It’s as though a dam has burst, with Ms. Perry’s family blaming her death on the pressure of the inspection and head teachers and teachers coming forward to talk about their own experiences of the Ofsted process.
For some, the prospect of another inspection leads them to leave teaching altogether. Others describe the mental and physical toll of knowing your career is on the line.
There has always been background grumbling in schools about inspection, which has been a feature of our school system for more than 100 years.
In recent years though, there has been a more negative edge to conversations I have had in schools. Even a passing mention of Ofsted has led to spontaneous booing at a couple of professional gatherings of head teachers and teachers.
Ruth Perry Cause of Death
Ms. Perry took her own life in January, weeks after an Ofsted inspection. The Ofsted report, published after her death, downgraded her school’s rating from Outstanding to Inadequate – going from the top to the bottom of the scale.