Nursery owner 'went to a dark place' after a bad Ofsted report

Nursery owner who ‘went to a dark place and has never been the same’ after a bad Ofsted report backs calls to halt inspections

• Linda Jeho, 46, says she was left emotionally distressed after a damning report 
• For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit their website 

A nursery owner who ‘went to a dark place’ over a bad Ofsted report is backing calls to halt inspections. 

Linda Jeho, 46, says she was left emotionally distressed after inspectors said her nursery, Little Limes Day Nursery in Hersham, Surrey, would be rated ‘inadequate’ – the lowest possible rating. 

Ruth Perry, the principal at Caversham Primary School in Reading, killed herself in January while waiting for a report which also downgraded her school to inadequate. 

Ms Jeho says she ‘has never been the same’ since her own inspection, which was prompted by a complaint, and has backed calls to halt Ofsted inspections pending a review. 

Linda Jeho, 46, says she was left emotionally distressed after inspectors said her nursery would be rated as ‘inadequate’

Little Limes Day Nursery in Hersham, Surrey, which was inspected after a complaint 

Ms Jeho, a mother-of-three, says she realises inspections need to happen, but that they need to be done differently.

She registered Little Limes Day Nursery with Ofsted in 2017.

Inspectors then turned up unannounced two years later, she says – and told her she would be rated as ‘inadequate’.

Ms Jeho said: ‘I went to a dark place over the bad report.

READ MORE:  ‘Deeply sorry’ Ofsted chief vows to carry on with school inspections despite backlash from teachers over death of head Ruth Perry who killed herself after visit

‘Waiting for our report was horrendous – like sitting with a ticking bomb. It was the most difficult time of my life.

‘I just feel very very fortunate that somehow I came through. [But] I have not been the same since.

‘I know I’m not alone in these feelings. Ruth must not have died in vain – we need to speak out for her.’

Ms Jeho says she wanted to raise her fears before but was afraid of repercussions at her next inspection.

But Ms Perry’s death has now given her the drive to put her head above the parapet.

Ms Jeho, who had been a childminder for six years previously, says she took out a loan of £150,000 to open Little Limes Day Nursery.

She claims the majority of customers were happy, but the inspectors had been sent round after a complaint.

She said: ‘I felt numb when they left. We just weren’t ready.

‘They said the report was going to be bad. It was during the Christmas holidays and I just went into my office and had a total breakdown.

‘The Christmas holiday was horrendous knowing the report would be published soon but I couldn’t tell the parents about it.

Ruth Perry (pictured) took her own life in January after being told Ofsted were going to downgrade her school to inadequate

‘I was crying and crying. I put everything I had into my business and I knew I was doing well and had happy customers.

‘They just turned up and pulled me apart and said, ‘You’re inadequate’.

‘Of course there needs to be an inspection – but it needs to be done differently.’

The nursery was rated as ‘requires improvement’ following its latest inspection, in June 2022.

Ms Jeho said: ‘I’ve lost staff and customers because of this – and I work harder than ever because of the fear of bad reports.’

A Department for Education spokesman said: ‘Ofsted has a crucial role to play in upholding education standards and making sure children are safe in school.

‘They provide independent, up to date evaluations on the quality of education, safeguarding, and leadership which parents greatly rely on to give them confidence in choosing the right school for their child.’

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit their website.

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