Just days before the beginning of the inquest into former headteacher Ruth Perry's death, a fundraiser has been launched in a bid to help her family with the legal fees.

Caversham Primary School principal Ruth Perry died on January 8 this year shortly after being told her school was being downgraded from outstanding to inadequate. 

The Ofsted inspection - the school's first in 13 years - took place on November 15 and 16, 2022, with Ms Perry allegedly telling her sister it was "the worst day of her life", describing the experience as "dreadful". 

Her sister Julia told BBC South Ms Perry was counting down the days until the report was released with a "weight on her shoulders hanging over her".

"It just preyed on her mind until she couldn't take it anymore," she added.

Now 10 months on and in the lead-up to the inquest opening, Julia Waters has set up a GoFundMe in the hopes of supporting the family through the two-week inquest beginning on Tuesday, November 28. 

She wrote: "Just days before the start of the inquest into the death of Ruth Perry her family have learnt that their application for Legal Aid to fund their legal representation has been rejected.

"The other ‘interested parties’ in the Ruth Perry inquest are OFSTED, Reading Borough Council and Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust – all of which, as public bodies, will de facto have their legal costs paid from the public purse.

"While the bereaved family will receive no financial support, OFSTED have been instructed by the Coroner to bring no more than five members of their legal team to the inquest. We believe this legal and financial inequity to be unjust."

Ms Perry's inquest will be held at Berkshire Coroners’ Court from November 28 to December 7. 

In a pre-inquest that took place on July 11, the court was told the pending inquest "will not investigate inner workings of Ofsted".

However, the family hopes that the inquest will reveal the truth about the circumstances leading to Ruth’s death and the opportunities that were missed to prevent it. 

Currently, 1,900 people have donated to the fundraiser, with £26,577 raised of a £50,000 target.

Ms Waters added: "Please donate to our crowdfunder if you feel the lack of legal aid for Ruth Perry’s family is unjust and inequitable, and if you wish to support their campaign for meaningful change in Ruth’s name.

"If we succeed in raising more money than is needed to cover the family’s legal costs or if alternative funding is obtained, all excess funds will be donated to Inquest: the only charity in the UK which supports people bereaved by state-related deaths to access truth, justice and accountability, and to contribute to systemic change."

The GoFundMe can be found here.