Ruth Perry’s family brand proposed Ofsted changes as ‘totally inadequate’

As reported by The Guardian, the family of Ruth Perry have labelled Ofsted’s proposed changes to its school inspection regime “totally inadequate” while also accusing it of being deaf to calls for meaningful reform

Amanda Spielman, Ofsted’s chief inspector, has offered a series of changes including greater support for school leaders undergoing inspections, after the death of Ruth Perry, whose family said killed herself after a critical Ofsted inspection.

Julia Waters, Perry’s sister, said Spielman and the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, were “defending the indefensible” over Ofsted inspections, and that neither had been in contact with the family. This week, Keegan said she would be happy to meet the family, in response to a question from Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Perry’s constituency.

“My sister’s death demonstrates the tragically high stakes, and yet Ofsted has so far done nothing. This latest response from the chief inspector for schools is yet again totally insensitive to the situation and deaf to the urgency of the calls for change,” Waters said.

“Ofsted has marked its own homework and is telling us that everything is under control. I think many people would score Ofsted’s current system as ‘requires improvement’ and their response to calls for reform as ‘totally inadequate’.”

Waters asked Keegan to commission a review of the inspection conducted at her sister’s school, as well as an independent review of Ofsted’s culture and structure.

Perry’s death followed an Ofsted inspection that downgraded her school, Caversham primary school in Berkshire, from the highest rating of outstanding to the lowest grade, inadequate.

The revelations around Perry’s death have caused Ofsted to come in for heavy criticism over the way it inspects schools, with the National Education Union and NASUWT teaching unions calling for the inspectorate to be abolished.