A hundred Salford heads accuse Ofsted of running regime of "fear and humiliation" after death of teacher

A hundred headteachers in Salford have called for Ofsted inpections to be halted after a teacher took her own life. In a letter they say of their profession that "an ethic of proud and humble public service is being eroded by a regime of fear and humiliation" conducted by the watchdog.

Ruth Perry took her own life in January, and her sister has said her death was a “direct result” of the "process and outcome" of an Ofsted inspection that saw the school’s rating downgraded from “outstanding” to “inadequate”. Her family said an inspection at her school - Caversham Primary School in Reading - had turned her into 'an absolute shadow of herself'.

The tragedy has sparked an outcry across the profession, with the National Education Union; school leaders' union NAHT; and the Association of School and College Leaders calling for inspections to be halted.

Now in a strongly worded letter to Ofsted the Salford Secondary Heads and Principals Association has demanded action. The letter was written and sent on behalf of SSHPA by Ben Davis, headteacher at St Ambrose Barlow RC High School in Swinton.

It says they are writing to lend our support to calls to pause inspections and reform Ofsted "in the wake of recent tragic events." It adds that an expression of sorrow from Ofsted's Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, is "a welcome, but insufficient response." The letter adds: "urgent action is required to change the way we inspect schools in England so that further damage is prevented to staff wellbeing, morale, recruitment and retention and, ultimately, to young people’s school experience."

The letter says: "As an experienced and diverse group of over 100 headteachers and principals we have seen the impact of the current inspection and