(TW : discussion of Ruth Perry's suicide) To feel uncomfortable with the way Ruth Perry's death was described as 'the fault' of Ofsted?

[Carla786]

From the evidence, it's clear that the Ofsted inspector behaved abominably and the whole organisation needs a thorough overhaul.

However, I was reading a recent thread on the Caroline Flack documentary and for all the differences, one thing that reporting of Flack's suicide has shared is that it has often explicitly laid blame for a suicide on someone else.

In Flack's case, the media have been blamed for her suicide. In Perry's case, the inquest explicitly blamed Ofsted, as did some media.

This makes me uncomfortable...maybe it's wrong of me to feel this way, but I think of the GC threads that originally drew me to MN. Threads on the reporting of suicides of trans teenagers often rightly pointed out the danger of media implying that external people/forces caused a suicide, noting that it contradicts guidelines that the Samaritans (among others) have for good reason.

Perry was an adult, but these guidelines aren't just for teenagers. I don't want to downplay the terrible way she was treated by Ofsted. But I just feel very uncomfortable about the implications of media and then the official inquest explicitly implicating Ofsted in her suicide.

Am I wrong to feel uncomfortable about this?

There is a large body of scientific literature on suicide. The psychological experience of 'entrapment' is highly correlated with suicide. It seems clear that the experience with ofsted produced that feeling in Ruth. It's right that they are scrutinised and criticised when the stress of this experience is implicated in a woman losing her life.

In a sense it makes me think of JB Priestley's message in An Inspector Calls, 'We are members of one body. We are responsible for one another.', arguing that the whole Birling family contributed to Eva Smith's suicide.

Yes, in one sense he's right. In a society we ARE responsible for how we treat others, and thr devastating effects that can ensue.

But I still feel very uneasy about a coroner & media explicitly saying a suicide was partially caused by external agencies.

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/ofsted-inspection-contributed-to-head-ruth-perrys-death-coroner/

I didn't know about that..thanks for posting. This should be much more well-known.

I definitely agree that Ofsted should be scrutinised and criticised, as I said in my OP.

I feel uncomfortable with coroner & media explicitly saying they 'contributed to' her suicide. To me that goes a step further.

But it definitely did contribute towards her suicide? Have you read the notes she made?

Also am I right in thinking Ms Perry was not the only head teacher who took their own life. I’m sure there was one here in Plymouth with similar circumstances. It’s so awful and such a huge loss

"Reading comments made by Ms Perry before she died, the coroner said: “Ruth stated that ‘This is the most untherapeutic and inhumane system, to have this on one person’s shoulders. I am amazed there are not more heads killing themselves… the shame, the pressure, loss of income, where do I go next, I am too young to retire. The Ofsted system has to change. It is totally wrong that one person is made to feel like this.’”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ruth-perry-inquest-ofsted-alan-derry-report-b2460018.html

This seems very inappropriate and insensitive. I’m sure Ruth’s family really appreciate your insights, Not !! Sorry it’s making you feel uncomfortable , I’m sure her family feel a whole lot worse than your slight uncomfortableness.

What’s the alternative to identifying organisations or people who “contributed to” a suicide?
If we don’t acknowledge contributory factors, particularly bullying, then we’re saying the person just choose to do it because they wanted to? That’s clearly not true.
some suicides come from within, but some clearly have an external cause.

Obviously it’s up to you whether you agree or disagree with the implication.
As a teacher who has been through many Ofsteds, in a poor inspection there is a perfect storm of professional criticism, personal criticism potentially if you are a school leader, sense of responsibility failing the well-being and progress of children in your community etc and on top of that not being allowed to talk about the outcome to anyone until it is published.
My friend was previously a chair of governors at a secondary which did poorly in an inspection and she was worried the head was going to hurt himself when she spoke to him on the phone.

Why blame Ofsted when we could blame a society that thinks it's normal for people to work so hard at their jobs, and normalises that? She could have said "sod this" and quit at any time.

Why should anyone EVER feel trapped in their job? Is it love of prestige or money or some kind of martyr syndrome that society encourages, that makes people feel trapped? I wish I could think it's "vocation" but I'm pretty sure there are plenty of jobs people do as vocation without ending up feeling trapped by the work, much less putting up with enormous stress to do it.

