Teachers’ union calls for abolition of Ofsted inspections after death of Ruth Perry

A protest outside the Department for Education in March after the death of the headteacher Ruth Perry, whose school was downgraded by Ofsted. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

School inspections in England and Wales should be abolished and headteachers should refuse to work as inspectors until “toxic” pressures on mental health have been resolved, a teachers’ union says.

Delegates at the National Education Union’s annual conference on Wednesday backed a new campaign by the union to abolish Ofsted, which has been blamed by the family of a headteacher for contributing to her death.