Ofsted believes teachers have tolerated "minor disruption and inattention" from students for far too long.

Sir Michael Wilshaw - the regulator's chief inspector - said that while education standards are generally improving in the UK, there are still too many schools that are happy with mediocrity.

In his second annual report, Sir Michael suggested the nation needs to build on recent improvements and ensure that children remain focused while in class. 

He insisted that classrooms must be "orderly places".

"Around 700,000 pupils attend schools where behaviour needs to improve. Unless this changes, teachers will struggle to create an environment in which all children learn well," the Ofsted chief remarked. 

His comments come less than a month after a separate Ofsted report indicated that teachers need to find ways to ensure youngsters become more interested in science. It stated it is easy for pupils to lose their concentration, so schools must try to maintain their curiosity with exciting lesson plans. 

Sir Michael announced that from January, schools that have earned a reputation for poor behaviour could be the subject of "no-notice" visits from inspectors. 

He also believes that the country's best teachers should be distributed more fairly, as this will help to close regional gaps in the standard of education being offered. 

Overall, Ofsted believes nearly 250,000 students are "languishing" in inadequate schools. 

According to the report, English and maths are two subjects that need the most attention, as these lessons received far more negative reviews than other parts of the curriculum. 

On a more positive note, eight in ten schools in England are now rated as good or better, which is the best score since Ofsted was established 20 years ago. 

Inspectors judged teaching standards to be good or outstanding in 65 per cent of the UK's schools - a three per cent improvement on the previous report. 

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