is a Social Enterprise, existing to support the various communities in Wokingham Borough.

Wokingham.Today is a Social Enterprise and aims to ensure that everyone within the Borough has free access to independent and up-to-date news. However, providing this service is not without costs. If you are able to, please make a contribution to support our work.

CONTACT US

[email protected]

Keep up to date with our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people that have subscribed

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

  • Support Us
  • Book Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Get the Print Edition
  • Sign up for our daily newsletter

The Wokingham Paper Ltd publications are regulated by IPSO – the Independent Press Standards Organisation.
If you have a complaint about a  The Wokingham Paper Ltd  publication in print or online, you should, in the first instance, contact the publication concerned, email: [email protected], or telephone: 0118 327 2662. If it is not resolved to your satisfaction, you should contact IPSO by telephone: 0300 123 2220, or visit its website: www.ipso.co.uk. Members of the public are welcome to contact IPSO at any time if they are not sure how to proceed, or need advice on how to frame a complaint.

No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • MY AREA
    • Arborfield
    • Barkham
    • Beech Hill
    • Binfield
    • Bracknell
    • Charvil
    • Crowthorne
    • Earley
    • Emmbrook
    • Finchampstead
    • Grazeley
    • Henley
    • Hurst
    • Lower Earley
    • Norreys
    • Reading
    • Remenham
  • COMMUNITY
  • LIFESTYLE
  • SPORT
  • READING FC
  • OBITUARIES
  • WHAT’S ON
  • JOBS
  • PHOTOS
  • ADVERTISE WITH US
  • CONTACT US
  • WHERE TO GET THE PRINT EDITION
  • SUPPORT US

© 2022 - The Wokingham Paper Ltd - All Right Reserved.