Ruth Perry was a headteacher at Caversham Primary School in Reading (Picture: Brighter Futures for Children/BBC South Today)
A headteacher killed herself while waiting for an Ofsted report which gave her school the lowest possible rating, her family said.
Ruth Perry, 53, who was the headteacher at Caversham Primary School in Reading, took her own life in January after being told the school was being downgraded from Outstanding to Inadequate.
Her sister, Julia Waters, said Ms Perry had experienced the âworst day of her lifeâ after inspectors reviewed the school on November 15 and 16 last year.
She told BBC South that inspectors said a boy doing a flossing dance move, from the video game Fortnite, was evidence of the sexualisation of children at the school.
The inspection was âthe worst day of her lifeâ, the sister of Ruth Perry said (Picture: Brighter Futures)
Ms Waters went on: âRuth took her own life on January 8, all during that process every time I spoke to her, she would talk about the countdown.
âI remember her clearly one day saying â52 days and countingâ, every day she had this weight on her shoulders hanging over her and she wasnât officially allowed to talk to her family.
âI remember the very first day I saw her, rather than just speaking to her on the phone, a couple of days after the end of the Ofsted inspection, she came, she was an absolute shadow of her former self.â
She said the inspection destroyed 32 years of her vocation and âpreyed on her mind until she couldnât take it any moreâ.
There are âlocal concernsâ on how the inspection was conducted (Picture: BBC South Today)
The report, which was published this week, found the school to be Good in every category, apart from leadership and management, where it was judged to be Inadequate, the lowest rating.
Inspectors said school leaders did not have the ârequired knowledge to keep pupils safe from harmâ, did not take âprompt and proper actionsâ and had not ensured safeguarding was âeffectiveâ.
Caversham Primary School said in a letter in response to the report: âThe school, led by Ruth, responded immediately after the inspection visit, to take action to resolve the issues raised.
âFollowing the heart-breaking loss of Ruth, we have continued her work to ensure that the school is an effective, safe and happy place for children to learn and achieve.â
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Matthew Purves, Ofstedâs regional director for the South East, said: âWe were deeply saddened by Ruth Perryâs tragic death.
âOur thoughts remain with Mrs Perryâs family, friends and everyone in the Caversham Primary School community.â
Matt Rodda, a Labour MP for Reading East, said: âIâve had a meeting with the schools minister and Iâve also raised this with the regional director of Ofsted.
âI think itâs fair to say that there are local concerns about the way that the inspection was carried out.
âAlso about the way that the Ofsted framework and other regulations affecting Ofsted effectively work, and the wider pressure on headteachers.â
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Inspectors reportedly said a boy doing a flossing dance move, from the video game Fortnite, was evidence of the sexualisation of children at the school.Â