The head teacher of Caversham Primary School in Berkshire took her own life in January aged 53 while waiting for details of an Ofsted report about the school to be published.
Senior coroner Heidi Connor said the inspection “lacked fairness, respect and sensitivity" and was at times "rude and intimidating".
Ruth was already aware of the inspectorate’s “inadequate” rating but felt unable to share this with family and friends, the inquest heard.
The coroner recorded a verdict of "suicide: contributed to by an Ofsted inspection carried out in November 2022”.
Ruth’s death had already sparked conversations around scrapping the inspectorate’s one-word judgments, leading to a public consultation on its processes.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
