A Horwich headteacher set out his hopes for a review of the approach to inspecting schools after His Majesty's Chief Inspector announced a short-term suspension of inspections.

Ofsted's Sir Martyn Oliver announced the short-term suspension of inspections on January 2, the same day as he started in the role, to allow for supplementary training to inspectors.

The call 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 regulator must respond to the concerns of Heidi Connor, the senior coroner for the region, in the coming weeks.

Afterwards Sir Martyn said there is set to be a Big Listen inviting parents and professionals to share their thoughts on the system's strengths and weaknesses.

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Tony McCabe, the headteacher of St Joseph's RC High School, said the system of one-word ratings and two-word ratings was reductionist after St Joseph's received a rating of requires improvement last year.

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He said: "Clearly it is essential schools are accountable because they are in the privileged position of being able to influence a child and to set them up for life. Children get one chance at their education and it is important it is is the best it can be.

"Ofsted need to find a model which is less focused on reductionist judgements that are unhelpful at best and that are misleading at worst. The model should pay particular attention to the situation of each school and it should measure how each school is improving over time.

"No schools can be outstanding for every child but there is so much expertise to be shared between schools and coordinated by inspection teams. 

"As a parent I am less interested to know the judgement my children's schools receive but more interested to know the schools are listening to the community and are driving improvements to help children to adapt to the ever-changing world."

St Joseph's RC High School was in the top ten of best performing schools based on GCSE results.

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Sir Martyn said: "Along with immediate training on mental health awareness, one of the first things I want to do is listen to parents, to professionals in the sectors we work with and to people with an interest in our work. We are here for children and we will serve them best by working constructively, respectfully and empathetically with the experts who are responsible for their education and care. 

"Our people come from these sectors, we understand the pressures they are under, and we will make this clear as we go about our work."

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