Ruth Perry was headteacher at Caversham Primary School in Berkshire for 13 years. Sadly she took her own life after her school was rated from “outstanding” to “inadequate” in an Ofsted inspection of November 2022. The coroner ruled her death preventable—an important acknowledgment of the enormous pressure that school assessments put on educators. In the wake of this tragedy, Ruth Perry’s sister, Professor Julia Waters, has been speaking out. Now she is using her experience to speak out against the proposed reforms to the Ofsted inspection system.
In response to those restrictions, Professor Waters joined other education professionals in signing an open letter. They called on Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson to pause the introduction of the new inspection framework. The proposed system, set to be implemented this autumn, will eliminate a single overall grade for institutions and introduce report cards instead. Despite these positive reforms, Waters insists they’re not enough to address the root problems that caused her sister to lose her life.
Ruth Perry, who downgraded in December, allegedly said she felt “powerless” after the downgrade, feeling that her career was finished. It’s a given that professor Waters profoundly feels this way. She is concerned that the replacement system carries “the same dangers” as its predecessor. She sounded doubtful about how much good the proposed changes would do.
“The proposal that’s coming out, in this new report card, just fundamentally fails to address the key concern which is the very real and present risk of more terrible and preventable deaths like my sister’s.” – Professor Julia Waters
At the event, Waters said her “acute concern” over the rollout of the new report card. She fears it will lead to more high-risk inspection zones and selective criteria. She worries this will only increase the burdens on teachers instead of relieving them.
“But the reality is it’s turned into a big ignore and we are facing a big disaster.” – Professor Julia Waters
Julia Waters’ is by no means the only voice expressing such concerns. Many in the education sector fear that the reform will not provide a meaningful solution to the pressing issues within the inspection process. The open letter reflects a growing consensus that a reconsideration of the proposed changes is necessary to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
