How inspection grades differ across England's regions
We looked at two years of full inspections, region by region. The differences are real but smaller than people tend to assume, and where the homes are matters as much as how they are graded.
Children's homes are not spread evenly across England, and neither are their grades. Over the two years to July 2026, Ofsted published about 8,200 full inspections of children's homes. Here is how they divide up across the nine regions.
Where the homes are
The North West has far more homes than any other region. It accounted for 2,173 full inspections. That is more than a quarter of the total for England, and nearly as many as the West Midlands and East Midlands put together. Together, the North West, West Midlands and East Midlands made up more than half of all inspections. London accounted for fewer than one in fifteen.
Of the 8,244 full inspections published, August 2024 to July 2026:
How the grades compare
Full inspections graded Good or Outstanding, by region
August 2024 to July 2026. England as a whole: 83%
The spread from top to bottom is about nine points. Most regions sit within a point or two of the national figure.
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