Ruth Perry: Ex-Ofsted boss to lead review into head teacher's death

Ruth Perry took her own life while waiting for an Ofsted report to be published

Ofsted's response to the death of head teacher Ruth Perry will be reviewed by the body's former chief inspector.

Ms Perry took her own life while waiting for publication of a report downgrading Caversham Primary School, in Reading, from outstanding to inadequate.

A coroner previously said the inspection contributed to her death.

Ofsted said it hoped the review, set to be led by Dame Christine Gilbert, would help it learn from the incident.

But announcing her appointment, the watchdog said the review would not examine the inspection of Caversham Primary School or the judgments made.

The 53-year-old had worked at Caversham Primary School in Reading for 13 years

Ms Perry died in January 2023 while waiting for a report by the education watchdog that would give her primary school the lowest rating.

The 53-year-old's family said she had described the inspection in the previous November as the worst day of her life.

Ofsted said the inspectors were "professional and humane" in their role but later apologised and promised a review.

After December's inquest, coroner Heidi Connor warned of a risk of further deaths "unless action [was] taken".

• I.N.A.D.E.Q.U.A.T.E - Ruth Perry’s despair in handwritten notes

• What is Ofsted and how do inspections work?

• Ruth Perry felt humiliated by Ofsted inspection

Dame Christine, who was a teacher for 18 years, served as chief inspector at Ofsted from 2006 until 2011.

She said she would take a "detailed and thorough" look at events from the end of the school inspection to the conclusion of the inquest.

Analysis

By Branwen Jeffreys, BBC education editor

This review should give an insight into how decisions were made inside Ofsted after Ruth Perry's suicide.

The response once her death became public was widely seen as "tone deaf" by the teaching profession.

Instead of recognising the scale of concern about headteachers' mental health, the then Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman doubled down on defending the inspection.

Just days before the inquest she suggested Mrs Perry's death had been used to discredit Ofsted.

Last week she again defended the inspection of Caversham Primary School, just before a process that will scrutinise how the fallout from it was handled.

Dame Christine described Ms Perry's death as "deeply sad and shocking".

"Ofsted has accepted that it is vitally important for it to learn from this tragedy and has asked me to help them do that," she said.

But while Ms Perry's sister, Prof Julia Waters, welcomed news of the review, she also raised concerns over Dame Christine's credentials.

Prof Julia Waters, Ms Perry's sister, said she needed to be convinced the review would be truly independent

She said: "Given that Dame Christine Gilbert is a former head of Ofsted, we and others will need to be convinced that she has the necessary independence of perspective that is required for the task.

"It could feel a bit like Ofsted has set its own homework and has got an old friend to mark it. I hope that isn't the case."

Current chief inspector of Ofsted, Sir Martyn Oliver, said he had no doubt she would help the organisation "reflect on" and "learn from" its response to Ms Perry's death.

"I look forward to receiving her recommendations for improving our policies and practice," he added.

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