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The National Child Measurement Programme - guidance and letter templates

  • Last modified date:
    5 February 2010

Guidance for PCTs: 2009/10

This guidance has been developed following wide consultation with primary care trusts (PCTs), schools and parents. It provides advice to PCTs on:

  • arrangements for measuring the height and weight of primary and middle school children as part of the National Child Measurement Programme;
  • sending parents their child’s results – whether routinely or on a request-only basis; and
  • submitting data to the NHS Information Centre for inclusion in the national database

Parental Feedback Tool and Results Letter for 2009/10

This letter is designed to be used when sending NCMP results to parents. The letter should be used with the Parental Feedback Tool, available via the link below. Once you have entered height and weight data into the tool, letters can be mail merged so that the blank fields will be populated with each child’s details. Full guidance for using the Tool is available at the link below.

The template results letter has been developed in consultation with child health experts and parents. A summary of our testing with parents is available here.

Guidance for schools for 2009/10

Guidance for schools is available on the Teachernet website. The guidance explains how and why the NCMP is being undertaken and explains schools' role in the process. PCTs may wish to remind school staff about this guidance, in order to engage them with the programme or to help address any specific queries they might have.

Template letters

Headteacher and governor letter

GP letter

PCTs can use this letter to send to GP practices in their area to help raise awareness of the National Childhood Measurement Programme.

Opt-out and feedback request letter for parents ROUTINE FEEDBACK APPROACH

Opt-out letter for parents REQUEST-ONLY APPROACH

Letter to parents of children unable to be weighed and measured unaided

This letter can be sent to parents of a child who is unable to participate in the NCMP because they are unable to stand unaided to have their height and weight measured. The letter can be edited as needed to meet local needs.

Guidance for analysis by PCTs and public health observatories

The National Obesity Observatory has, on behalf of the Cross-Government Obesity Unit, produced a guidance document for Primary Care Trusts and Public Health Observatories that want to undertake regional and local analysis of the National Child Measurement Programme 2007/08 national dataset. The guidance includes information and a template letter for providing feedback of results to schools. PHOs and PCTs should liaise closely to discuss what analysis would be useful for local areas and prevent duplication of any analysis.

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