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Investigating perceptions of the National Childhood Measurement Programme in schools to co-create improved resources to support young children’s health and wellbeing

    Cohort 2026 PhD Project

    Primary school kids, wearing school uniforms and backpacks, running on a walkway outside their school building, front view

    About The Project

    Around 40% of Year 6 children in England are living with overweight/obesity [1], and this is disproportionately higher among children of lower socioeconomic position [2,3]. Leicestershire has a higher prevalence of Year 6 pupils who are identified as underweight compared to the National average. This is significantly higher in boys than in girls, and in those from Asian communities. Additionally, although overweight/obesity levels for Y6 children are lower than the national picture, they increase from 32.5% to 65.8% in adults, a level similar to the national average. This indicates that the adolescent years (10-19 years) are a key time for intervention to support the health of Leicestershire residents.  

    The NCMP measures the height and weight of reception (4–5-year-old) and Year 6 (10-11-year-old) children in state funded schools across England to monitor the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity, with measurements being communicated to parents and caregivers. The NCMP provides an opportunity to influence children’s health and behaviours, which could influence future physical and mental wellbeing.  

    There is substantial evidence around parents’ and caregivers’ mixed views of the NCMP, with some raising concerns about weight stigma and mental health implications. However:  

    1. Children’s perceptions/experiences of the NCMP remain largely unknown.  
    2. It is unclear how teachers perceive the NCMP or manage these conversations.  
    3. Parents whose children have been identified as underweight report a lack of support, as correspondence and support typically focus on managing overweight/obesity.  

      This project has been co-created with and is supported by researchers from the University of Leicester, Loughborough University and partners at Leicestershire County Council.

    Project Aims 

    The overall aims of the project are:     

    1. Investigate how children (10-11-year-olds) and teachers perceive the NCMP and explore how communications around the NCMP could be improved.  
    2. Investigate how the NCMP is currently delivered in Leicestershire, including how they introduce children to the NCMP and navigate potential resulting discussions around weight and health, and the support for children identified as underweight.   
    3. Co-create an information pack to support children, parents, teachers and schools throughout the NCMP to maximise positive health and wellbeing outcomes. 

    Learnings from the project will be disseminated directly to Leicestershire services via Leicestershire Country Council. Additionally, we will disseminate learning to Leicester City and Rutland through County Council sharing mechanisms, allowing immediate impacts on NCMP provision across Leicestershire, Leicester City and Rutland.

    Project Team