The HM Inspectorate report that may have led a head teacher to take her own life has criticised Glendinning Primary School in Galashiels. Comments about the head teacher's leadership have been removed “out of respect” after Irene Hogg, 54, was found dead the week after the inspectors' visit at Easter.

Ms Hogg's brother, Roger, has already condemned this omission. He said his sister should have been “at the centre of this report so we can get to the truth of the matter”.

The report from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education described Ms Hogg's school as “adequate” in eight out of 12 categories. This grade means the school's “strengths just outweigh weaknesses”.

The school was rated weak on its arrangements for fairness and equality and good in only three categories.

It was after Ms Hogg received verbal feedback from inspectors that she was found dead at a remote beauty spot. Police are still investigating.

Since Ms Hogg's death, professional teaching bodies have attacked the increasing pressures of inspections and called for an urgent review of a process regarded as overly hostile by those on the receiving end.

The inspectorate's grades for Glendinning Primary were markedly harsher than those contained in a pre-inspection report carried out by Borders Council's own officials the month before.

The Times obtained a copy of the pre-inspection report - often regarded as a dummy run for the inspectorate's report - under the Freedom of Information Act. In it, Glendinning received one very good rating, eight goods and only three adequates.

In the category of fairness and equality - rated as weak by HM inspectors - local assessors rated the school as good.

They highlighted the category as one in which the school was “a model of good practice”.

Similar discrepancies were evident in the category of care and welfare, where Glendinning was described by HM inspectors as in need of improvement. “Child protection issues were not always recorded according to education authority guideleines,” they said.

The in-house report, however, rated pastoral care of the 105 pupils as “very good” and said all teachers had child protection training.

The council rated Ms Hogg's leadership as good.

The HM inspection report stated only that Ms Hogg “was held in high regard by staff, children and parents. Out of respect for Irene, no further comment on her role as head teacher is made in this report”.

The inspectorate said the school and education authority should take action to ensure improvements in learning and teaching; in meeting pupils' needs by challenging them more consistently; in care and welfare arrangements; and in approaches to ensuring equality and fairness.

Inspectors criticised the school because “the promotion of equality issues, including race equality, was not yet fully embedded within the work of the nursery or school”.

There were other criticisms, such as a variable quality to the teaching, a minority of pupils who became easily distracted, and the fact that playground resources were not easily accessed by children.

On the positive side, the inspectors identified the key strengths of the school as pupils' skill in reading and discussing texts; opportunities for pupils to develop; expressive arts; and the pupils' involvement in setting up a successful and healthy tuck shop.

Inspectors acknowledged that parents thought the school was held in high esteem in the community and their children enjoyed being there. Pupils were polite and courteous.

Glenn Rodger, Borders Council's director of education, said: “Irene was a dedicated and caring head teacher whose love for her school and pupils was clear to everyone who met her.

“The legacy she left for her pupils and colleagues was a memory of her infectious sense of humour and genuine enthusiasm for learning.

“I am pleased with the resilience staff and pupils have shown in coping with this tragedy and I am sure next session they will be ready to move on and build upon Miss Hogg's legacy.”

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