Responding to Reading Borough Council's independent learning review into the support it provided to Ruth Perry and Caversham Primary School as part of the Ofsted inspection process in 2022, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, said:

“Reading Borough Council’s independent learning review into the circumstances around the tragic death of Ruth Perry provides further evidence of the harm that England’s outdated and punitive accountability system carries. 

"School leaders sit at the epicentre of an unreliable inspection system that continues to employ simplistic and reductive single word or phrase judgements which carry career defining consequences and are a proven risk to life.  Rather than unlocking support and collaboration, inspection remains a lever for school intervention, driving unnecessary workload and ill-health. 

"NAHT is clear that nothing less than full system reform is required.  The first step should be to remove all graded judgements, in favour of an approach that provides a narrative diagnostic summary for parents that evaluates a school’s strengths and achievements, provides a commentary on areas in development, and makes suggestions for further improvement.

"This would allow time and breathing space for unions, stakeholders including parents, the DfE and Ofsted to scope, collaborate and design a new approach to inspection that is fit for the 21st century and aligned with the new government’s ambitions."