Headteacher to refuse Ofsted inspection after death of fellow principal Ruth Perry
A headteacher says she will refuse an Ofsted inspection following the death of fellow principal Ruth Perry.
Ms Perry, who was head at Caversham Primary School in Reading, killed herself in January while waiting for an Ofsted report which gave her school the lowest possible rating, her family said.
Flora Cooper, executive headteacher of John Rankin School in nearby Newbury, announced she would be “taking the stand” against Ofsted by preventing them from inspecting the school on Tuesday morning.
Flora Cooper. Pic: Twitter/FloraSCooper
Tweeting her plans, Ms Cooper said: “I’ve just had the call. I’ve refused entry. This is an interesting phone call. Doing this for everyone for our school staff everywhere!”
She added: “We have to do this! I’m taking the stand!”
Earlier in the day, Ms Cooper urged “everyone” to come to the school on Tuesday to support her – but she later told people not to turn up.
She tweeted: “Please can people not come to school now in the morning. I have to protect our children, our staff and our community.”
Sky News understands Ofsted is in contact with the school to try to resolve the situation.
Calls to boycott Ofsted
At least two unions have called on Ofsted to pause inspections – the National Education Union (NEU) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT).
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: “Ofsted should pause all its inspections and reflect upon the unmanageable and counter-productive stress they cause for school leaders, and the impact on leaders.
“That they are phoning leaders this week and initiating inspections speaks to the arrogance of Ofsted and their absolute lack of empathy.
“This is an agency that is completely out of touch, and which is making claims and judgements which are unreliable. This can’t go on.”
Caversham Primary had previously been rated outstanding but an Ofsted inspection in November 2022 found leadership and management issues related to “safeguarding”, causing the rating to plummet – every other category was deemed good.
Caversham Primary School
Ms Perry’s sister, Julia Waters, said in a Facebook post that schools should “boycott Ofsted until a full and independent review has been conducted”.
It comes after she said in a BBC interview that her sibling had experienced the “worst day of her life” when inspectors had reviewed the school.
Ms Perry had been a former pupil of Caversham Primary and Ms Waters said the inspection destroyed 32 years of her vocation and “preyed on her mind until she couldn’t take it anymore”.
She added: “Ruth took her own life on January 8, all during that process every time I spoke to her, she would talk about the countdown.
“I remember her clearly one day saying ’52 days and counting’, every day she had this weight on her shoulders hanging over her and she wasn’t officially allowed to talk to her family.
“I remember the very first day I saw her, rather than just speaking to her on the phone, a couple of days after the end of the Ofsted inspection, she came, she was an absolute shadow of her former self.”
School and staff find Ofsted inspections ‘very traumatic’
Geoff Barton of the Association of School and College Leaders said: “Many school and college leaders and their staff find inspections and Ofsted judgements very traumatic, and this is often damaging to their wellbeing.
“This case has brought matters to a head and something has to change. We will be discussing this with Ofsted as a matter of urgency.”
Matthew Purves, Ofsted 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.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “It is a legal requirement for schools and nurseries to be inspected by Ofsted and they have a legal duty to carry out those inspections.
“Inspections are hugely important as 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.
“We offer our deep condolences to the family and friends of Ruth Perry following her tragic death and are continuing to provide support to Caversham Primary School at this difficult time.”
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
UK
Hainault samurai sword incident: Man charged with murder of Daniel Anjorin, 14, in sword attack appears in court
A man has appeared in court charged with murdering 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin, who was killed during a sword attack in London.
Marcus Aurelio Arduini Monzo, a Spanish-Brazilian national from Newham, east London, was also charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary, and possession of a bladed article, the police announced on Wednesday.
Four people were injured, including two Metropolitan Police officers, in Hainault in northeast London on Tuesday.
Monzo, 36, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today and was remanded in custody this morning.
Wearing a grey sweatshirt and grey tracksuit bottoms, he spoke only to confirm his name in the dock.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldpsring remanded him in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday if a hearing is not available on Friday.
