National Child Measurement Programme

The way we live in modern society means that it is harder to be a healthy weight. We are less active and do not eat as healthily as we used to, meaning the rates of obesity in adults and children are higher than ever before. Being overweight can have an impact on an individual’s physical health – both are associated with an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart and liver disease, among other illnesses.

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is an important part of the programme of work to implement the Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives strategy and is overseen by the Cross -Government Obesity Unit.

Every year children in Reception Year (aged 4 -5 years) and Year 6 (aged 10 -11 years) are weighed and measured during the school year as part of this programme. NHS Oxfordshire uses the NCMP data to set local goals to tackle child obesity and target services for children most in need. In Oxfordshire one in five children in Reception Year and one in three children in Year 6 are overweight or obese.

Throughout the country, children in Reception Year and Year 6 are having their height and weight measured as part of the NCMP. For Oxfordshire this will start taking place from January 2010. If you have a child in one of these years, you will receive a letter with more information about the programme from your child’s school.
Trained staff from NHS Oxfordshire will weigh and measure your child in their clothes. Care is taken to ensure that the measurements are done sensitively and in private, and your child’s results will not be shared with teachers or other children.
Your child’s results will be held securely by NHS Oxfordshire, along with other details, such as date of birth and school.

Information on all children will be gathered together and sent to the Department of Health – but not details that could identify your child, such as name or date of birth. The Department of Health will analyse this anonymous information to look at trends in children’s heights and weights across England to shape how services are delivered to help people improve their own and their children’s health. From the data we have for Oxfordshire we know that one in five Reception Year and one in three Year 6 children are overweight or very overweight.

NHS Oxfordshire will send parents a letter with their child’s results within six weeks of being measured. This will tell you your child’s height and weight, when they were measured and whether this means that they are underweight, a healthy weight or overweight for their age, sex and height.
The result is based on a BMI percentile. BMI calculations are different for children than for adults. For children BMI is compared to a growth chart to determine their weight status.

More information