Ofsted inspection contributed to headteacher’s suicide, coroner rules

Inquest examined watchdog's role in Ruth Perry's decline after Reading primary school's rating was downgraded

The family of Ruth Perry have spoken out against the brutal inhumanity" of Ofsted inspections after a coroner ruled that it was a contributory factor in the headteacher's death by suicide.

Heidi Connor, the senior coroner for Berkshire, said Perry's suicide was contributed to by an Ofsted inspection carried out in November 2022" at the school that she led.

Describing the inspection as at times rude and intimidating", Connor concluded that during and after this inspection, Ruth's mental health deteriorated significantly" before she took her own life on 8 January 2023.