A headteacher who took her own life after her school was rated as inadequate by Ofsted was in contact with a mental health crisis team following the inspection, an inquest heard.
Ruth Perry, 53, died on 8 January after Caversham Primary School in Reading was downgraded from its highest rating — outstanding — to its lowest — inadequate — over safeguarding concerns.
Her sister Professor Julia Waters previously said the headteacher had experienced the “worst day of her life” after inspectors reviewed the school on November 15 and 16 last year. Her death sparked a wave concern over Ofsted’s one-word rating system, with teachers calling for reform to the school’s inspector.
On Friday senior coroner for Berkshire Heidi Connor told a pre-inquest review hearing that the headteacher was in contact with a mental health crisis team just days after Ofsted downgraded her school.
A member of staff from the crisis team and Ms Perry’s GP will both give evidence at the full inquest into her death later this year.
A lawyer for the school and the local authority, Reading Borough Council, also told the hearing that safeguarding issues identified at Caversham Primary were “minor” and did not justify an inadequate rating.
In discussions about the proposed scope of the inquest, Remi Reichhold said: “The school’s position is that it was wrong to give the rating that it did and it was disproportionate.”
However the coroner indicated that debates around Ofsted’s grading will not form part of her inquiry into the death of the headteacher.
