Outcry over Ofsted's 'punitive' inspection regime grows after headteacher's death

Pressure is mounting on Ofsted after the death of the Berkshire headteacher Ruth Perry, whose family have called for an urgent review of the schools watchdog, describing its inspection regime as "punitive" and "fatally flawed".

- Sally Weale

It came as teachers and parents protested outside another Berkshire school that was expecting Ofsted inspectors yesterday, despite pleas from teaching unions to pause inspections amid the growing outcry.

Perry's sister, Julia Waters, said her family were in no doubt she had taken her own life in January as a "direct result" of the pressure put on her by the process and outcome of the Ofsted inspection, which downgraded her school from outstanding to inadequate.

She added: "In our opinion, the findings of Ofsted were disproportionate, unfair and, as has tragically been proven, deeply harmful in their implied focus on one individual." School leaders elsewhere are also considering taking collective action.

The Suffolk Primary Headteachers' Association (SPHA) is discussing displaying a photograph of Perry, wearing black armbands and starting inspections with a minute's silence.