Measuring the height and weight of children in Year 6
19th September 2025
National Child Measurement Programme
Dear Parent/Guardian
RE: Measuring the height and weight of children in Year 6
The NHS wants to have a good understanding of how children are growing across the country so that the best possible health services can be provided for them. To support this, all children in England in Reception Year and Year 6 have their height and weight checked each year. Your child’s year-group will take part in this year’s measurement programme.
The measurement will be supervised by trained staff from Mersey Care NHS Trust. The measurements will be done in a private area away from other pupils. Children who take part will be asked to remove their shoes and will be weighed in normal indoor clothing.
Routine information, such as your child’s sex, address, postcode, telephone number, ethnicity and date of birth, will also be shared to help the NHS and partner agencies plan services for families. All information and results will be treated confidentially. No child’s height or weight will be given to school staff or other children. The record of children’s heights and weights will be made anonymous before being submitted for analysis at a national level but will be stored locally on your child’s health record. This information will then be used to help us understand health trends and plan interventions for children both locally and across the country.
We will not routinely advise parents of your children’s growth measurements following the height and weight check, however, if you would like to know your child’s measurement, please contact us at https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/our-services/liverpool/school-health-service 4 weeks after receiving this letter.
Children will not be made to participate if they do not want to. For helpful information and tips about keeping your kids fit and healthy visit www.nhs.uk/change4life.
If your child has been diagnosed with a medical condition that may affect their height or weight, please contact your school nurse who will be able to advise you.
If you do not want your child to participate in the screening or have their growth measurements shared with the department of health, please follow the instructions below to access the contact number for your school nurse team.
If you have concerns about your child's current weight, there is support available -
Go online for practical advice at: www.nhs.uk/change4life and www.nhs.uk/ncmp3
Find further support by contacting your school health team:
https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/our-services/liverpool/school-health-service
Liv Life Liverpool healthy weight service is available to support families – parents/carers and children aged 5-17 years (up to 25yrs if SEND or care experienced) to achieve a healthy weight and improve their health and wellbeing. Eligibility criteria applies. If you are interested, you can refer your child/family or self via the website: www.livlifeliverpool.org or call on freephone: 0800 488 0551.
Yours sincerely,
Rhiannon Evans
Clinical Operational Manager - School Health for Children & Young People Mersey Care NHS Foundation Health Trust
Opting out of NCMP screening on your child’s weight and height.
If you do not want information of your child’s height and weight to be shared with the
Department of Health.
Please contact your School Health Team via this link https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/our-services/liverpool/school-health-service
Click on Teams 1, 2, 3 or 4 and find your child’s school. Please call the number to let the School Health Team know that you do not want your child’s information to be shared