Caversham Primary: Ofsted urged to pause inspections after teacher death

Education unions person called for Ofsted inspections to beryllium paused successful the aftermath of the decease of a caput teacher.

Ruth Perry, caput teacher astatine Caversham Primary School successful Reading, took her ain beingness portion waiting for the work of a study that downgraded her schoolhouse from 'outstanding' to 'inadequate'.

The National Education Union and schoolhouse leaders' national NAHT person some called for inspections to beryllium temporarily halted.

Ofsted has been asked for a comment.

Ms Perry's household said the 53-year-old had described the inspection successful November arsenic the worst time of her life.

Her sister Julia Waters has called for schools to "boycott Ofsted".

Paul Whiteman, wide caput of schoolhouse leaders' national NAHT said: "It is wide that schoolhouse leaders up and down the state are placed nether intolerable unit by the existent approach.

"It cannot beryllium close that we dainty dedicated professions successful this way. Something has to change. Whilst it should ne'er instrumentality a calamity similar this to punctual action, this has to beryllium a watershed moment.

"The choler and wounded being expressed presently by schoolhouse unit is palpable. It is indispensable that each argumentation makers, including Ofsted, perceive and respond.

"Given the spot of feeling and the request for a play of calm reflection, Ofsted should intermission inspections this week."

Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: "Given caller events and wide concerns astir leaders' wellbeing, it's the tallness of insensitivity for Ofsted to beryllium going into schools oregon colleges this week.

"Ofsted should intermission each its inspections and bespeak upon the unmanageable and counterproductive accent they origin for schoolhouse leaders, and the interaction connected leaders."

A petition calling for acquisition caput Gillian Keegan and Ofsted main inspector Amanda Spielman to reappraisal the inspection and to marque changes to the inspection strategy has truthful acold gathered much than 40,000 signatures.

In the study seen by the BBC but yet to beryllium published connected the Ofsted website, the watchdog rated the schoolhouse arsenic "inadequate", the lowest rating.

Matthew Purves, Ofsted determination manager for the southbound east, said: "We were profoundly saddened by Ruth Perry's tragic death.

"Our thoughts stay with Mrs Perry's family, friends and everyone successful the Caversham Primary School community."