Parents held a vigil outside Ofsted’s offices today following the suicide of a head teacher who was left devastated by the watchdog’s downgrading of her school.
Mother-of-two Ruth Perry, 53, killed herself in January after Caversham Primary School in Reading was downgraded from outstanding to inadequate – an experience she called the worst day of her life.
Mrs Perry was the principal of the Berkshire school for 12 years, and it had been ranked ‘outstanding’ since 2009, before three Ofsted inspectors arrived last November 15.
It was Caversham’s first inspection in 13 years as previously those which had been ranked so highly were exempt. Her sister Julia Walters has since called on parents of schoolchildren to ‘destroy’ the power of Ofsted by ‘refusing its legitimacy’.
Protesters also descended on Westminster on Thursday to hand a petition calling for Ofsted to be axed – signed by 45,000 people – to the Department of Education.
Members of the National Education Union (NEU) were pictured carrying photos of Ms Perry while holding up signs reading: ‘Time’s up for Ofsted’, and ‘Ofsted not fit for purpose.’
Protesters descended on Westminster on Thursday to hand a petition calling for Ofsted to be axed – signed by 45,000 people – to the Department of Education
The sister of head teacher Ruth Perry, 53, (pictured) who ‘took her own life over downgraded school report’ has said parents must ‘destroy horrible, inaccurate Ofsted’. Following an inspection in November, the mother-of-two killed herself in January, after the watchdog downgraded Caversham Primary School, in Reading, from outstanding to inadequate
The petition brands Ofsted an ‘unfair and unreliable inspectorate’ before quoting a 2017 report from the National Audit Office, which reads: ‘Ofsted does not know whether its school inspections are having the intended impact: to raise the standards of education and improve the quality of children’s and young people’s lives.’
It claims the watchdog’s rulings ‘discriminate against schools in deprived areas’ – by ‘awarding ”outstanding” grades to four times more secondary schools with better-off pupils than schools with students who are worse off.’
The document also accuses Ofsted of deterring teachers from working in disadvantaged areas as they fear lower rankings could negatively impact their career.
It then lists three demands, including replacing the body with a ‘school accountability system which is supportive, effective and fair.’
It also calls on the government to ‘work with teachers and leaders’ to establish a ‘commission to learn how school accountability is done in other high performing education nations.’
But the Department for Education maintains inspections are ‘hugely important’ and ‘a legal requirement’.
It says they hold schools to account for their educational standards and ‘parents greatly rely on the ratings to give them confidence in choosing the right school for their child’.
The petition to replace Ofsted was started before the death of Ms Perry, reports the BBC.
National Education Union (NEU) Deputy General Secretary Niamh Sweeney with members of the union hand in a petition which has been signed by 45,000 people to the Department for Education in Westminster, central London
People attend a vigil for Ruth Perry outside the offices of Ofsted in Victoria, central London on Thursday
Members of the National Education Union (NEU) led by Deputy General Secretary Niamh Sweeney, at Parliament Green, Westminster, before walking to the Department for Education to hand in a petition calling to reform Ofsted
People attend a vigil for Ruth Perry outside the offices of Ofsted in Victoria, central London, after she took her own life while waiting for a negative Ofsted inspection report
James Denny, a parent from Reading who organised the vigil outside Ofsted, said the fear of an inspection in the 1990s was memorable but that ‘things have got so much worse since then.’
The tragedy of Ms Perry has led other schools to whitewash the inspectors’ logos and references from their websites and letters as a mark of solidarity.
In Ofsted’s final report of Caversham school, the reference to Ms Perry’s death has been removed after the first copy read: ‘There has been a change of leadership at the school following the death of the head teacher.’
The Telegraph reports that the change was made because of the ‘sensitivities’ around her death.
Teachers at a neighbouring school staged a silent protest reading ‘RIP Ruth’ outside school gates as Ofsted inspectors entered earlier this week.
Police stood outside John Rankin School in Newbury, Berkshire on Tuesday as inspectors from the watchdog arrived to carry out a review of the school which had threatened to deny them access.
Head teacher Flora Cooper had pledged to deny officials entry to John Rankin Schools in Newbury, Berkshire, in protest over the death Mrs Perry.
The solidarity with Mrs Perry has since become more widespread as some schools have begun removing logos and references to Ofsted ratings from their websites.
Headteachers are planning to stage peaceful protests – including wearing black clothing and armbands and displaying photographs of Ms Perry around the school – when Ofsted inspections take place.
Pressure is mounting on the watchdog as school leaders and unions are calling for urgent reform of the inspection system following the death of Ms Perry.
