Headteachers on antidepressants due to job stress says boss

Julie Kelly is a primary school headteacher and branch secretary of the National Association of Headteachers.

She told the Echo that 'brutal' Ofsted inspections and the pressure of the role were taking a serious toll on those at the top of the profession.

Julie Kelly, Hampshire branch secretary at the National Association of Headteachers (Image: Newsquest)She said: "I know a lot of headteachers are on anti-depressants to try to keep them going, I know some who are leaving even before age 55 because they can’t take the stress anymore.

“The other thing we’re seeing is assistant heads and deputy heads do not want to be headteachers because they see the stress their colleagues are under.”

The headteacher at West Meon Church of England Primary School in Petersfield added: “Sometimes it can be the whole lead up to an Ofsted inspection, because the pressures build and when inspectors come in and they don’t know who they’re going to get and they don’t know if it’s going to be brutal – that’s the way I have heard it described, being brutal.”

The school leader's words came as fellow Southampton headteachers signed up to a scheme which aims to ease the 'brutal' pressure of Ofsted inspections after a headteacher took her own life.

Ruth Perry died in January last year awaiting the report of an inspection which "lacked fairness, respect and sensitivity" and was at times "rude and intimidating", according to a coroner.

Named after her school Caversham Primary School in Reading, the Caversham Covenant has been signed by headteachers and other leaders from schools, trusts and unions and the city council.

It will offer supervision and support to a school's leadership team throughout the inspection process, and teachers will be able to take part in a ‘buddy’ programme.

Staff with Ofsted experience will be at the end of a phone if teachers have any concerns about an inspection while it is in progress.

Julie welcomed the support measures, which she hopes can help drive down the number of heads leaving their roles.

Harry Kutty, headteacher at Southampton's Cantell School and co-chair at Aspire Community Trust (Image: Newsquest)

Harry Kutty, headteacher at Southampton's Cantell School and co-chair at Aspire Community Trust, said: “Being a headteacher is a very lonely job.

"Ultimately it is a very important job - we want to shape the life chances of young people in our care and Ofsted inspections can be a very challenging time.

“I am very pleased to be involved in a scheme that puts Southampton leaders ahead of the curve with something that is going in in education.”

Councillor Alex Winning, Cabinet Member for Children and Learning, said: “This is all about support, signing up to this agreement is a pledge that we will support our education colleagues, through Ofsted inspections.

“I know that can be an incredibly stressful time but also for head teachers it can be a very lonely time where they are very isolated and the whole point of this is for there to be a support network for them to get through it.”