Have you been through an ofsted?
I’m not even a head but it’s just horrific - the pressure, the feeling of trying to prove your worth, the weight of the expectation of others.
Schools do need a form of being held accountable but the current system will be even worse… being judged on enrichment and SEND inclusion when we can’t afford to support children properly or to book trips?

They drove her to it.

It is very uncomfortable.

OFSTED should absolutely hold schools to scrutiny over safeguarding. I am saying that as a teacher myself.

I'm not sure the solution to Ofsted contributing to headteachers committing suicide is to suggest that they quit or stop being martyrs.

Unfortunately, there was a prevention of future deaths report, and Ofsted appear to have ignored it. The trials of the new system show it seems to put even more pressure on school leadership teams.

Schools do need a form of being held accountable

They do, and the problem is that being held accountable publicly is always going to be highly stressful and uncomfortable is the judgement is a negative one. I’m genuinely not sure how to get around this.

You know that she couldn't seek appropriate support with her feelings about the inspection outcome because Ofsted wouldn't allow it?

Why should Ofsted not be held accountable for that?

By not having the outcome have such high stakes. By allowing headteachers to be supported following the outcome rather than having to keep it a secret.

Have you not read any of the reporting into this?

It’s tricky. I personally think suicide is a very personal decision. There are very, very few things that would make me consider ending my life and I’ve had a long and hard one compared to a lot of people.

But scenarios that would seem like the end of the world to me may seem recoverable or even inconsequential to others. Some people just aren’t as resilient as others through no fault of their own, some people have mental or other health conditions going on, some people find it difficult to see the bigger picture or are more prone to sudden, regrettable decisions or just get caught unawares by a bad period.

We are all so different and it’s entirely dependent on the person and circumstances. I tend to think that if a person chooses to end their life then that is their decision and theirs alone. A different person would have reacted differently so we can’t blame the stressor, it’s an individual choice.

I think it could be a more supportive role.
More frequent inspections where you feel like the inspectors want to improve your school instead of catch you out.
You could agree a target to work on and have an agreed timescale …. I mean after all, no one working in a school wants it to not be achieving what’s best for the children.

I agree, it has felt wrong since this happened to be blaming OFSTED. They have their fault, but if they were responsible for suicide then there would be a lot more head teachers either dead or in psychiatric wards.

There may have been a particularly unfriendly inspector, but OFSTED are quite clear on their expectations and it’s not that hard to a avoid an inadequate rating.

I think if it was categorically proved that that would make all the difference then no. But suicide is more nuanced than that.

I’ve read the reporting although it was some time ago so may well have forgotten some details.

What stayed with me though is there were massive safeguarding failures at the school. I have no desire to be disrespectful or potentially cause any distress to the family, but I think out of respect that’s been largely glossed over. Had one of those safeguarding failures led to a tragic incident then a poor OFSTED would have been the least of the problems; note how the teachers from Sara Sharif’s previous school have been named despite them doing everything right as far as I can see.

I feel like the culture of everything being measurable in education is so destructive.

"You've got a 100% success rate, now make it 105%. And then next time 107%"

It's madness and there don't seem to be concerted efforts to row back from this.

Were things like this before school league tables came in?

We see headline news about Ruth Perry but what about all the other teachers and head teachers who have had their mental health broken?

Another one who hasn't read the report. There were several factors above and beyond an 'unfriendly inspector'. Some of these have since been amended, like the removal of the single headline grade which is so influential that she was worried (correctly) that losing it would impact the house prices of the parents in her school community

Suicide is certainly "more nuanced than that". But where is the appropriate support for teachers?

Again: "Reading comments made by Ms Perry before she died, the coroner said: “Ruth stated that ‘This is the most untherapeutic and inhumane system, to have this on one person’s shoulders. I am amazed there are not more heads killing themselves… the shame, the pressure, loss of income, where do I go next, I am too young to retire. The Ofsted system has to change. It is totally wrong that one person is made to feel like this.’”

She literally wrote that she was amazed that more heads weren't killing themselves as a result of Ofsted, before she died. But you think it wasn't a factor?

I agree.

I have been suicidal and have come very very close to a suicide attempt. Whatever I may have felt at the time, I do not think it would be reasonable to have attempted to list anything or anyone else as a contributory cause of my suicide.