Headteacher Ruth Perry’s husband tells inquest she took her own life because she worried neighbours would be ‘angry’ with her if their house prices fell as a result of Ofsted inspection and felt she ‘let everyone down’
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Ruth Perry had ‘dark thoughts’ about ending her own life after the Ofsted inspection which downgraded her school, her husband has told an inquest.
The headteacher, 53, felt she had ‘let everyone down’ when the watchdog changed the rating of Caversham Primary School in Reading from ‘outstanding’ to ‘inadequate’, Jonathan Perry said in a statement.
He said that she worried about the impact on the wider community, fearing it would cause her neighbours’ house prices to plummet and that locals would be ‘angry’ at her as a result.
Ms Perry’s 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.
The inquest heard that following the Ofsted visit, Ms Perry spoke to her local GP, as well as contacting local mental health services.
Ruth Perry had ‘dark thoughts’ about ending her own life after the Ofsted inspection which downgraded her school, her husband has told an inquest
The headteacher, 53, felt she had ‘let everyone down’ when the watchdog changed the rating of Caversham Primary School in Reading from ‘outstanding’ to ‘inadequate’, Jonathan Perry said in a statement
Ms Perry’s GP, Dr Tom Back, gave evidence to the inquest at Berkshire Coroner’s Office in Reading on Friday.
READ MORE: Ruth Perry was ‘extremely distressed’ by ‘unpleasant’ and ‘unprofessional’ Ofsted inspection which left other teachers ‘feeling quite unwell’
He said Ms Perry spoke both to him and another GP in the weeks following the Ofsted inspection.
Mr Back said he had known Ms Perry for years, and that she had no history of mental illness, except for one visit to the GP around 30 years ago over stress.
Senior coroner Heidi Connor asked Mr Back if there was a link between the Ofsted inspection and Ms Perry’s mental health deterioration and death.
He said: ‘Yes, I think there is a link.’
He later added that the inspection contributed ‘in a more than minimal way’ to Ms Perry’s death.
Previously, the inquest heard that Ms Perry and her husband were due to exchange contracts on a new home.
Mr Back said Ms Perry became concerned about the cost of going through with the deal after the Ofsted inspection, as she was worried that she would lose her job and she was the ‘main breadwinner’.
The court also heard more from the statement of her husband, who said: ‘She kept repeating that she had let everyone down.
He said that Ms Perry worried about the impact of the school’s downgrading on the local community.
‘She worried that local house prices would fall and that the whole community would be angry at her,’ he said.
Ruth Perry’s death sparked an outpouring of emotion from the local community (two women pictured with signs in March)
Ms Perry’s sister, Professor Julia Waters (pictured), previously said the headteacher had experienced the ‘worst day of her life’ after inspectors reviewed the school on November 15 and 16 last year
Mr Perry said his wife regretted buying their new home.
He said that she began to have ‘dark thoughts’ about ending her own life, and that she asked him to take her to hospital.
READ MORE: Headteachers struggling to sleep due to stress of Ofsted visits is ‘usual’, Ruth Perry inquest hears
They visited Prospect Park Hospital, a psychiatric centre in Reading.
The headteacher then began to see her local GP, as well as local mental health services.
Mr Perry said his wife was very depressed and anxious over the rest of the term.
He said that she felt ‘completely devastated’, but she did not feel that she was allowed to talk about the inspection with anyone, due to maintaining confidentiality about the result.
Brian Grady, director of education at Brighter Futures for Children, which supports schools on behalf of Reading Borough Council, also gave evidence to the inquest on Friday.
He was asked about the decision not to appeal against the result of Ofsted’s inspection of Caversham Primary School.
Mr Grady said that while be believed lead Ofsted inspector Alan Derry’s behaviour had caused ‘distress’, the issues raised were around his ‘tone’.
‘There was nothing I had heard that meant that we could escalate a complaint around behaviour,’ he said.
He said that Ofsted’s rulebook set out what would happen if certain things were not in place.
He added: ‘At the time my view was that I was not able to challenge the rules that Ofsted had set down.’
- For help, call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org
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