Ofsted’s initial response to the death of Caversham Primary School headteacher Ruth Perry appeared “defensive and complacent”, a major independent review has concluded.

Mrs Perry took her own life after an Ofsted report downgraded her school from its highest rating of “outstanding” to its lowest rating – “inadequate” – over safeguarding concerns.

A coroner concluded the Ofsted inspection in November 2022 “contributed” to Mrs Perry’s death.

An independent review was set up in response to the coroner's Prevention of Future Deaths report. 

Dame Christine Gilbert, who led the independent learning review, said the culture of the education watchdog needs to be “more open” if Ofsted is to fully learn from the tragedy of Mrs Perry’s death.

The review, published on Tuesday, said: “Looking back, Ofsted’s initial response appears defensive and complacent rather than reflective and self-critical.

“This lack of awareness served to make the coroner’s findings all the more shocking for Ofsted.

“It increased the damage to its reputation, not only externally where stakeholders could perceive this defensiveness from media coverage, but also internally where both staff and the board could see the difference between the coroner’s judgments and what they had been told.

“However, it has led to a changing approach to communications within Ofsted, including inviting feedback and criticism to support improved practice.”

The review by Dame Christine – who served as chief inspector at Ofsted from 2006 until 2011 – did not examine the inspection of Caversham Primary School or the judgments made.

Mrs Perry’s sister, Professor Julia Waters, said the review was "highly critical" of Ofsted’s culture and practices in many places.

Professor Waters added: “It highlights how Ofsted’s response to my sister’s death appeared defensive and complacent. She reveals a culture that has allowed inspectors to come across as remote and infallible, with an unfair power balance between inspectors and those they inspect.

“I am glad that Ofsted has accepted the majority of Dame Christine’s recommendations. I am concerned that Ofsted does not appear willing to consider more independent handling of complaints. This would add the prospect of important external scrutiny of the conduct of Ofsted inspectors and their findings.

“After a Big Listen, we have now been promised big change. Ofsted can have no more excuses.”

The review added that Ofsted had "obvious determination" to learn from the tragedy of Ruth Perry’s death - but it was to be "fully realised and sustained."

It comes as the watchdog faces greater scrutiny after the death of Mrs Perry.

On Tuesday, Ofsted announced a series of reforms to England’s education inspectorate following its Big Listen public consultation.

The scrapping of single-word assessments of schools was among the reforms, which need to go further, according to Berkshire teachers speaking to The Reading Chronicle. 

Sir Martyn Oliver, chief inspector of Ofsted, said: “I’m immensely grateful to Dame Christine Gilbert for conducting an independent and rigorous inspection.

“Because of her knowledge she’s clearly been able to go very deeply into Ofsted and produced for me a really reflective and useful report going forward.

“I found most of it chimed with the rest of the Big Listen, and in many ways set it out in a really succinct way.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union the NAHT, said: “Change to how inspections are carried out in England is now inevitable and unavoidable.

“We need to work towards a more humane and fair system as quickly as possible.

“That work cannot be carried out in isolation by the inspectorate. It must be carried out in partnership with the profession, and we stand ready to play our part in building a fairer, more humane inspection system.”