Death of Ruth Perry
Ruth Perry was a British head teacher who died by suicide on 8 January 2023 while awaiting the publication of an Ofsted report which downgraded her school's rating from "outstanding" to "inadequate".
Background
Ruth Perry
Ruth Carla Perry was raised in Caversham, a suburb of Reading, in Berkshire, England. She was the head teacher of Caversham Primary School in Reading for 13 years.Ofsted
Ofsted is a non-ministerial department that inspects all state-funded schools in England.Inspection and death
Caversham Primary School underwent an Ofsted inspection on 15 and 16 November 2022. This was the first Ofsted inspection that CPS had had for 13 years as there was previously a policy that meant schools rated outstanding were not inspected in line with usual timescales. This policy changed in 2021, and CPS was therefore due for an inspection.A private memorial service was held at Reading Town Hall.
Coroner's inquest
The inquest by Heidi Connor, Senior Coroner for Berkshire, concluded on 12 December 2023. The coroner concluded that Perry's death was a result of "Suicide, contributed to by an Ofsted inspection carried out in November 2022".School teaching and leadership unions had also reacted to Ms Perry’s death by calling for a pause to Ofsted inspections and reiterating long-standing calls for reform of the inspection system.