Ms Walters wrote in a social media post on Tuesday evening: ‘I really think we need to rally parents’ voices in the campaign to reform Ofsted. ‘Parents, say no to the horrible, inaccurate and dangerous labelling of schools and heads. Destroy Ofsted’s power by refusing its legitimacy. #parentsagainstofsted ?’ (pictured, sisters Ruth Perry and Julia Walters)
In Ofsted’s final report of Caversham school, the reference to Ms Perry’s death has been removed after the first copy read: ‘There has been a change of leadership at the school following the death of the head teacher’
This was Caversham’s first inspection in 13 years as previously those which had been ranked so highly were exempt (pictured, notes from the inspection)
Mrs Perry was the principal of Caversham Primary School (pictured) for 12 years, always working long hours, and it had been ranked ‘outstanding’ since 2009 until November 15, when three Ofsted inspectors arrived. She called the experience she called the worst day of her life
In a letter to Ofsted on Wednesday, school and college leaders across Reading said they wanted the ‘terrible tragedy to mark a turning point’ in the way school inspections are carried out by the watchdog.
The Reading Primary Heads Association and the Reading Secondary and College Leaders are calling for an urgent review of school inspections and for the four headline grades that Ofsted awards schools to be removed.
Lisa Telling, executive headteacher of Katesgrove Primary School and Southcote Primary School in Reading, is removing references to Ofsted from her schools’ websites, as well as advertising, in solidarity with Ms Perry.
She said: ‘Any reference to the rating, or any quotes from our Ofsted reports, we’ve been removing from our letterheads, or our letters, or publications that we send out.’
Ms Telling said many schools leaders across Reading were planning to remove positive quotes from Ofsted reports from their websites.
Emmer Green Primary School in Reading, which has an ‘outstanding’ rating from Ofsted, has removed the watchdog’s logo from its website, letterhead and communications in solidarity with the late headteacher.
Ms Telling said her teachers will be invited to wear black clothing or black armbands, and photographs will be displayed of Ms Perry across the school, during future Ofsted inspections.
She said: ‘It’s really important to us to remember her and for her death not to be in vain.
‘We have no qualms about being accountable as school leaders but it cannot be in this punitive way that it’s done on a one-word judgment which can destroy lives and destroy careers.’
Teachers at a neighbouring school staged a silent protest reading ‘RIP Ruth’ outside school gates as Ofsted inspectors entered earlier this week. Pictured, head teacher Flora Cooper had pledged to deny officials entry to John Rankin Schools in Newbury, Berkshire, in protest over the death Mrs Perry
Police stood outside John Rankin School in Newbury, Berkshire on Tuesday as inspectors from the watchdog arrived to carry out a review of the school which had threatened to deny them access (teachers pictured in silent protest)
The solidarity with Mrs Perry has since become more widespread as some schools have begun removing logos and references to Ofsted ratings from their websites
It found the school to be ‘good’ in every category apart from leadership and management, where it was judged as ‘inadequate’.
Professor Julia Walters, Ms Perry’s sister, said the watchdog’s report was ‘deeply harmful’ in its ‘implied focus on one individual’.
The Suffolk Primary Headteachers’ Association (SPHA), which held a meeting with school leaders across the county on Tuesday, has said it will support schools ‘considering peaceful and lawful protest’ when an inspection occurs.
Actions considered by headteachers in Suffolk include wearing black armbands during inspections, displaying news articles about Ms Perry or photographs of the late teacher around the school, holding a minute’s silence at the start of inspections, and saying a prayer with the inspectors present.
It comes after teachers at John Rankin School in Newbury, Berkshire – where the headteacher had planned to refuse inspectors entry but then reversed her decision – wore black armbands during an inspection earlier this week. .
On Wednesday, Reading Borough Council called on the watchdog to pause inspections while a review is carried out into the system.
Three unions representing teachers and headteachers – including the National Education Union (NEU) – have urged Ofsted to pause inspections this week.
Niamh Sweeney, deputy general secretary of the NEU, said this week: ‘The public debate this week has highlighted how little support there is for the concept of four blunt grades because it is clearly absurd that the whole of school life is condensed into a single-word judgment.
‘There is also a growing concern among leaders that schools are being downgraded for spurious reasons which are not objective or reasonable grounds.
‘It’s inescapable that, if we carry on as we are, we jeopardise the health of school leaders and won’t keep enough leaders. There are other, better approaches to inspection and it is time for change.’
Matthew Purves, Ofsted’s regional director for the South East, said: ‘We were deeply saddened by Ruth Perry’s tragic death.
‘Our thoughts remain with Mrs Perry’s family, friends and everyone in the Caversham Primary School community.’
For anyone who needs help, Samaritans can be contacted for free on 116 123, emailed at josamaritans.org, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.