Head teacher kills herself over OFSTED

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.

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

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

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

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

That poor woman.

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

Exactly BlueBelle.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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 can't see people blaming OFSTED here, everyone has said how sad it is, tragic actually. We none of us know what happened. It is obviously a very complex case.
I hope your daughter can leave it all behind her and enjoy her new job Kate1949.

Lots of people commit suicide because of pressure from work. Poor lady and her family.

I think the arbitrary classification criteria applied by OFSTED leave much to be desired especially when compared to the positive, and helpful inspections by HMI’s in my earlier teaching day,
My D’s excellent comprehensive in the West Midlands was horrified to be placed in Special Measures despite outstanding teaching and an enviable position in the league tables.
Why?
“Safeguarding” was the reason - the school allowed Sixth Formers to sign in and out in the course of the school day as most schools do BUT they did not have to have their signature witnessed by a member of the teaching staff.
That system was tightened up , office staff no longer enough to witness the signature and the following year the school reverted to “Outstanding”
But anybody considering the school either for their child or for a job could well have been seriously put off by the Special Measures. It could also have been kiss of death for the Head and senior staff if the governors had been less understanding.

Having been a teacher I know what a lonely job it can be especially as headteacher. My heart goes out to her family.

Thank you Joseanne.

I know a school's inspector, (very well infact), and every time he enters an inspection it is with a kind and supportive attitude.

Unfortunately the same can't be said of the vast majority of the Ofsted inspectors that my childminder colleagues and I have had over many years.
Too many of them pay scant regard to the grade descriptors.
They come with their own agenda, which often is so transparent it's laughable.
After my last inspection I objected to three points she'd raised and was told by the inspector to file a formal complaint; I did just that and every one of my complaints was upheld.
I could have asked for a re-inspection but I wouldn't put the children through it again.

It was our previous Social Services inspector who always came in with a kind and supportive attitude.
When Ofsted took over she could see how it was going and took early retirement. She came to see us all and apologised for leaving us to it.

After 35 years I won't be bullied out of childminding, but Ofsted add very little positive to it.

I was so sorry to read the news about the headteacher this morning.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11871309/Sister-reveals-headteacher-killed-Ofsted-inspectors-downgraded-primary-school.html

wtf half the world was doing it at one time

eazybee

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’m in much the same position. I hope the Inspectorate and in particular the school advisor are feeling stressed that their actions or in the case of the advisor, lack of ongoing support are feeling good about themselves.
Re HMI, they did criticise if they found something wasn’t quite right, but they also said what you needed to do about it, a bit like the role of a good School Advisor now .