The former chief inspector of schools in England Sir Michael Wilshaw has said Ofsted’s style of school inspections needs to change after the death of the headteacher Ruth Perry.
Wilshaw, who led Ofsted until 2016, said Perry’s death, following an inspection that downgraded her school from “outstanding” to “inadequate”, had changed his mind over the use of one-word headline grades to rate schools in England.
“I’ve thought about it since this whole tragic episode took place. This is a woman who had the confidence of parents, raised achievements – educational provision was good – who fell down on one judgment,” Wilshaw told Tes magazine, adding that change was “inevitable”.
“I think this made everyone think, and it’s made me think. And it’s made me change my mind.”
Perry’s family say the popular headteacher of Caversham primary school in Reading killed herself earlier this year after being told by Ofsted inspectors that her school was to be rated as inadequate because of procedural flaws in safeguarding training.
