In this emotional and thought provoking episode, Lee Parkinson, also known as Mr. P, is joined by Julia Waters, Professor of French at the University of Reading, with over 30 years of teaching experience in Higher Education.
They discuss teacher mental health with regards to school inspections, as well as the legacy of Julia’s sister, Ruth Perry, who took her own life in January 2023 as a result of an Ofsted inspection.
Please be warned that suicide and mental health struggles will be discussed in this podcast. Should you need to seek support, you can do so by visiting the NHS Website.
Watch on YouTube
Episode Talking Points:
Events leading to Ruth Perry’s death
Lee and Julia talk about the stress caused by an Ofsted inspection and how, on this occasion, this led to Ruth taking her own life several months after the inspection.
Julia talks openly about the impact the Ofsted inspection had on her sister Ruth’s mental health following the inspection and the difficult discussions her and her family had prior to Ruth’s death.
Teacher Mental Health following Inspections
Julia reveals the sad truth that Ruth’s case is not an isolated one, and that other teachers are severely effected by the school inspection process. Lee also shares his experiences with inspections and how teachers cope.
Views on School Inspections
The discussion moves on to how school inspections are conducted. Julia offers her thoughts on the process and what schools can do to support one another after getting their grade. Lee also shares a personal encounter he had with parents who were deciding on choosing a school for their child, based on the Ofsted grade.
Ruth Perry’s legacy
To conclude the story and link back to when the conversation started about Ruth, Lee asks Julia about the impact that Ruth had on education. Julia gives an emotional answer to the impact she had on hundreds of children at her beloved Caversham Primary School in Reading.
Listened and loved it?
Sign-up here for exclusive follow-up content and be the first to hear about new episodes.
(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers’ own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.)
Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited.
