An Ofsted inspection likely contributed to the death of headteacher Ruth Perry, a coroner has concluded.
Ms Perry’s family say she took her own life in January after Caversham Primary School in Reading, Berkshire, went from “outstanding” – the highest rating – to “inadequate” due to safeguarding concerns.
Staff at the school said the headteacher was left tearful and incoherent following the inspection on 15 and 16 November last year.
Jonathan Perry, Ms Perry’s husband, told the inquest his wife felt “completely devastated” in the weeks following the inspection, and that she worried about the impact of the school’s downgrading on the local community.
He said she was concerned that failing on child safeguarding would be the end of her career.
Ms Perry’s GP, Dr Tom Back, said there was “a link” between the Ofsted inspection and the headteacher’s mental health deterioration and death, adding it contributed “in a more than minimal way”.
An inquest, which has explored the impact of the inspection on Ms Perry, finished in Reading on Thursday, with senior coroner Heidi Connor delivering her findings at Berkshire Coroner’s Court.
She said: “The evidence is clear in this respect, and I find that Ruth’s mental health deterioration and death was likely contributed to by the Ofsted inspection.”
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‘Tragedy like this must never happen again’
The education regulator has come under scrutiny since the tragedy, with calls from unions to scrap the single-word judgements.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) union, said after the coroner’s ruling “the verdict is a clear and damning indictment of an approach to inspection that has done massive harm to school professionals” – and called for “urgent change”.
He said: “Firstly, our thoughts remain with Ruth’s family. This will have been a gruelling week and no verdict can heal the harm that has been caused by Ruth’s death.”
Mr Whiteman added: “We have heard in detail just how bad the impact of Ofsted inspection can be on school leaders’ mental health – something NAHT has been warning about for many for years. This tragedy never should have happened.”
In the aftermath of Ms Perry’s death, there were calls from headteachers across the country for a review of the way Ofsted operated.
Her sister, Professor Julia Waters, previously said Ms Perry had experienced the “worst day of her life” after inspectors reviewed the school.
Mr Whiteman added Ofsted has no choice but to “seriously reflect and make changes to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again”.
Image: Ms Perry’s sister Julia Waters outside Berkshire Coroner’s Court in Reading
An inspection report, published on Ofsted’s website in March, found Ms Perry’s school to be “good” in every category apart from leadership and management, where it was judged to be “inadequate”.
Inspectors said school leaders did not have the “required knowledge to keep pupils safe from harm”, did not take “prompt and proper actions” and had not ensured safeguarding was “effective”.
‘Inquest shows brutal inhumanity of Ofsted system’
Ms Perry’s family believes stress associated with the inspection was a major factor in her death.
She had been waiting for the Ofsted report to be published when she took her own life.
Ms Perry’s body was found by police at an address in Reading – and her diary with entries ranging from 14 November 2022 to 6 January.
Her family described her as a “highly regarded” headteacher who had taught for 32 years.
They said they did not blame the inspectors themselves for her death, but said the inspection process required “massive reform”.
Ms Waters said the inquest had shown “the brutal inhumanity” of the Ofsted system, adding her sister’s death had left “an unfillable hole in all our lives”.
Caversham Primary School said in a statement: “When Ruth died, we lost a well-respected colleague, friend and leader. It has been an incredibly difficult time.
“We continue to grieve her loss and to struggle to come to terms with her untimely death and the circumstances surrounding it.
“The clock in our school playground, which is our memorial for Ruth, reminds us every day of her presence and the impact she had on all our lives. She will forever be in our hearts.”
The school was reinspected on 21 and 22 June and assessed as “good” in all categories, the second-best rating.
Ofsted boss Amanda Spielman has said the current one-word system should stay.
However, changes have been announced – such as giving schools more information on when inspections will happen and a consultation on reforms to the complaints system.
Schools where safeguarding concerns prompt an overall ‘inadequate’ rating, but where other measures are rated good or better, will also now be revisited within three months.
For mental health support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
Sir Keir Starmer has urged anyone with information on the Jeffrey Epstein case to come forward after Andrew Mountbatten Windsor missed the deadline to appear in front of US Congress.
US legislators have criticised Andrew for what they describe as “silence” amid their probe into Epstein after he failed to respond to their request for an interview.
When asked about Andrew missing the deadline and whether the former princeshould help the case in any way he can, Sir Keir said on his way to the G20 summit in South Africa: “I don’t comment on this particular case.”
