Schools remove references to Ofsted in protest over Ruth Perry death

Headteachers plan protests during Ofsted inspections, including wearing black clothing and armbands

Schools are removing logos and references to Ofsted ratings from their websites as a mark of solidarity with headteacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life while waiting for a negative inspection report.

Headteachers are planning to stage protests - including wearing black clothing and armbands and displaying photographs of Ms Perry around the school - when Ofsted inspections take place.

Pressure is mounting on the watchdog amid calls from school leaders and unions for urgent reform of the inspection system following the death of Ms Perry in January.

The headteacher at Caversham Primary School in Reading killed herself in January while waiting for an Ofsted report which downgraded her school to the lowest possible rating, her family said.

In a letter to Ofsted on Wednesday, school and college leaders across Reading said they wanted the “terrible tragedy to mark a turning point” in the way school inspections are carried out by the watchdog.

A photograph of Ruth Perry attached to the fence outside John Rankin Schools in Newbury (PA Wire)

The Reading Primary Heads Association and the Reading Secondary and College Leaders are calling for an urgent review of school inspections and for the four headline grades that Ofsted awards schools to be removed.

Lisa Telling, executive headteacher of Katesgrove Primary School and Southcote Primary School in Reading, is removing references to Ofsted from her schools’ websites, as well as advertising, in solidarity with Ms Perry.

Ms Telling said many school leaders across Reading were planning to remove positive quotes from Ofsted reports from their websites.

Emmer Green Primary School in Reading, which has an “outstanding” rating from Ofsted, has removed the watchdog's logo from its website, letterhead and communications in solidarity with the late headteacher.

Ms Telling said her teachers will be invited to wear black clothing or black armbands and photographs will be displayed of Ms Perry across the school during future Ofsted inspections.

“It's really important to us to remember her and for her death not to be in vain,” she added.

Ruth Perry’s sister said the Ofsted report was “deeply harmful” (Brighter Futures for Children)

“We have no qualms about being accountable as school leaders but it cannot be in this punitive way that it's done on a one-word judgment which can destroy lives and destroy careers.”

In the Ofsted report, Caversham Primary School was rated as “inadequate.” It found the school to be “good” in every category apart from leadership and management, where it was judged as “inadequate”.

The watchdog was criticised for a part of the report that referenced Ms Perry’s passing, stating the school underwent a “change of leadership” following her death. It appears that reference has now been removed from Ofsted’s report.

Professor Julia Waters, Ms Perry's sister, said the watchdog's report was “deeply harmful” in its “implied focus on one individual”.

The Suffolk Primary Headteachers' Association (SPHA), which held a meeting with school leaders across the county on Tuesday, has said it will support schools “considering peaceful and lawful protest” when an inspection occurs.

Headteacher of John Rankin School Flora Cooper, wearing a black armband, stands next to a photograph of Ruth Perry (PA)

It comes after teachers at John Rankin School in Newbury, Berkshire - where the headteacher had planned to refuse inspectors entry but then reversed her decision - wore black armbands during an inspection earlier this week.

On Wednesday, Reading Borough Council called on the watchdog to pause inspections while a review is carried out into the system.

Three unions representing teachers and headteachers - including the National Education Union (NEU) - have urged Ofsted to pause inspections this week.

The NEU will hand in a petition, signed by more than 45,000 people, to the Department for Education on Thursday calling on Ofsted to be replaced with an accountability system which is “supportive, effective and fair”.

Niamh Sweeney, deputy general secretary of the NEU, said the debate this week highlighted the lack of support for Ofsted’s current rating system.

“There is also a growing concern among leaders that schools are being downgraded for spurious reasons which are not objective or reasonable grounds,” Ms Sweeney said.

“It's inescapable that, if we carry on as we are, we jeopardise the health of school leaders and won't keep enough leaders. There are other, better approaches to inspection and it is time for change.”