Ruth Perry, the headteacher of Caversham Primary School in Reading, took her own life after being told the school would receive the lowest possible Ofsted rating, her family has revealed. The 53-year-old, who had led the school for 13 years, died in January following an inspection in November that downgraded the school from outstanding to inadequate.
Her sister, Julia Waters, described Perry as 'an absolute shadow of her former self' while awaiting the report's publication. Waters said inspectors cited a child doing a dance move from the video game Fortnite as evidence of sexualisation, and a playground fight as child-on-child abuse. Perry was informed of the downgrade on the first day of the inspection, which was her first as headteacher.
Matt Rodda, Labour MP for Reading East, called for Ofsted to review its role after Perry's death. 'Ofsted must now ask themselves some tough questions about their role and how we prevent further tragedies in the future,' he said. Rodda added that he had raised concerns with Schools Minister Nick Gibb about the inspection process and the pressure on headteachers.
The Ofsted report, published this week, rated the school good in all categories except leadership and management, which was deemed inadequate, pulling the overall rating down. Waters said the 'one-word judgment' destroyed her sister's 32-year vocation. 'It just preyed on her mind until she couldn't take it any more,' she said.
In a statement, Caversham Primary School said it had acted immediately after the inspection to address the issues raised, and continued Perry's work to ensure the school remains safe and happy for children. Ofsted's regional director, Matthew Purves, expressed deep sadness over Perry's death, offering condolences to her family and the school community.
