National Child Measurement Programme: results from the school year 2007/08

If you are already familiar with the NCMP, read the report, view the data tables, or look up results for your area in the online database www.noo.org.uk/maps/eatlas

If you are new to the NCMP we suggest you read our what, why, how and where sections below.

What is the NCMP?

Established in 2005, the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) weighs and measures children in Reception (4 -5 years) and Year 6 (aged 10 – 11 years) to assess overweight and obese levels.

In 2007/2008, 973,073 primary school children were measured (88 percent of those eligible).

Why do we have the NCMP?

The NCMP was set up in line with the Government's strategy to tackle obesity and to:

inform local planning and delivery of services for children
gather population-level data to allow analysis of trends in growth patterns and obesity
increase population and professional understanding of weight issues in children
be a vehicle for engaging with children and families about healthy lifestyles and weight issues.

How is the data collected?

The measurement process was overseen by trained healthcare professionals in schools and was not shared with school staff or pupils. Data was captured and checked by Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), we then collated the data at a national level and validated it again.

All information we received is anonymised, so individual children can not be identified. Robust information security measurements are in place to ensure that data is held and accessed securely.

For further information, please refer to our frequently asked questions. If you want to know more about this healthly living from a national policy perspective, visit the Department of Health website. www.dh.gov.uk/healthyliving.