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| Helen Mann inquest: Head teacher suicide verdict | Helen Mann inquest: Head teacher suicide verdict |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A head teacher found hanged at her school in Worcestershire killed herself, a coroner has ruled. | A head teacher found hanged at her school in Worcestershire killed herself, a coroner has ruled. |
| The body of Helen Mann, 43, was discovered in a stairwell at Sytchampton First School near Stourport-on-Severn on 5 November. | The body of Helen Mann, 43, was discovered in a stairwell at Sytchampton First School near Stourport-on-Severn on 5 November. |
| She had been head at the school for less than six months. | She had been head at the school for less than six months. |
| The inquest in Stourport heard Mrs Mann took an overdose following a fitness to work interview days before her death. A verdict of suicide was recorded. | |
| 'Dedicated and professional' | |
| The inquest heard that the married mother of two had been concerned the school would lose its outstanding Ofsted rating after taking over and was later off for four weeks with work-related stress. | |
| Following the fitness to work interview she took a number of sleeping pills. | |
| In summing up the evidence, deputy coroner Marguerite Elcock said it was clear to her that Mrs Mann was a "dedicated and professional teacher, with high expectations of herself". | |
| The coroner added that Mrs Mann "felt under pressure in her new role as head teacher at Sytchampton Primary School and feared failure". | |
| "When this got too much she took her own life." | |
| Ms Elcock also praised Mrs Mann's husband Philip's "stoicism and love and support for his wife" which she said shone through throughout the proceedings. | |
| One of the school's governors, Dr Stephanie Gait said: "The staff and governing body at Sytchampton First School have been supporting the coroner with her inquiries. | |
| "We hope that the completion of this process this week will help us as a school community to move forwards whilst still remembering Mrs Mann for her time as head teacher here." |