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Female headteacher found dead after visit from school inspectors
Last updated at 12:07pm on 28.03.08A Headmistress has been found dead days after inspectors criticised her school.
The body of Irene Hogg was found close to her car in a country lane ten miles from her home.
Described by colleagues as a "fantastic and caring" professional, she had been in charge of the 81-pupil primary for ten years.
Miss Hogg, 54, failed to turn up for work after the Easter weekend.
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Tragic: Irene Hogg was found dead near her car following a police appeal to the public
Colleagues fear comments made by officials from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education about Glendinning Terrace Primary in Galashiels, Selkirkshire, Scotland, had upset her.
Inspectors who visited last week are said to have given her a verbal report containing minor criticisms of the school, which may have distressed her.
Colleagues suggested she could have been worried about the school's performance in the subsequent review.
Miss Hogg, a teacher for 33 years, had been considering taking early retirement.
She was last seen alive near her home in Bowden, near Melrose on the Scottish Borders, on Sunday evening.
Miss Hogg's 47-year-old brother Roger is expected to arrive in Scotland today after travelling from his home in Melbourne, Australia.
Education officials from Scottish Borders Council called a meeting of parents at the school yesterday afternoon to explain the situation.
A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said: "The body of reported missing person Irene Hogg was found near to Jedburgh. There would appear to be no suspicious circumstances."
The only report about the school on the HMIE website dates from 2005, when inspectors made recommendations about the nursery.
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Scrutiny: Inspectors had visited Glendinning Terrace Primary in Galashiels just before the Easter break
Inspectors said the headmistress "should develop systematic procedures for monitoring and evaluating the service in consultation with staff, parents and children".
Locals last night said the school had in the past been threatened with closure or merger with another school because its small roll meant it was no longer cost efficient.
Teaching unions said there was a "huge" pressure on staff during inspections but that education officials were not at fault for Miss Hogg's death.
Bill McGregor, general secretary of the Headteachers' Association of Scotland, added: "I suspect there were other extraneous factors and perhaps the inspection was an extra pressure.
"But even if it was in part in connection with the inspection then there is an urgent need for the Government and HMIE to take a look at the process."
Jane Peckham, Scotland organiser of the NASUWT, said: "I do think that there is a huge amount of pressure but I do not think that it is HMIE's intention or fault.
"It is a dreadfully sad thing to have happened but you don't know the individual's circumstances."
An HMIE spokesman said: "HMIE offers sincere condolences to the family and friends of Irene Hogg, as well as to the pupils, parents and staff at Glendinning Primary School."
Reader views (2)
I was a head for many years, and saw what the over-zealous inspection system we have does to colleagues.
Ben is quite right; so many of my fellow heads left teaching following inspection, and the ones who did were the people who really cared about their children. Millions of pounds of public money is wasted on reports which tell little or nothing about the education provided by the school, and experienced, caring heads are being forced out, leaving all our children poorer for their absence.
- Jacki Page, Bettws Cedewain, Wales
How very sad. The trouble with these inspection systems is that while they set out with the best of intentions, the effect is to put pressure where pressure is often least needed - because the people who worry most are likely to be the conscientious ones already doing their job best. And while the original aim is to identify poor standards and raise them, the actual output descends into management-babble like "develop systematic procedures for monitoring and evaluating the service in consultation with staff, parents and children".
- Ben, Brussels
