Headteacher Ruth Perry’s GP tells inquest she took her own life because she feared her family would be in financial ruin if she lost her job as she was ‘main breadwinner’ and felt ‘completely devastated’ by Ofsted result but couldn’t tell anyone about it

• For help, call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org 

Ruth Perry took her own life because she feared her family would be in financial ruin if she lost her job as she was ‘main breadwinner’, her GP has told the tragic headteacher’s inquest.

Dr Tom Beck said the 53-year-old was left ‘completely devastated’ after the Ofsted inspection downgraded her school – after which she contacted him as well as local mental health services.

Ms Perry’s sister, Professor Julia Waters, previously said the headteacher had experienced the ‘worst day of her life’ after inspectors reviewed the school on November 15 and 16 last year.

Giving evidence to the inquest at Berkshire Coroner’s Office in Reading, Ms Perry’s GP said the headmistress spoke both to him and another GP in the weeks following the Ofsted inspection.

Mr Back said he had known Ms Perry for years, and that she had no history of mental illness except for one visit to the GP around 30 years ago over stress.

Dr Tom Beck said the Ruth Perry (pictured) was left ‘completely devastated’ after the Ofsted inspection downgraded her school – after which she contacted him as well as local mental health services. 

Ms Perry’s GP said the headmistress spoke both to him and another GP in the weeks following the Ofsted inspection at Caversham Primary School (pictured) 

Senior coroner Heidi Connor asked Mr Back if there was a link between the Ofsted inspection and Ms Perry’s mental health deterioration and death.

He said: ‘Yes, I think there is a link.’

READ MORE: Ruth Perry was ‘extremely distressed’ by ‘unpleasant’ and ‘unprofessional’ Ofsted inspection which left other teachers ‘feeling quite unwell’ 

He later added that the inspection contributed ‘in a more than minimal way’ to Ms Perry’s death.

It comes on the same day that Ms Perry’s husband told the inquest that she had ‘dark thoughts’ about ending her own life after the Ofsted inspection.

The headteacher felt she had ‘let everyone down’ when the watchdog changed the rating of Caversham Primary School in Reading from ‘outstanding’ to ‘inadequate’, Jonathan Perry said in a statement.

He said that she worried about the impact on the wider community, fearing it would cause her neighbours’ house prices to plummet and that locals would be ‘angry’ at her as a result.

Previously, the inquest heard that Ms Perry and her husband were due to exchange contracts on a new home.

Mr Back said Ms Perry became concerned about the cost of going through with the deal after the Ofsted inspection, as she was worried that she would lose her job and she was the ‘main breadwinner’.

Ruth Perry’s death sparked an outpouring of emotion from the local community (two women pictured with signs in March)

Ms Perry’s sister, Professor Julia Waters (pictured), previously said the headteacher had experienced the ‘worst day of her life’ after inspectors reviewed the school on November 15 and 16 last year

The court also heard more from the statement of her husband, who said: ‘She kept repeating that she had let everyone down.

READ MORE: Headteachers struggling to sleep due to stress of Ofsted visits is ‘usual’, Ruth Perry inquest hears

He said that Ms Perry worried about the impact of the school’s downgrading on the local community.

‘She worried that local house prices would fall and that the whole community would be angry at her,’ he said.

Mr Perry said his wife regretted buying their new home.

He said that she began to have ‘dark thoughts’ about ending her own life, and that she asked him to take her to hospital.

They visited Prospect Park Hospital, a psychiatric centre in Reading.

The headteacher then began to see her local GP, as well as local mental health services.

Mr Perry said his wife was very depressed and anxious over the rest of the term.

He said that she felt ‘completely devastated’, but she did not feel that she was allowed to talk about the inspection with anyone, due to maintaining confidentiality about the result.

Brian Grady, director of education at Brighter Futures for Children, which supports schools on behalf of Reading Borough Council, also gave evidence to the inquest on Friday.

He was asked about the decision not to appeal against the result of Ofsted’s inspection of Caversham Primary School.

Mr Grady said that while be believed lead Ofsted inspector Alan Derry’s behaviour had caused ‘distress’, the issues raised were around his ‘tone’.

‘There was nothing I had heard that meant that we could escalate a complaint around behaviour,’ he said.

He said that Ofsted’s rulebook set out what would happen if certain things were not in place.

He added: ‘At the time my view was that I was not able to challenge the rules that Ofsted had set down.’

• For help, call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org 

Source: Read Full Article