OFSTED must “reflect on the culture” of school inspections, Labour said today after teaching unions demanded that assessments be paused while a review is carried out.

The call came after head teacher Ruth Perry killed herself in January while waiting for a report from the watchdog that downgraded her primary school in Reading to the lowest possible rating.

Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman claimed today that halting inspections would not be in the best interests of children, while acknowledging that the debate about reforming the system to remove grades “is a legitimate one.”