He added that “a general principle I’ve held for a very long time is that anybody who has got relevant information in relation to these kind of cases should give that evidence to those that need it”.
Andrew is not legally obliged to talk to Congress and has always vigorously denied any wrongdoing.
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Image: Sir Keir Starmer spoke to reporters on his way to the G20 in South Africa. Pic: Reuters
It comes as Marjorie Taylor Greene, a loyal supporter-turned-critic of US President Donald Trump, said on Friday she is resigning from Congress in January.
Ms Greene’s resignation followed a public falling-out with Mr Trump in recent months, as the congresswoman criticised him for his stance on files related to Epstein, as well as on foreign policy and healthcare.
Members of the House Oversight Committee had requested a “transcribed interview” with Andrew in connection with his “long-standing friendship” with Epstein, the paedophile financier who took his own life in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.
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Releasing the Epstein files: How we got here
But after saying they had not heard back, Democrats Robert Garcia and Suhas Subramanyam accused Andrew of hiding.
Their statement read: “Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s silence in the face of the Oversight Democrat’s demand for testimony speaks volumes.
“The documents we’ve reviewed, along with public records and Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s testimony, raise serious questions he must answer, yet he continues to hide.
“Our work will move forward with or without him, and we will hold anyone who was involved in these crimes accountable, no matter their wealth, status, or political party. We will get justice for the survivors.”
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It follows Andrew being stripped of his prince and Duke of York titles earlier this month.
He had previously agreed to stop using his titles, but had expected to remain a prince and retain his dukedom, ahead of the publication of the memoirs of the late Ms Giuffre, who had accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager – an accusation he denies.
A 13-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a woman in Swindon.
Police said the teenager was detained following an incident in Baydon Close, Moredon, in the Wiltshire town on Friday evening.
Officers responded to reports of disorder inside a house. When they arrived, a woman in her 50s living at the address was found to be not breathing. She was declared dead at the scene.
There were no other reported injuries.
Image: Forensic officers are at the scene to collect evidence
Detective Inspector Darren Ambrose, from Wiltshire Police’s major crime investigation team, said: “This is a serious incident in which a woman has sadly died.
“We have set up a cordon at the address while an investigation is carried out.
“I can confirm that we have arrested a teenage girl in connection with this incident and we are not looking for anyone else.”
Police have asked people not to speculate about the incident online as this could prejudice the case.
A police statement read: “Residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the area while we continue carrying out our enquiries into the woman’s death.
Rail fares are to be frozen for the first time in 30 years, the government has announced.
Ministers promised that millions of rail travellers will save hundreds of pounds on regulated fares, including season tickets and peak and off-peak returns between major cities.
The fare freeze applies to England and services run by English train operators.
People commuting to work three days a week using flexi-season tickets will save £315 a year travelling from Milton Keynes to London, £173 travelling from Woking to London and £57 from Bradford to Leeds, the government said.
The changes are part of Labour’s plans to rebuild a publicly owned Great British Railways. Other planned changes include tap in-tap out and digital ticketing, as well as investing in superfast Wi-Fi.
Image: The freeze applies to regulated fares, including season tickets and peak and off-peak returns. Pic: iStock
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the government was introducing a freeze on rail fares for the first time in 30 years, which “will ease the pressure on household finances and make travelling to work, school or to visit friends and family that bit easier”.
“We all want to see cheaper rail travel, so we’re freezing fares to help millions of passengers save money,” Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said.
“Commuters on more expensive routes will save more than £300 per year, meaning they keep more of their hard-earned cash.”
Rail unions and passenger groups welcomed the move, praising how it will make travel more affordable for passengers and promote more sustainable travel alternatives.
Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said: “More affordable fares will encourage greater use of public transport, supporting jobs, giving a shot in the arm to local economies and helping to improve the environment.”
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said the rail fare freeze “will be a huge relief to working people”.
“This is the right decision, at the right time, to help passengers be able to afford to make that journey they need to take, and to help grow our railway in this country, because the railway is Britain’s green alternative – taking cars and lorries off our congested roads and moving people and goods safely around our country in an environmentally-friendly way,” Mick Whelan, general secretary of the train drivers union Aslef, said.
The Tories welcomed the move but said the government was “late to the platform”.
Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden said: “In government, the Conservatives kept fares on the right track with below-inflation rises and consistently called for no further hikes to protect hard-working commuters.”