Rotherham special school headteacher Rachael Booth dies after heart attack
Rachael Booth, headteacher of the Willows special needs school in Rotherham, has died after suffering a heart attack at work. Colleagues tried to resuscitate her before she was taken to hospital, where she died on Tuesday; the school trust said their efforts gave her family and friends time to be with her.
Booth joined the school in 2010 as a maths teacher and had led it as headteacher. Pupils, parents and former colleagues remembered her as caring and inspirational, while a recent Ofsted inspection praised the school’s inclusive, nurturing environment. The school closed after her death and is scheduled to reopen on 2 November 2026.
In short
- Rachael Booth died after a heart attack at school.
- Colleagues tried to resuscitate her.
- Tributes praised her care for pupils and the school community.
Explained simply
Special schools support pupils with additional needs, including learning difficulties or disabilities, and adapt teaching and care to help them learn. The Willows is a special needs school in Rotherham, and Rachael Booth had worked there since joining as a maths teacher in 2010.
A headteacher leads a school’s staff and oversees its day-to-day work and pupils’ education. The school’s inclusive, nurturing approach was praised in a recent Ofsted inspection, and pupils, parents and former colleagues have described Booth as caring and inspirational.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Headteacher dies after suffering heart attack in special needs school despite colleagues’ fighting ‘so hard’ to save her”.