Daniel Anjorin was a pupil at Bancroft’s private school in Woodford Green – the same school attended by Nottingham attack victim Grace O’Malley-Kumar.
Daniel Anjorin. Pic: Met Police
Floral tributes in Hainault, northeast London, where 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin was killed in a sword attack on Tuesday. Pic: PA
Staff and pupils at the school said that Daniel’s sudden death had left them in “profound shock and sorrow”.
Daniel’s family told Sky News he was “a wonderful child” who was “well loved” and “hard-working” – and that his death “leaves a gaping wound in the family”.
They added: “No family should have to go through what we are experiencing.
“Any family will understand it’s an absolute tragedy.”
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Jaswant Narwal, chief crown prosecutor for CPS London North, said: “Our thoughts remain firmly with the family of Daniel and all those who have been impacted by this horrific incident.
“We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendant are active and that they have a right to a fair trial.
“It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
A night of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms has caused travel delays and damaged a care home in West Sussex.
Thunderstorms hit southeast England overnight – with a Met Office warning in place until 10am.
In southwest England and Wales a similar storm warning was in place until 8am Thursday morning.
However, the wet weather may be sandwiched between two of the hottest days of 2024 so far.
The Met Office thunderstorm warnings. Pic: Met Office
Overnight, two buildings in Sussex were damaged by lightning strikes, according to West Sussex Fire & Rescue.
A care home in Elmer, West Sussex, was struck, causing damage to its roof, and a university building in Chichester sustained damage to its roof and power system.
The service confirmed that no one was injured and occupants were relocated while the damage was assessed.
Get the latest Sky News forecast for your area
Pic: @WestSussexFire
Lightning above Worthing
There were travel delays on South Western Railway trains after the stormy weather, causing delays between Axminster and Honiton expected to last until at least 11am on Thursday.
This has affected trains running into London Waterloo, from as far as Exeter St David’s.
The Met Office warned the storms overnight may trigger travel disruption leading into Thursday’s rush hour, causing “difficult driving conditions and some road closures”.
There is also a chance of possible cancellations to public transport, as well as power cuts.
Temperatures could reach 24C
Marco Petagna, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said that some places could see the warmest weather of the year on Thursday, with temperatures reaching as high as 24C.
This comes after Wednesday saw temperatures peak at their highest of the year so far as well, at 22.1C.
However, even as it becomes warmer, more thunderstorms could come on Thursday afternoon.
“After a night of storms, the rain will ease in the south of England for a while,” Mr Petagna said.
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“We could see the skies brightening up in a few places and it will be another warm day.
“Parts of the southeast could even get to 24C and beat Wednesday’s temperatures.
“But as the skies brighten and temperatures increase, this could spark a few more thundery showers in the afternoon, so it is likely to still be a bit unsettled and the forecast will be changeable over the next few days.”
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Looking ahead to the Bank Holiday weekend, Mr Petagna said the forecast was a “very mixed picture”.
Most of the UK is likely to experience some rain, but temperatures will remain fairly warm in the mid to late teens.
Wednesday was the warmest day of the year so far, with temperatures peaking at 22.1C in Santon Downham, in Suffolk, and reaching 21.9C in Aultbea, in the northwest Highlands.
However, other parts of the UK saw temperatures over 10C lower in some coastal areas – in Inverbervie, northeast Scotland, temperatures only peaked at 9.9C.
UK
Grieving parents who lost their son during birth demand nationwide guidance after hospital failings
“When Finn was born, I turned to Ruth and said, just wait. He’ll cry, he’ll cry… But he never did,” says Martin, wiping tears from his eyes.
Warning: This article contains distressing content.
His wife, Ruth, had just given birth to their first son. But after a traumatic delivery, Finn was born pale and limp, needing urgent resuscitation.
Ruth was also injured, suffering a birthing tear so severe it required surgery.
As the room at the London-based birthing centre flooded with doctors ready to whisk their son away, Martin asked his wife: “What do you want me to do? Stay with you, or go with Finn?”
