Hillingdon School Nursing Service
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Guidelines for Growth/National Childhood Measurement Programme (NCMP)
Reception and Year 6
Obtain class lists from schools and send to NCMP coordinator. Time scales for completion
as per flow chart.
Team Leader sends a letter to headteachers informing them of the programme with a
sample letter that they can be adapted for sending to parents
School Nurse liaises with school to arrange dates to carry out NCMP.
School sends an information letter to parents with measurement dates. This will include a
copy The change for life Leaflet. Parents can opt out of the NCMP measurement
programme. A tear off slip is attached to the letter for those who wish to opt out.
Height
Staff must be familiar with and follow the operating instructions for the Leicester height
measure.
Carry out the test as follows:
The child stands on the “footprints” (without shoes on) with heels together and touching the
backstop.
Check that the legs are straight and the body touching the uprights. The shoulders should be
relaxed and the arms placed to the side.
Position the head in the Frankfurt Plane with both hands having lowered the measuring arm
firmly onto the head. The Frankfurt Plane is an imaginary horizontal line running
between the ear hole and the lower border of the eye. This will allow the full length of the
child from the crown to the feet to be measured.
Read the height to the last completed millimeter at the end of the red arrow pointing to the
metric scale.
Record the results on the NCMP form whilst carrying out the procedure. Keep the original
and send a copy to NCMP coordinator and child health department within 48 hours.
Weight
Staff must be familiar with and follow the operating instructions for the scales used and they
need to be have calibrated within the last twelve months.
Carry out the test as follows:
Chair: Dame Ruth Runciman
Chief Executive:Claire Murdoch
Ask the child to remove their shoes and to stand on the scales. (If not NCMP, perform BMI
calculation depending on the type of scale that you are using).
Record the results on the NCMP form whilst carrying out the procedure. Keep the original
and send a copy to NCMP coordinator and child health department within 48 hours.
A letter is sent to parents with the results of the measurements within six weeks. This is done
by the NCMP coordinator.
Measurements that are not part of the NCMP Programme
Body Mass Index (BMI) centile
If the weight is above the 75th centile or if the weight and height differ, the BMI should be
calculated, as the BMI is the best indicator of thinness and fatness. There is a BMI centile
chart at the top of the growth chart where the centiles can be plotted.
Note the weight and the height centiles from the growth chart.
Plot the weight centile against the height centile on the BMI look-up.
Read off the corresponding BMI centile from the slanting lines.
Record the centile on the grid at the top of the chart at the appropriate age.
BMI above the 91st centile suggests overweight. A child above the 98th centile is very
overweight (clinically obese).BMI below the 2nd centile is unusual and may reflect
under nutrition but may simply reflect a small build, or low muscle mass.
If the BMI is above the 91st Centile send a letter to the parent enclosing a copy of a MEND
leaflet: (if age appropriate) and Change 4 Life ‘top tips for top kids’
Document the result and action taken as a key event on RIO progress note
Send results to Child Health Department within 7 working days.
Chair: Dame Ruth Runciman
Chief Executive:Claire Murdoch