Ruth Perry Inquest:

On 12 December 2023, the senior coroner for Berkshire issued a Report to Prevent Future Deaths (PFD) to Ofsted, Reading Borough Council and the Department for Education (DfE) following the conclusion of the inquest into the death of Ruth Perry. The inquest concluded on 7 December 2023.

Background

Ruth Perry was a headteacher at Caversham Primary School, Reading. She sadly died on 8 January 2023, shortly after an Ofsted inspection in November 2022 downgraded her school from outstanding to inadequate. The coroner concluded an inquest into her death with a narrative conclusion of; Suicide, contributed to by an Ofsted inspection carried out in November 2022. 

Ahead of the inquest, Ofsted submitted that action had already been taken to address the coroner’s concerns. However, following the conclusion of the inquest, the coroner raised concerns that current practices in undertaking Ofsted inspections continued to pose a risk that future deaths could occur unless action was taken and issued a PFD.

The PFD directed to Ofsted  

Seven matters of concern were directed to Ofsted. 

1. Schools ‘inadequate’ in all areas receive the same label as a school which is ‘good’ in all areas with some safeguarding issues. 
2. An almost complete absence of Ofsted training or policy on identifying and dealing with stress in school leaders and if necessary pausing inspections. 
3. An absence of a clear path to raise concerns during an inspection if these cannot be resolved directly with the lead inspector.
4. Concerns in respect of the confidentiality requirements and the lack of a written policy in relation to this. 
5. Timescales between the inspection and publication of reports. 
6. Lack of learning review being completed or a policy requiring this. 
7. Ofsted witness unable to say specifically what support was being provided to school leaders by the Government. 

Ofsted’s response

The chief inspector for Ofsted, Sir Martyn Oliver, issued an apology for Ofsted’s role in the death of Mrs Perry and he accepted all the concerns raised by the coroner stating that:

“I will do everything in my power to help ensure that inspections are carried out with professionalism, courtesy, empathy and respect and with consideration for staff welfare. Such tragedies should never happen again, and no one should feel as Ruth did. We accept the coroner’s findings. We intend to re-evaluate our internal policies and procedures in light of these findings, so that we can identify where changes need to be made.” 

The response by Ofsted highlighted 4 key themes: 

1. Training – to be completed by the inspection workforce by the end of March 2024 to ensure that any inspection is proportionate and carried out with care
2. New policies & practices – to include safeguarding, confidentiality, complaints and communication
3. Learning – clearly defining when a learning review will be carried out and procedures to be followed
4. The Big Listen, a comprehensive listening exercise. This will seek views of independent experts along with parents, children, learners and professionals to consider further steps to be taken

Conclusion

The tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Ms Perry in this inquest shed light on the critical importance for regulators and inspectors to have in place robust policies and procedures for supporting staff working within inspected institutions. The absence of clear guidelines from Ofsted concerning staff well-being served as a poignant reminder of the potential consequences when adequate support structures are lacking. While regulatory inspections, such as those conducted by Ofsted, are undeniably necessary for maintaining standards, this case underscores the need for a holistic approach that includes comprehensive support mechanisms. It emphasises the far-reaching impact such inspections can have on the individuals working within the education sector and the coroner’s Regulation 28 report serves as a solemn call to action.