Follow Finn, she told him. As the plastic cot containing his newborn son was wheeled out of the room, a sense of helplessness swept over him. “There was nothing I could do for either of them,” he says, his voice breaking.
While we talk, both Ruth and Martin break down in tears, taking turns to comfort each other, but when I ask if they want to take a break, they refuse. They are clear that what matters now is sharing Finn’s story.
Ruth and Martin
“He was our first,” says Ruth, adding that she had no idea what to expect from the birth in June 2021. “Everyone was still coming out of COVID times.”
Despite this, she said the pregnancy “was smooth sailing”.
“It was when we turned up for the actual birth that things went horribly wrong.”
Ruth gave birth to Finn at the Oasis Birth Centre, a midwife-led unit within the Princess Royal University Hospital in Orpington, Bromley. It is mainly used for women with uncomplicated pregnancies, with access to birthing pools, massages and aromatherapy.
If extra care is needed during labour, patients are transferred to a delivery suite which the hospital trust’s website says is “just seconds away”.
The website adds that it intends to give parents the “control and support” they need and a place where they can “feel at home”.
Martin says he and Ruth were left alone with little guidance
But that wasn’t Ruth’s experience.
From the moment she entered the building, she says: “I wasn’t being listened to.”
Despite her labour progressing quickly and feeling the “overwhelming” urge to push, Ruth says, the midwives largely left her and Martin alone in the birthing pool with no real guidance.
“I remember on a couple of occasions saying to Martin, ‘Why are they not with us? Why are they not telling us what to do?'” she adds.
During this period, midwives failed to identify that Finn was in foetal distress.
Tragically, he suffered a severe brain injury as a result of complications during labour. He was starved of oxygen, a condition called hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).
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Ruth and Martin would later learn that midwives failed to check Finn’s heart rate in line with national guidelines. There should have been at least 24 readings, but only eight were recorded.
One of his biggest regrets, says Martin, is that during the birth he told Ruth: “They are the professionals. We need to trust them.”
Ruth, Martin and their second child Remy
The brain damage Finn experienced during birth was so severe, consultants eventually recommended turning off the support that was keeping him alive.
Instead of leaving hospital with their beautiful baby boy, Ruth and Martin, in a deep state of shock, left with a memory box containing mementoes including a lock of Finn’s hair.
“No one expects that,” she adds tearfully.
“Finn had a blessing done by a vicar,” Martin recalls. “Then later that day, we turned his ventilator off and held him while he died.”
Ruth and Martin are now also parents to their second son, Remy, who has brought joy back into their lives. They are taking care to ensure the 17-month-old knows all about his big brother.
Martin says Remy has brought joy back into their lives
“We have Finn’s pictures around the house. Martin handmade the cot for Finn. It’s got his name engraved in it, and Remy uses it now,” Ruth says. “And we had Finn’s handprint made into a stamp so we can include him in birthdays and Christmas cards.”
The inquest into Finn’s death concluded on 25 April, Ruth’s birthday.
Coroner Dr Julian Morris found there was a lack of clear leadership at the birthing centre, and a failure to follow established guidelines in place. He committed to writing to all birth centres across London to give recommendations.
“If other birthing centres operate like that three years later, the likelihood is that more children will die as a result of poor care, understaffing, and a lack of leadership and management,” says Martin.
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust apologised to the Kennedy family and said it “fully accepts” the coroner’s findings.
Ruth is now expecting her third child
Tracey Carter, director of midwifery for King’s College, said: “In recent years, we have made positive changes to maternity services at the trust, including a review of midwifery staffing, enhanced training for midwives and ensuring more senior supervision in the department at all times.”
But Martin thinks the same guidance needs to be given to birthing centres across the country, to help avoid future tragedies.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
For now, their focus is on their family, and getting justice for Finn.
“You have to carry on,” Martin says. “You have to pick yourself up and make sure you try and get justice for your children.”
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