Headteachers in Wales have described the “extreme stress” of school inspections following the death of a headteacher in England. They said they were shocked but not surprised to hear of the death of Ruth Perry after her school was downgraded by Ofsted - the body that inspects schools in England.
Ruth Perry, headteacher of Caversham Primary in Reading is thought to have taken her own life in January after an Ofsted inspection downgraded her school from outstanding to inadequate.
One headteacher in north Wales, who has worked in England too, said she was surprised such a tragedy had not happened before given the high personal stakes for heads when their schools were under scrutiny. Another head, whose secondary school was inspected recently, described the experience as “genuinely frightening” while one said it was “terrifying” to get the phone call saying Estyn inspectors would soon visit.
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School inspections in Wales are carried out by Estyn and have a different regime to England. Heads here welcomed what they said was a more collaborative approach than across the border, but said it still depended on individual inspectors. Estyn has moved away from summative one word or one line judgements, but their reports still detail whether a school is in need of follow up or special measures.
“All of us have been shocked by Ruth’s apparent suicide,” said one secondary head from the south Wales valleys, “It’s been something that has really been affecting us as headteachers and we have been talking about it.
“The inspection system always has its stresses. We hope that now, post-Covid, Estyn is taking into account that schools are trying to recover from the pandemic with things like absences and behaviour. Being inspected is a very stressful week. There is undoubtedly anxiety.”
One Cardiff primary head said that, although the system had been reformed, too much still rested with individual inspectors: “Estyn are now supposed to be working in a lot more supportive way, and although I’ve not had a recent inspection, I have heard many heads talking more positively about their recent inspection experiences.
“However, although inspections are a lot more positive, sadly, there are still inconsistencies in the inspectors, and the way inspectors approach inspections. This can lead to a lot of stress and upset for headteachers.”
All the headteachers agreed schools and their leaders must be accountable, but one high school head believed the reports should not be published in the way they were now. He said heads wanted to do the best for their schools and communities, but could be left feeling personally and professionally exposed.
One headteacher, whose school is due to be inspected in the next few weeks said the process could be “extremely stressful”. He said the removal of school data meant Estyn now relied far more on how the school seemed on the days inspectors visited, which might not necessarily be an entirely fair reflection.
“Estyn is trying to be more supportive but I still think inspections are more of a challenge for schools in challenged areas because it is harder to demonstrate progress, especially with less data now. It can cause huge issues for heads if an inspection doesn’t go well. People may decide not to send their children to you and it may affect staff recruitment,” he said.
Describing how he felt before inspectors arrived, he said: “Your first emotion is relief, because you knew it was due, and then the tension ramps up.”
Another school leader said it was right to hold heads accountable but that inspectors should also be mindful of wellbeing and any impact of a poor report: “There is no doubt that Estyn inspection still represents a stressful time for all involved in a school community, especially those with leadership responsibilities. In some ways it should be - it shows that we care and it can sharpen practice.
“It is also true that where grades were used previously, the impact of judgements below those expected, especially “unsatisfactory”, could be devastating for all concerned. That is why the decision by Estyn to remove single word judgements is so welcome. It allows a proper dialogue about school improvement to take place.”
Another head, whose school was recently inspected, said she had been left pleasantly surprised by the reformed Estyn process. She believed it was fair to give schools only 10 days notice of an inspection, saying they should have all their paperwork and processes in order anyway.
“The new Estyn process is much better and more collaborative. It was a stressful time, but I felt listened to and it’s right we are accountable - we run multi-million pound organisations.”
Describing how the school inspection process worked in Wales she said Estyn phoned two weeks before to give a date the inspectors were coming in. The lead inspector asked for all relevant documents to be filed before turning up at 11am on the Monday of the inspection. About an hour later the inspection team arrives, made up of lay people and education professionals. The team, of around three to 14 people, depending on the size of the school, visit on three days before writing up their findings.
One veteran of inspections in England and Wales, who has been through four in 13 years, said: “I feel lucky to work in Wales, the system here is better. But you feel so personally accountable when your school is inspected and I can imagine how that poor woman Ruth Perry felt.”
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