New Ofsted boss says it could be 'more empathetic' as inspections pause after headteacher's suicide
2 January 2024, 16:21 | Updated: 2 January 2024, 16:24
The new head of Ofsted, Sir Martyn Oliver, acknowledges the criticism levelled at Ofsted and pauses inspections after the suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry last year.
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Ofsted boss Sir Martyn Oliver said the organisation could be "far more empathetic" and he said he is "determined that we learn from" the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.
There will be no new routine inspections until late January but emergency safeguarding visits will still take place.
Sir Oliver said inspectors will receive mental health training this month.
Writing for LBC, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union, said: "More fundamental reform of Ofsted is urgently needed.
"Really, inspectors shouldn’t need special training on dealing with the awful impact of the stress of inspection on school leaders – that stress shouldn’t be the norm."
In December, the coroner found that an Ofsted inspection of a primary school in Reading, where Ruth Perry was the headteacher, contributed to her suicide.
At the time of her death, Ms Perry was waiting for a report that would downgrade Caversham Primary School from outstanding to inadequate over safeguarding concerns.
After a re-inspection in June 2023 after her death, the fresh Ofsted report, which does not mention Ms Perry, rates it good in all categories.
The senior coroner said parts of the January 2023 inspection of the school "were conducted in a way which lacked fairness, respect and sensitivity" and was at times "rude and intimidating."
Sir Oliver called Ms Perry's death a "terrible tragedy and a real shock."
He said: "Ultimately we have to be about high standards and say to parents 'these are the standards that are being provided'. But I think we can do that in a way that is far more empathetic."
Read more: Former headteacher forced to leave father's deathbed for Ofsted inspection
He added: "One of the first things I want to do is listen - to parents, to professionals in the sectors we work with, and to people with an interest in our work.
"We are here for children, their parents and carers - and we will serve them best by working constructively, respectfully and empathetically with the experts who are responsible for their education and care.
"Our people come from these sectors. We understand the pressures they are under - and we will make that clear as we go about our work."
Speaking after the coroner's conclusion, Ms Perry's sister, Professor Julia Waters, said the truth of the "brutal inhumanity" of Ofsted inspections had been revealed.
She said: "Today, the coroner's conclusions validate what our family has known for a long time - that Ruth took her own life as the direct result of the process, outcome and consequences of an Ofsted inspection of the school she led and loved, Caversham Primary School.
"The inquest into Ruth's death has shown the brutal inhumanity of the system of Ofsted inspections. Ofsted likes to judge people with single-word labels. We could judge the current Ofsted system with our own labels: callous, perverse and inhumane.
"Ruth's death, and this inquest, have laid bare the imbalance of power that exists in our education system."
