An inquest into the death of headteacher Ruth Perry has been told an Ofsted inspector “sniggered loudly” and had a “mocking tone” during an inspection.
Ms Perry’s family said she took her own life after a report from the watchdog downgraded her school, Caversham Primary in Reading from its highest rating to its lowest, over safeguarding concerns.
Her sister, Professor Julia Waters, previously said Ms Perry had experienced the “worst day of her life” after inspectors reviewed the school and downgraded it from “outstanding” to “inadequate”.
Ofsted has come under growing pressure to abolish the grading system after critics linked it to the headteacher’s death.
At the inquest at Berkshire Coroner’s Office in Reading, Hugh Southey KC, on behalf of the family, quoted from a witness statement by deputy headteacher Clare Jones-King, who attended a meeting between Ms Perry and Alan Derry – the Ofsted inspector who led the inspection at the school in November 2022.
“She referred to you as having sniggered loudly and having a mocking and unpleasant tone,” Mr Southey told the inquest.
Mr Derry denied that he behaved in that way.
The inquest also heard evidence that Ms Perry became tearful during meetings with Ofsted inspectors. Mr Derry was asked if he should have paused the inspection, given Ms Perry’s mental state. “No, not at all,” he said.
“There was a major safeguarding concern around the safeguarding of children, and this needed to be immediately addressed and safely addressed.”
