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On November 14th of last year, Ruth Perry received a call from Ofsted. At the time, she was a content wife and mother of two, eagerly getting ready to move into her family’s permanent residence.
As a highly esteemed teacher, she was at the height of her profession, leading an exceptional school that held a special place in her heart since her childhood attendance.
Although she was understandably concerned about the impending visit from inspectors at Caversham Primary School in Reading the next day, she was not overly worried.
“According to her husband Jonathan Perry, she appeared pleased to finally be able to showcase the numerous strengths of her school to the inspectors.”
However, just one day later, the committed and diligent principal was visibly shaken and tearful. She was afraid of losing her job after a meeting with lead inspector Alan Derry, who pointed out some issues with the school’s documentation for safeguarding.
Concerned coworkers expressed that they had never witnessed Ms Perry in such a state of distress. They noted that she appeared flushed and was unable to communicate coherently after the inspection meeting ended abruptly on the first morning.
Afterwards, she informed her spouse that the terrible experience had caused her significant distress and she believed Mr. Derry was a bully for accusing her of being in denial while she tried to protect her school.
According to Mr. Perry, Ruth expressed feeling powerless and he had never seen her so defeated and negative before. She was devastated and embarrassed.
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According to the information presented during the inquiry, Ms Perry reached out to her primary care physician and nearby mental health resources after the Ofsted evaluation.
She was concerned that requesting to stop the two-day intensive inspection would have a negative impact on the school’s reputation. Despite this, she attended at least eight additional meetings with Mr. Derry and his inspection team over the course of the next 48 hours in an effort to highlight the school’s numerous strengths.
The evaluators reached a consensus that Caversham was satisfactory in all aspects except for leadership and management. This was due to issues discovered in the school’s Single Central Record, a required document detailing background checks performed on employees, such as teachers, support staff, and volunteers.
The inspector stated that the issues with record keeping could be resolved within a month. However, due to Ofsted’s policy of giving a brief overall evaluation, this mistake resulted in the school and Ms. Perry’s years of work being reduced to one word: inadequate.
Ms Perry, aged 53, was aware that the decision might lead to her school being converted into an academy without her input, which could potentially end her tenure as headteacher. As a result, she became emotional.
During their last meeting, the inspector reported that the individual had a powerful physical response and appeared distressed as she cried and informed him that she could not bear to appear again.
The next weekend, she told her coworkers that she was experiencing “extremely negative thoughts.” Less than two months after, Ms. Perry ended her own life and passed away in the hospital on January 8th.
After her passing, Professor Julia Waters, the sister of the headteacher, referred to her experience with Ofsted as the most terrible day of her life. She also advocated for the overhaul of the school’s watchdog and the elimination of one-word summary evaluations.
Ruth Perry and her sibling, Professor Julia Waters.
In response to the widespread criticism, Amanda Spielman, the head of Ofsted, announced updated procedures for addressing complaints and implementing new policies that would allow for a re-evaluation of a school’s safeguarding within three months. However, these changes did not include removing one-word evaluations.
An investigation on Thursday found that the Ofsted evaluation played a role in her death, which was classified as suicide.
The senior coroner, Heidi Connor, will raise concerns about the grading system’s effect on the well-being of headteachers in a letter to Ofsted and the Department for Education known as a Prevention of Future Deaths notice. This comes as a parliamentary investigation into the school’s regulatory body continues following her passing.
The inquest was informed by Ms. Perry’s deputy headteachers, who are currently working as co-heads at Caversham Primary, and her GP of 30 years that the unfavorable Ofsted evaluation was a contributing factor in her passing.
During her last weeks, her spouse reported that she continuously expressed feelings of disappointment and remorse for purchasing their new house. This was due to concerns about potentially losing her main source of income as the primary provider for the family.
She was concerned that the inadequate rating from Ofsted could greatly impact property prices, as buyers often prioritize living in the catchment area of highly rated schools. This demonstrates the significant influence that Ofsted’s evaluations hold.
According to Mr Perry, she was concerned that the housing market in her community would decline and that this would cause anger among the residents.
Despite feeling devastated, she did not think it was appropriate to discuss the inspection with anyone because of Ofsted’s policy of keeping their draft evaluations private.
In June of this year, Caversham Primary School received an improved rating of ‘good’ after a reinspection. Over a year has passed since the tragic 48-hour period that completely changed Ms Perry’s life, but her loved ones and advocates are committed to ensuring that her legacy will be one of preventing other school administrators from experiencing a similar ordeal.
The investigation into Ruth Perry’s passing revealed that there was only one mention of stress management in the guidance provided to Ofsted inspectors prior to November 2022. (Photo credit: Jonathan Brady/PA)
Edmund Barnett-Ward, a parent of four children who had a successful experience at Caversham during Ms Perry’s time as leader, is working with Professor Waters to advocate for changes within Ofsted. He was present for every day of her inquest and was accompanied by fellow headteachers from Reading in showing support for their outstanding former colleague.
In an interview with The Independent, he stated that he hopes no one will have to endure the same suffering as Ruth did. He expresses gratitude for Ruth Perry’s role in his life, particularly in caring for his children.
I express gratitude every day and I am willing to do everything in my power to ensure her memory is honored and no one experiences what she did.
He stated, “I have known Ruth for 14 years. It is not normal or acceptable for her to be reduced to tears in a meeting. This was not about the findings, but rather the behavior directed towards her.”
He strongly argued that using single words to make judgements is not effective, stating that he has received numerous messages from teachers sharing their traumatic encounters with the school’s regulatory body.
He stated that Ofsted must acknowledge the impact of their actions on the mental well-being of school leaders.
Source: independent.co.uk
