As a former headteacher, I can’t read about Ruth Perry without being tearful (Ofsted inspection contributed to headteacher’s suicide, coroner rules, 7 December). To have your whole life’s work nurturing others swept away in one damning word of judgment is unspeakably cruel.
As an adviser now, I have realised two other unintended destructive consequences of the way Ofsted operates. First, several headteachers have confided that they will retire earlier to avoid another inspection – not because they are failing, but because they have little faith in the fairness of the judgment, do not want to live through the stress involved again, and know how damaging a fall in rating can be, even when it is from “outstanding” to “good”. So Ofsted is encouraging the loss of the experienced and successful leaders that it should be celebrating.
