Ofsted Readiness Checker

15 questions. 3 minutes. Find out exactly where you stand.

Free · no card requiredMaps every question to the Children's Homes Regulations 2015Email is optional

Question 1 of 157%

Personnel

Have you identified a registered manager for your home?

YesNo

How the Launch44 readiness check works

Launch44’s Ofsted readiness check measures how close you are to a submission-ready application across the four dimensions Ofsted actually scores: Documents (40%), Personnel (25%), Premises (20%), and Financial (15%). The 15 questions are calibrated to the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, the nine Quality Standards, and the specific patterns that cause Ofsted to reject first applications.

What each dimension covers

Documents (40%): Your Statement of Purpose, Children’s Guide, safeguarding policy, behaviour management policy, and the other documents Ofsted requires. The check looks at whether you’ve started them, whether they’re personalised to your home, and whether they cite the right regulations and Quality Standards.
Personnel (25%): Your registered manager’s fitness under Regulation 33, the responsible individual’s fitness under Regulation 26, enhanced DBS checks, references, and health declarations. Ofsted’s most common rejection reason is registered manager experience falling short of the two-year residential threshold — the check flags it directly.
Premises (20%): C2 use-class planning permission, fire risk assessment, insurance, and the police and local authority consultations required under Regulation 41. Each carries weeks of third-party wait time, so the check helps you start them early enough to meet your target submission date.
Financial (15%): Ofsted registration fees (from £2,006 for three or fewer beds, scaling to £4,194 for thirteen or more beds under the 2026 fee schedule), annual fees, accounts, and charitable objects where the registered provider is a charity.

What you get after the check

A personalised gap report showing your overall readiness percentage (with a clear band — Strong Position, Making Progress, or Early Stages), a sub-score per dimension so you know which area needs attention first, three specific gaps with practical next steps rather than generic advice, and the option to receive a full written report by email so you can revisit it later. The check takes about three minutes and is genuinely free — no card and no signup are required to see your score.

Frequently asked questions

Is the readiness check really free?

Yes. You get your score and gap report instantly on screen, no card and no signup required. Email capture is optional and only used to send you the report so you can pick it up again later.

Does Launch44 store sensitive data?

No. Launch44 stores the status flags you self-report in the check — never DBS certificate contents, health declarations, references, or children’s records. This is a permanent architectural boundary, not a current limitation.

Can I retake the check after acting on the gaps?

Yes. Use the “Retake assessment” link on your results page to start over. Each retake creates a fresh submission so you can track your readiness progression over weeks and months as you close gaps.

How is the score calibrated?

Every question maps to a specific regulation in the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 or to one of the nine Quality Standards. The weighting reflects how Ofsted inspectors prioritise the four dimensions during the pre-registration inspection. The fee bands use the GOV.UK schedule effective 1 April 2026.