Ruth Perry, headteacher of Caversham Primary School in Reading, took her own life weeks after an Ofsted inspection downgraded her school to inadequate – the lowest rating at the time
Ofsted is to immediately change its single-word ratings for schools, partly prompted by the tragic death of primary school headteacher Ruth Perry.
Teachers and parents have welcomed a Government announcement to overhaul the watchdog’s system on the eve of children returning to school this week. Educators had called for it to be replaced for several years as they claimed it created a toxic environment for staff.
Tension had been growing between Ofsted and schools following the tragic death of primary school headteacher Ruth Perry in January 2023. The 53-year-old was told the day before the inception to expect Ofsted at Caversham Primary School in Reading, Berkshire.
Before inspectors arrived friends described the popular headteacher as a rock, talented and compassionate. However, just two hours into the inspection she turned into a shaking wreck who was barely able to speak – teachers said she had never looked so upset.
Staff said the headteacher was left tearful and incoherent after the inspectors visited on November 15 and 16, 2022. At the end of the inspection her worst fears were realised. The school was to be downgraded from outstanding to inadequate, the lowest possible rating at the time. The news meant it would convert into an academy and Ruth would lose her job.
Because the result had not been published, she was forbidden to speak about it – other than to senior staff and governors. She found herself unable to talk to psychiatrists as her mental health plummeted, fearing further punishment from Ofsted.
In January 2022, she took her own life and a coroner later demanded Ofsted take action to prevent future deaths after she ruled the suicide of Ms Perry after the devastating inspection by the watchdog, “clearly” contributed to her death.
Later, notes found by Ruth’s family said she was “devastated” and “heartbroken”. She also wrote: “I do not believe any child has been harmed because I have been negligent in my duties.” More showed how she was preparing to break the news to parents the school had been rated “inadequate”.
She wrote: “I write this to you as parents on the evening of 18th November 2022 to say how utterly broken I am by the Ofsted inspection. I have given my life to CPS [Caversham Primary School]. I have only ever wanted children to leave happy and confident on the next stage of their journey, and I have been devastated by the impact of how I have done a disservice to the community.”
Her husband, Jonathan Perry, previously told the inquest his wife felt “completely devastated” in the weeks following the inspection, and that she worried about the impact of the school’s downgrading on the local community. He also reportedly said: “I’d never seen Ruth so deflated,” and “she said she felt powerless.”
The new rating system paves the way for School Report Cards, which will be introduced from September 2025 and will provide parents with a full and comprehensive assessment of how schools are performing.
Professor Julia Waters, Ruth’s sister, welcomed the announcement, branding single-headline ratings “dangerous and reductive”. She said: “Ofsted’s reign of terror has caused untold harm to headteachers and school staff for too long, with a negative impact on children’s education. We are delighted and relieved the government has decided to take this important and long-overdue step.”
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