Ruth Perry: Ofsted chief promises sister minute's silence

Ruth Perry was the head teacher at Caversham Primary School, in Reading

Ofsted inspectors will hold a minute's silence for head teacher Ruth Perry during training around mental health.

Mrs Perry, whose suicide was linked to an inspection by the education watchdog, died on 8 January 2023.

Her sister, Prof Julia Waters met Ofsted head Sir Martyn Oliver earlier to discuss reforms in the organisation.

During the meeting, Sir Martyn said inspectors would be asked to pause for reflection during training scheduled on the anniversary of Mrs Perry's death.

Prof Julia Waters said Sir Martyn seemed "genuinely quite emotional" when talking about her sister

The meeting was the first anyone from Mrs Perry's family has had with an Ofsted official since the Caversham Primary head teacher's death.

Sir Martyn, who took on the role as His Majesty's Chief Inspector on 1 January, previously said Ofsted "must listen to criticism".

Sir Martyn Oliver took over as chief Ofsted inspector on 1 January

In December, Berkshire coroner Heidi Connor wrote to the inspectorate saying, without changes, there was a risk of future deaths among those subject to its inspections.

Prof Waters had complained that the previous head of the organisation, Dame Amanda Spielman, "never even sent a letter of condolence", following her sister's death.

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• Ofsted must act following head's suicide - coroner

• Ofsted response to inquest 'woefully inadequate'

During Mrs Perry's inquest, the coroner heard how she had been reduced to tears in meetings with the lead inspector during Ofsted's visit to the school in November 2022.

The court heard she took her own life while awaiting the publication of a report downgrading her school from "outstanding" to the lowest rating of "inadequate".

Sir Martyn has paused inspections until later in January while staff receive training on how to spot signs of stress among teachers during school visits.

Speaking after their two-hour meeting, Prof Waters said: "He started talking about the training that's starting next week, but he did say 'I recognise that training starts on the anniversary of Ruth's death'.

"He looked genuinely quite emotional when saying that and he says he's going to be addressing all the inspectors and he will be asking for a moment's silence and reflection on that - and making that link between this is why we're having the training."

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