Sarah McFarlane, headteacher of Chapelhill Primary School in Wirral, was taken to hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack during the second morning of an Ofsted inspection. Several pupils saw her leave in an ambulance, prompting the school and its trust to reassure children and parents. Ofsted immediately paused the inspection and expressed its support for her recovery.

The school said early indications were positive and that McFarlane was receiving treatment in a local hospital. Chapelhill, formerly Sandbrook Primary, reopened as an academy in 2023 and is part of the Leading Learners Trust. The incident comes amid continuing sensitivity around Ofsted inspections following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry, after which Ofsted abandoned single-word school ratings.