Ofsted's approach to rating educational establishments is in need of review, according to one headteacher, after his school received a rating of requires improvement.

Tony McCabe, the headteacher of St Joseph's RC High School in Horwich, labelled the education watchdog's approach at the moment as "reductionist".

Inspectors came to the school for two days from December 6 last year and released the report on March 20 this year.

St Joseph's received a rating of requires improvement, the same as its last inspection four years ago, in spite of a number of improvements made across the areas of development, education, leadership and management.

READ MORE: Canon Slade School 'requires improvement' says Ofsted.

Inspectors said the issues with the school centred on the attitudes and the behaviour of children outside the classroom.

The report reads: "Most pupils like attending St Joseph’s RC High School. They feel happy, safe and secure.

"The leaders are ambitious for the academic achievement of the pupils who attend this school.

"The pupils benefit from the improvements leaders have made to the quality of education.

"This helps the majority of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to enjoy academic success."

READ MORE: Muslim Girls School 'requires improvement' says Ofsted.

It adds: "The leaders have high expectations of behaviour. The pupils are clear about what is expected.

"Typically, classrooms are calm and orderly places. The pupils settle to their work and behave well in their lessons. 

"However, there are pupils who do not behave as well as they should at social times or between lessons.

"This frustrates those pupils who enjoy a calm and orderly experience."

Mr McCabe told The Bolton News about the work done to address these issues.

READ MORE: Bolton UCS: Damning Ofsted report says pupils feel 'unsafe'.

He said: "We shared with the Ofsted team we are completing a piece of work around building a stronger culture at St Joseph's so that young people feel such a strong allegiance to our school family and such a strong sense of empathy for each other and the world around them that they show improved attitudes and behaviour to each other.

"We know we can’t do this alone. The old proverb states 'It takes a village to raise a child' and we thank parents and carers who have stepped up to support us in doing this."

But he said Ofsted's approach is need of review as the approach at the moment is "reductionist".

It comes after the regulator came under criticism for the death of Ruth Perry, who took her own life while waiting for a report taking her school in Reading, Berkshire, from the highest rating to the lowest rating.

The Bolton News: Young people go back to school after St Joseph's RC High School reopens after the floods

However the education secretary Gillian Keegan this week said the system of one-word assessments on a scale of outstanding to inadequate was "clear" and "simple" to understand.

Mr McCabe said: "While we accept the content of our report we support calls for Ofsted to urgently review their unhelpful, misleading and reductionist method of grading schools. 

"We have written to Ofsted to explain this and they have assured us they will feed this back to those responsible for reviewing future frameworks."

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.