Head teacher kills herself over OFSTED

Ofsted have so much power, it is truly frightening. I worked for an adult learning provider, Because one section of the company was deemed inadequate, the whole company lost its government contract and we were all made redundant within weeks of the judgement.

I feel desperately sorry for this poor woman.
I think I have experienced about five or six Ofsted inspections, and the quality of the inspectors was variable, to say the least.
None of them were a patch on the HMIs, (Her Majesty's Inspectors) who previously conducted Inspections.

I wasn’t blaming offstead, offstead inspectors, or anyone else simply saying something like that can cause someone to want to end it all it doesn’t have to be part of a bigger mental health picture
My post was in answer to Oreo’s saying ‘no one ever wanted death because of Ofstead reports’ and I disagree it can be something that to us seems simple that makes people so desperately unhappy that they only see no way out

Poor lady. They are under so much stress in schools. Ours daughter works in a secondary school. She calls going to work 'going to that hell-hole'. She is trying to find another job.

Ew. Why do people do the the defensive thing all the time

A person had a horrible experience, just accept it. Sometimes it happens and this lady deserves better

Whatever is responsible for the mindset which led to her suicide.. and how will we ever know what the influence or influences were... suicide is always an absolute tragedy for those left behind. My deepest condolences to her family and friends.

It's so very very sad, and as said, we don't exactly know why the Head did this. OFSTED can't be blamed for everything. If they found shortcomings, or if other staff members lodged concerns, OFSTED has to report it and act. The safeguarding checks were not correct in this instance, and that reflects very poorly on the senior management. Yes, the buck stops there, and it has to be referred.
I know a school's inspector, (very well infact), and every time he enters an inspection it is with a kind and supportive attitude. Occasionally a Head might break down in tears due to all kinds of reasons.

I just read about this.

I feel so awful for her. She was counting down the days until the report came out and just couldn't deal with it. So many school staff are absolutely working their bottoms off for the school and their pupils, it's an incredibly stressful time without knowing you have been downgraded twice and having to keep it to yourself and wait for the fallout from parents

She may have become depressed over the way things were at her school, or from something else, or combined things.
Nobody really knows how fragile another’s mental health is.
I see what you’re saying BlueBelle but think anyone who isn’t actually depressed would resign and not do anything drastic.
OFSTED is necessary and not a cruel thing, but stressful yes.

Exactly BlueBelle.

I don’t agree Oreo if things were going downhill and she couldn’t find a way forward it takes nothing more for someone to take their life She would be the shoulders that the difficulties landed on if she felt she couldn’t change it and could perhaps see no way forward.
That doesn’t mean she was depressed before or had a mental health problem.
It sometimes what seems simple to others can be huge to the person involved

Apart from bereavements I’d say that OFSTED inspections were the most stressful events I’ve ever experienced.

That poor woman.

So very very sad, I tend to agree with Oreo. But who really knows, my heart goes out to family and friends.

Nobody ever wanted death because of OFSTED reports.It could have been the last straw tho for someone who was already depressed.Tragic.

I read that too, the poor woman - how devastating for her and her grieving family. So very sad.

Awful news. Her poor family. She had been Head since 2010. Ofsted report went from Outstanding to Inadequate. 13 years at the school too. It broke her heart.