Learning review after headteacher's death a 'missed opportunity', says sister

• Ruth Perry's sister, Julia Waters, has been speaking to our reporter Mel Bloor

The sister of a Reading headteacher, who took her own life following a negative Ofsted inspection, has described a review into the council's role as her employer as "a missed opportunity."

Julia Waters says the report, which was published on Friday (12 July), fails to ask key questions about what Reading Borough Council could have done to support her better.

Mrs Waters says, as a result, it hasn't identified the actions that could have been taken which might have prevented her sister's death.

Ruth Perry took her own life in January 2023 after an Ofsted report downgraded Caversham Primary School from its highest rating, “outstanding”, to its lowest rating, “inadequate”, over safeguarding concerns.

Speaking to ITV Meridian, Julia Waters said "The review hasn't looked consistently and rigorously enough at the questions it was meant to be looking at.

"Namely, what actions did Reading Borough Council take, and what actions could or should it have taken to support Ruth better and that might have prevented her death."

• Julia Waters, sister of Ruth Perry

The Coroner at the inquest into Mrs Perry's death recorded a narrative conclusion of suicide, contributed to by an Ofsted inspection.

Professor Julia Waters, previously said Mrs Perry had experienced the “worst day of her life” after inspectors reviewed the school on November 15 and 16 2022.

Senior Coroner Heidi Connor added that the inspection was at times rude and intimidating.

Giving her full reaction to today's report, Julia Waters said: "This is a disappointing report, in that it fails consistently to address the concerns raised in the Coroner’s Report to Prevent Future Deaths issued following the inquest into the suicide of my sister, Ruth Perry.

"The report fails to ask key questions about what Reading Borough Council could have done as her employer to support Ruth better. As a result, it fails to identify the actions that could have been taken by the council which might have helped to prevent her death.

"The report’s overriding conclusion is frightening. It effectively highlights how LocalAuthorities lack the resources, power, authority and processes to look after their employees effectively, when faced with the trauma of a punishing Ofsted inspection.

"The assertion that Reading Borough Council’s lack of appropriate policies, processes orexpertise, far from being an anomaly, is the norm amongst local authorities, has profoundlyworrying implications for the wellbeing of headteachers and staff of maintained schoolsacross England.

"This report provides further alarming evidence, if any more evidence were needed, of a system of school inspection that is so contorted by educational underfunding and perverse incentives that state schools can no longer keep staff safe, with children and parents suffering the consequences."

Reading Borough Council was ordered to carry out what's known as an Independent Learning Review by Senior Berkshire Coroner, Heidi Connor, following the inquest into Ruth Perry's death to help identify further areas for improvement.

The review was carried out by two senior education and children’s social care professionals.

Authors Brian Pope and Steve Crocker said they worked closely with Ruth Perry's family and took recommendations on witnesses to speak to.

• Report author Brian Pope

The consultation response includes the following recommendations to Ofsted:

• One-word judgements should be abolished and replaced with a dashboard approach, with an appropriate focus on inclusion

• Limiting judgements are a blunt instrument and should be abolished

• The forced academisation process as a result of an unfavourable Ofsted outcome should be abolished

• Consideration should be given to having clearer and more transparent processes for raising concerns about an Ofsted judgement and / or the conduct of an inspection team. This could include reviews by experienced headteachers

Reading Borough Council said it has already taken steps to better understand and respond to the pressures on headteachers and the impact on their wellbeing.

Jackie Yates, Reading Borough Council Chief Executive, said: “We are enormously grateful to everybody involved for their input into the Independent Learning Review, including Ruth’s family, and the headteachers and Governors from across our school community, including Caversham Primary.

“While acknowledging the proactive approach taken by Reading in supporting schools before, during and after Ofsted inspections, including at Caversham Primary, the report also highlights a number of areas for further improvement which we fully acknowledge and which we intend to measure progress against through an associated action plan.

“This will build upon the list of steps already taken to support local schools.

“The Independent Learning Review recognises that Reading finds itself in a unique position, through the most tragic circumstances, to make powerful representations to Ofsted, which we have done as part of the Big Listen consultation.

“It is our strong belief that the discussion should ultimately lead to positive changes which support our headteachers and which debunk the myth that the current approach provides improvements in the quality of education for our children.”

Mrs Perry's death also led to concerns over the way Ofsted uses single-phrase ratings.

But despite calls for them to be scrapped, the Government at the time insisted it remains committed to single-phrase Ofsted judgments

The Department for Education (DfE) has said it would “continue to listen to views and look at alternative systems”, but it believes there are “significant benefits” to headline grades awarded in England by the schools watchdog.

Just a few months ago a survey revealed more than four out of five teachers in England believe a new system of inspection should be introduced because Ofsted has “many problems”.

The majority of teachers asked (90%) said they do not believe single-word judgments are a fair reflection of the performance of a school.

A poll, of more than 4,500 National Education Union (NEU) teacher members in state schools in England, suggests 62% feel the inspection system causes them mental ill-health and 59% say it affects their home life.

Responding to today's report an Ofsted spokesperson said: “Ruth Perry’s death was a tragedy and we are determined to do everything in our power to prevent such tragedies in the future.

"That’s why we accepted the HM Coroner’s report in full and responded to each of its recommendations.

“As part of this, we carried out a Big Listen consultation to help us build an Ofsted that is trusted by the professionals we inspect and regulate, as well as the children, learners, parents and carers we are here to serve.

"And we commissioned an independent learning review of our response to Ruth’s death, led by Dame Christine Gilbert.

"We will report back on the findings of both the Big Listen and the learning review in the autumn.”

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