When we think of a child in care, Tracy Beaker from the popular Jacqueline Wilson books and TV adaptation often comes to mind.

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For many, Tracy Beaker was the only window into life in care, and children’s homes specifically. But the lived reality of the estimated 82,000 looked-after children in England today is very different. For a start, around two in three looked-after children live with foster carers. It would be rare now to find a children's home like the one depicted in the series, with several children who don't have complex needs.  I feel certain that if Tracy were a looked-after child in 2026, she would be placed with one of the thousands of foster carers up and down the country doing a fantastic job of caring for children. In fact, Tracy did move into foster care at the end of her story.

As Chief Inspector of Ofsted, I want to understand the real-life experiences of children living in all types of social care provision, and I want to hear about it in their own words. Alongside hearing directly from children during our inspections, we send a survey every year to children living in foster care, boarding schools, supported accommodation and children's homes. We ask if they feel safe. Do they feel listened to? Do they spend time with people who are important to them?

The responses help us spot trends that inform our inspection and regulatory activity. More widely, they underpin a core belief at Ofsted: that every child should feel safe, every child should feel listened to and - whether they live with their family or not - every child should spend time with people who matter to them.

We had over 8,000 responses to this year’s survey,........

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