Furious parents hit back at 'disruptive' teachers blocking Ofsted inspectors in protest after headteacher's death

22 March 2023, 00:15

Some parents at a school whose headteacher blocked Ofsted inspectors in protest after her counterpart at another local school took her own life branded her behaviour a stunt.

Teachers stood in protest outside John Rankin school in Berkshire on Tuesday today as Ofsted inspectors arrived flanked by police as part of a growing backlash against the watchdog after the suicide of Ruth Perry after Ofsted downgraded Caversham Primary School,.

The head of John Rankin School, Flora Cooper arrived that morning and said an inspection would go ahead, despite saying she wanted to bar inspectors from the premises in a series of tweets on Monday.

Some parents at the school hit out at the extra "disruption" the protest caused.

Vanessa Pummell, a teacher at a nearby school, said she had to take her own children to work because of the protest, after being told classes at John Rankin would start late.

She said: "I understand the cause but it is not a great way of handling it.‘It is one of those things that have to be done [inspections]. And it’s just disruption for the children again, after the strikes and everything.’

Grandmother Angela Jarman added it was ‘frustrating’ that Ms Cooper had ‘disrupted’ her morning..

She said: "I don’t think [the teachers] should be doing what they’re doing at all. I quite agree with what Ofsted are doing."

During the protest, teachers held placards saying ‘RIP Ruth’ in memory of Ms Perry, 53, who killed herself after Ofsted downgraded Caversham Primary School, in Reading from outstanding to inadequate in a report her family branded 'unfair' and 'sensationalist'.

Another school removed the watchdog's rating and logo from its website. Emmer Green Primary school removed the Ofsted rating and logo in protest.

Ms Cooper allowed inspectors into classrooms today after its headteacher threatened to block access, following talks with the council.

Ruth Perry had worked at Caversham primary school in Reading for 13 years. She took her own life in January after she was informed that the school was being downgraded from outstanding to inadequate.

Her sister said Ms Perry had been left ‘an absolute shadow of her former self’ while awaiting an Ofsted report and the body has been urged to ‘ask tough questions about their role.”

Ms Cooper, head of John Rankin School, Newbury said yesterday she wanted to ‘take a stand’ against the inspection process.

The junior school head said she planned to block the inspectors’ entry to the school “for our school staff everywhere.”

“Need support! Please! We have to do this! I'm taking the stand!”

Ms Perry took her own life two months before the release of the results of an inspection of the school.

Read more: Headteacher, 53, took own life after Ofsted rated her primary school 'inadequate'

She was informed that the school’s rating would be downgraded on the first day of the inspection, which was the first she had faced as headteacher.

Ofsted had not carried out an inspection at the school for 13 years as it had previously been rated “outstanding”.

Her sister Julia said Ruth claimed inspectors saw a boy doing a floss dance and took that as evidence of ‘sexualisation’ of children at the school.

She said inspectors told staff they had seen child-on-child abuse, which turned out to be a playground fight.

“I remember the very first time I saw her rather than just speaking on the phone a couple of days after the end of the Ofsted inspection, she was an absolute shadow of her former self,” Julia said.

“This one-word judgement is just destroying 32 years of her vocation, education was her vocation. Thirty-two years summed up in one word, inadequate. It just preyed on her mind until she couldn't take it anymore.

“She was a huge loss, she was my little sister and she was only 53, she had so much more still to give, so much more that she could do.”

Former colleague Kate Wells posted online yesterday: "Ruth Perry was my boss for 10 years. She was a passionate and dedicated head teacher. Ofsted, a lack of support and funding from the government broke her, she took her own life. We need change and it starts here."

Reading East MP Matt Rodda said he had raised concerns with Ofsted about how the inspection was carried out.

The inspectorate said it was “deeply saddened” by Ruth’s death.

Her family previously said it was devastated by the loss of a “lovely mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, sister-in-law and friend”, and said the school was “very happy” under the “dedicated” teacher’s leadership.

Matthew Purves, Ofsted’s Regional Director for the South East said in a statement: "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."

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