Calls for school inspectors Ofsted to be reformed following the death of Reading headteacher Ruth Perry have been joined by one of the town’s MPs.
Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading East, is set to meet with the education secretary, other headteachers and Ruth Perry’s family to discuss concerns around her death and the potential reform of Ofsted.
Ruth Perry was the headteacher of Caversham Primary School and sadly passed away early in January.
Last month, Ruth Perry’s sister Doctor Julia Waters told the BBC that the school being rated ‘Inadequate’ following a recent inspection was ‘deeply harmful’ to Ruth.
Now, a meeting has been set up between Mr Rodda, Reading headteachers and Gillian Keegan, the secretary of state for education and Conservative MP for Chichester.
The meeting is being held after Mr Rodda requested it in Parliament on Monday, April 17.
Mr Rodda said: “I am pleased the Education Secretary has agreed to meet me, local heads and Ruth’s family.
“I hope she will listen to local teachers and Ruth’s family, and I will be urging the Education Secretary to reform Ofsted including ending single-word judgements on reports.”
Accepting the invitation, Mrs Keegan said: “Of course I’d be very happy to meet. It’s a tragic case and I do send out my heartfelt sympathy to her family, her friends and all of the school community in your constituency.”
Mr Rodda previously met with the school’s minister, Nick Gibb the Conservative MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, on March 17.
Following that meeting, Mr Rodda said: “The death of Ruth Perry was a devastating event for her family and our community.”
“I offer my deepest sympathies and condolences to her family as they continue to grieve for a much-loved daughter, mum and sister. I will continue to support the family as best I can.
“Ofsted must now ask themselves some tough questions about their role and how we prevent further tragedies in the future.”
Other groups have gone further, with the National Education Union (NEU) calling for Ofsted to be replaced “with a new system that is supportive, effective and fair.”
The NEU has begun a campaign for Ofsted to be replaced, claiming that nearly 40 per cent of teachers leave the profession within ten years, citing excessive workload caused by accountability as the main reason for choosing to leave the profession.
Teachers that are members of the NEU are due to go on strike Thursday, April 27 and Tuesday, May 2.
The strikes are going ahead amid ongoing negotiations with the government over pay and recruitment issues stretching workloads.
Teaching staff and their supporters packed out St Laurence Church in Reading town centre at a rally during a strike day on Wednesday, February 1.
Dr Waters is an Associate Professor of Modern French and Francophone Literature at the University of Reading.
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