Services
Screening programmes
Every year in England, children in Reception and Year 6 have their height and weight measured as part of the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP). In addition, all children in Reception will have their vision screened.
Children will not be made to take part on the day if they do not want to.
Vision screening
Children in Reception classes in mainstream, local authority schools will have their vision screened. It is very important for a child’s eyesight to be screened when they are young so that any problems can be picked up and treated early on.
Health and wellbeing assistants from your local school nurse team will visit school and use a simple test to screen your child’s vision. We will inform you about the outcome of the screening and, if necessary, we will refer your child to a specialist. We encourage you to share your child’s results with their class teacher.
Opting out of the vision screening
If you are happy for your child to have their vision screening you do not need to do anything. If you do not want your child to have their vision screened or if they are already under professional care for their vision, please let us know by completing the online form here.
Alternatively please phone 0300 421 8225 leaving a message with the details of your child’s name, date of birth, address and the school they currently attend.
National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP)
Opting your child out of the programmes
If you are happy for your child to have their vision screen and to be weighed and measured, you do not need to do anything. If you do not want your child to take part in one or both of these, please let us know by completing the online form here.
Alternatively please phone 0300 421 8225 within 2 weeks, leaving a message with the details of your child’s name, date of birth, address and the school they currently attend.
If your child is already under professional care for their vision, it is important that you notify us using the online form or on the above number to prevent unnecessary referrals.
Every year in England, children in Reception and Year 6 have their height and weight measured as part of the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP). Children will not be forced to take part on the day if they do not want to.
The measurement will be undertaken by trained staff from your School Nursing Team. The results will not be visible to your child. Routine data, such as your child’s name, and date of birth will also be collected but the records of children’s heights and weights will be made anonymous before being sent for analysis by Public Health England and will be stored locally on child health records. All information and results will be treated confidentially. Your Head Teacher has agreed that this will happen in your child’s school, you can contact your school to find out when we will be visiting.
NCMP – Receiving your child’s measurement results
We will not automatically inform you of your child’s results, only if their BMI is in the underweight/overweight range. In these instances, you will receive an intervention letter to offer you information and support.
If you would like to be informed of your child’s results, please let us know by completing the online form.
Alternatively please phone 0300 421 8225. Please leave a message with details of your child’s name, date of birth, address, school they currently attend and your contact telephone number.
How your child’s data is collected and processed
Local authorities have a legal duty to collect the NCMP data. They do this by following guidance from Public Health England. Local authorities are responsible for making decisions on how the data is collected and for making sure it is protected. Local NCMP service providers are contracted to carry this out; in Gloucestershire this is through the school nursing team.
The team collecting the data enter it into the NCMP IT system, which is provided by NHS Digital. The data is also entered into a local child health information system. Your local authority is responsible for sending the data to NHS Digital. NHS Digital and Public Health England are jointly responsible for the data held at a national level. Your local authority is responsible for the data held locally.
More information on how personal data is collected, used and shared is available in the National Child Measurement Programme Gloucestershire Privacy Notice in the ‘Further Information’ section below.
Further information
- Further information about the National Child Measurement Programme can be found here.
- The National Child Measurement Programme Gloucestershire Privacy Notice can be downloaded by clicking here
- Information and fun ideas to help your kids stay healthy can be found on the Change 4 Life website.
- Information about how NHS Digital and Public Health England collect and use information can be found at: How we look after your health and care information and Personal Information Charter
- Information about the organisations NHS Digital has shared information with can be found here.
