Ruth Perry Inquest - Ofsted 'likely contributed' to her death
The inquest at Berkshire coroners court lasted a week
Last updated 7th Dec 2023
A coroner has concluded that an ofsted inspection 'likely contributed' to the suicide of Reading headteacher Ruth Perry.
At the conclusion of a week long inquest Berkshire’s senior coroner Heidi Connor said the Ofsted inspection in November last year lacked fairness, respect and sensibility and was at times rude and intimidating.
Concluding her inquest she said:
"The evidence is clear in this respect, and I find that Ruth's mental health deterioration and death was likely contributed to by the Ofsted inspection."
Ms Perry took her own life in January following an Ofsted report which downgraded her Caversham school from its highest rating to its lowest.
Her sister, Professor Julia Waters, has previously said Ms Perry experienced the "worst day of her life" after inspectors reviewed her school.
Inquest into Ruth Perry's death
An Ofsted inspection "likely contributed" to the death of headteacher Ruth Perry, senior coroner Heidi Connor has told an inquest in Reading.
The Court heard her death was suicide contributed to by an Ofsted Inspection.
Ofsted
Ofsted denied that the manner in which a school inspection was carried out contributed to Ms Perry's death - at a pre-inquest review held in July.
An inspection report, published on Ofsted's website in March, found Ms Perry's school to be "good" in every category apart from leadership and management, where it was judged to be "inadequate".
Inspectors said school leaders did not have the "required knowledge to keep pupils safe from harm", did not take "prompt and proper actions" and had not ensured safeguarding was "effective".
Senior coroner Heidi Connor said she has already made it clear that Ofsted's rating did not fall "within the scope" of the inquest.
Evidence given at Ruth Perry's inquest
The inquest heard from family and colleagues of Ruth and members of OFSTED including Ofsted inspector Alan Derry who led the inspection at the school.
Hugh Southey KC, on behalf of the family, quoted from a witness statement from deputy headteacher Clare Jones-King, who attended a meeting between Mr Derry and Ms Perry on the afternoon of November 15.
"She referred to you as having sniggered loudly and having a mocking and unpleasant tone," he said.
Mr Derry denied that he behaved in that way.
The court also heard evidence from Claire Wilkins, one of the other Ofsted inspectors who attended Caversham Primary School.
She said that she became so concerned about Ms Perry's welfare after the final team meeting on November 16 that she asked school leaders if there was someone at home who could look after the headteacher.
Jonathan Perry - Ruth's husband
A statement from Jonathan Perry, Mrs Perry's husband, was read to the inquest.
He said that his wife seemed "understandably anxious" the day before the inspection, but that she was looking forward to promoting the school.
However, on the first day of the inspection, he received a phone call from his wife asking him to run an errand for her.
"She said that the inspection was going very badly and that she was traumatised," he said.
When he arrived at the school he said she seemed "very upset".
He said that his wife told him that she had had a difficult first meeting with the lead Ofsted inspector, Alan Derry.
Previously the inquest heard that the school's failure to keep safeguarding records was raised at the meeting and that Mrs Perry had started to repeatedly say to Mr Derry "it is not looking good is it?"
Mr Perry told the inquest: "She said she had had a horrendous first meeting with the lead inspector.
"She did not like him. She said it felt like he had come in with an agenda.
He said that she was concerned that failing on child safeguarding would be the end of her career.
"If we fail on safeguarding that is it," Mr Perry said his wife told him.
He said he also spoke to his wife later that day, and that she told him that she felt like Mr Derry was a bully.
Mr Derry denied this.
Co-headteachers give evidence at inquest
Clare Jones-King and Joanne Grover, acting co-headteachers at Caversham, gave evidence to the inquest at Berkshire Coroner's Office in Reading on Thursday.
Both Ms Jones-King and Ms Grover were present in the school during the inspection, the inquest heard.
Senior coroner Heidi Connor asked them if they believed that there was a "direct link" between the Ofsted inspection and Ms Perry's mental health "deterioration" and "death".
Both teachers answered: "Yes."
Ms Jones-King also described a meeting she attended between Ms Perry and Mr Derry on the first day of the inspection.
She said that she was interrupted while speaking by Mr Derry during the meeting.
"At one point there was a hand lifted up to stop me speaking," she said.
She described the meeting as "unpleasant", referring to Mr Derry's "hand gestures" and "tone of voice".
Ruth Perry's GP
Ms Perry's GP, Dr Tom Back, gave evidence.
He said Ms Perry spoke both to him and another GP in the weeks following the Ofsted inspection.
Mr Back said he had known Ms Perry for years, and that she had no history of mental illness, except for one visit to the GP around 30 years ago over stress.
Senior coroner Heidi Connor asked Mr Back if there was a link between the Ofsted inspection and Ms Perry's mental health deterioration and death.
He said: "Yes, I think there is a link."
The inquest also heard from Christopher Russell, Ofsted’s national director for education, he agreed that there was no specific written guidance as to what an inspector should do if a headteacher becomes distressed.
Cause of death
The coroner told the inquest about evidence relating to the cause of Ms Perry’s death.
She said Ms Perry was found by police having hanged herself at an address in Reading on January 8 this year.
A statement from one of the officers said police found a diary belonging to Ms Perry, with entries ranging from November 14 2022 to January 6.
The coroner added that a post-mortem examination concluded that Ms Perry’s cause of death was hanging.
Help
For mental health support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit samaritans.org |newtab)to find your nearest branch.