Ofsted pledges stronger mental health support for teachers in wake of Ruth Perry tragedy

Ofsted has announced an overhaul of its inspection practices to better support the mental health and well-being of school leaders and staff in England, following the tragic death of headteacher Ruth Perry.

Perry died by suicide in January 2023, shortly after her school, of which she was headteacher, received a downgraded inspection outcome.

The coroner criticised Ofsted for lacking clear procedures to respond to signs of emotional distress during inspections.

In response, Matthew Purves, national director of the Ofsted Academy, laid out the new safeguarding measures now in place and reaffirmed the regulator’s commitment to protecting the mental health of those it inspects.

In a letter published today, Purves wrote: “Although our approach was well intended it lacked a clear process.”

The cornerstone of the renewed approach is a set of four objectives aimed at ensuring inspectors are equipped to handle sensitive situations.

These include clear guidance on supporting school leaders during inspections, formal policies on pausing inspections due to mental health concerns, and mandatory awareness training to help inspectors recognise and respond appropriately to signs of distress.

Training has already been delivered across the inspector workforce. In late 2023 and early 2024, all education inspectors participated in sessions focused on identifying stress, building positive relationships, and using new support tools like a national helpline and a designated well-being contact at each school.