School entry health screening

What is Health Screening?

Sheffield Children’s 0-19 Service offer all children routine screening as recommended by the Healthy Child Programme (5-19). The screening will include checks on height, weight, hearing and vision. All health screening is carried out in schools at different stages.

The table below specifies the different screening offered by the Sheffield Children’s 0-19 Service.

If your child is home educated, please contact our service on 0114 3053224 (Option 4) to arrange for a screening for them.

Health Screening is important to ensure any health issues which may challenge your child’s ability to learn are identified at an early stage. This will enable your child to fulfil their potential in school.

Ready for School questionnaire

If your child is in Reception (F2) or new to school in Y1 you will receive a link to the Ready for School questionnaire through your child’s school. Please complete the questionnaire if you have concerns about your child’s growth and diet, sleep, dental health or concerns regarding day/night-time wetting. The 0-19 Service will then contact you directly.

Height and weight checks

If your child is in Reception (F2) or Y6, height and weight checks are part of the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP).

If your child is new to school in Y1, the 0-19 Service will offer your child a height and weight check and will contact you with your child’s results.

Opting out

What if I do not wish my child to have School Entry Health Screening or to take part in the National Child Measurement Programme?

School entry screening (including height and weight, vision and hearing checks) in Reception – and Y1 where needed – and height and weight screening in Y6 is carried out on an opt out basis.

If you do not want your child to be screened you must send us an email to let us know. This email should be sent to scn-tr.ncmpoptout@nhs.net by Thursday 16 October 2024. We are not able to accept this information by telephone.

You should provide the following information in your email:

• Your child’s name
• Child’s date of birth
• The name of the school they attend
• Which part of the screening you do not wish your child to take part in
• Why you are opting out – if you feel comfortable sharing this information

If we do not hear from you, your child will be seen as part of the school entry or Y6 screening/the National Child Measurement Programme.

National Child Weighing and Measuring Programme (Reception and Y6 only)

What is the Weighing and Measuring Programme?

Every year in England, school children in reception and year 6 have their height and weight checked at school. This is called the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP). The checks are carried out by registered school nurses or trained health and care providers. Children are measured fully clothed, except for their coats and shoes, in a private space away from other pupils.

Children will not be made to take part on the day if they do not wish to do so.

We are only able to offer height and weight checks for children able to stand unaided. Please let us know if your child is unable to stand unaided.

Why do we do these measurements?

Children’s height and weight measurements are collected to build an understanding of how children are growing. The information from the NCMP is used by local councils and the NHS to plan the provision of health and leisure services for families to promote healthier growth in children.

Maintaining the wellbeing of children in the NCMP

The wellbeing of children and families is very important. Measurements are conducted in a sensitive way, and away from other children. Individual results of the height and weight screening are not shared with your child or their school. The weight and height information is shared only with you through a parent feedback letter or telephone call. Letters are sent within six weeks of the measurements being taken. It is your choice whether you share the information with your child or not.

If you are concerned about your child’s growth, weight, body image or eating patterns, please seek further support from a School Nurse or General Practitioner.

Data collection as part of the NCMP

For this programme the following data is used:

• Child’s name
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Child’s school
• NHS number
• Ethnicity
• Address and postcode
• Parent/Carer contact number and email address

Your child’s height, weight, age, sex, and date of birth are collected to calculate their weight category (also known as child body mass index).

Your child’s ethnicity and address are collected to monitor differences in child growth and weight between ethnic groups, where children live and their backgrounds.

Your child’s name, date of birth and NHS number are collected to link their measurements from reception and year 6 to other information from health and education records held by NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education, where it is legal to do so.

We collect parent and carer details in case we feel we need to discuss your child’s results with you. All this information is treated confidentially and held securely. It will not be shared with your child’s school or with other children.

The information collected from all schools in Sheffield will be gathered and held securely by Sheffield City Council., We will store your child’s information on their local child health record on the child health information database which may be seen by other health professionals involved in your child’s care.  No individual measurements will be given to school staff or other children, and all information will be treated confidentially.

You can read more about how Sheffield Childrens NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield City Council collects, stores and uses your child’s information at:

• Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
• Sheffield City Council

You can read more about how the Department of Health and Social Care collects, stores and uses your child’s information and data in the National Child Measurement Programme privacy notice.

You can read more about how NHS England collects, stores and uses your child’s information and data at National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP): GDPR information.

On the NHS England National Child Measurement Programme webpage you can read more about:

• taking part in the programme
• how your data is collected
• how your data is used

Sheffield Weight Management Service

Tier 2 Weight management services for children and young people are commissioned by Sheffield City Council and the provider for this service can change. However, the offer to families should not. Most weight management programmes offer a 12-week programme to help the whole family feel healthier through small and achievable change. All programmes are child-focused and are held in community settings across Sheffield. Sheffield City Council has currently commissioned More Life to provide this service for families in Sheffield.

Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust work in partnership with the commissioned provider for Tier 2 Weight Management Services. As part of this partnership, following the NCMP screening a member of the More Life team may contact you directly as a parent/carer to give you information about their current programmes, which you as a family may wish to join. 

If you would like more information, visit the More Life website.

What help is available if I have concerns about my child’s height and weight?

Please contact the School Nursing team on 0114 305 3224 (option 4) if you have any concerns about your child’s height and weight. School nurses are able to provide support and advice.

You can find information and fun ideas to help your kids stay healthy at the NHS Better Health healthier families webpage: Easy ways to eat well and move more.

Another way to help maintain a balanced diet and physical activity for your family is the NHS Healthy Steps email programme. Sign up for the 8-week Healthy Steps emails and you will be sent lots of low-cost easy tips, fun games, healthy swaps and tasty recipes on a budget. To sign up, visit: Healthy Steps – step this way.

You can find further information about the NCMP at The National Child Measurement Programme NHS webpage.

School entry hearing tests

School entry screening includes a hearing test for F2/Y1 children. The test used is called a ‘sweep test’ and involves a series of sounds played at different volumes and frequencies through headphones. Your child is asked to respond when they hear the sound.

The test is a basic screening exercise. If your child’s outcome is below a certain level we will inform you of this by email, if we hold a current email address for you. If this is not available we will send a letter to your home address. This is not uncommon and may be due to a recent cold or simply a lapse in concentration. The test will be repeated in school approximately six to eight weeks later. If your child misses sounds on this second test, a referral will be made to Hearing Services at Sheffield Children’s for a more detailed test. You will be informed of the outcome of the second test by email/letter. If you have any concerns about your child’s hearing please contact your school nurse or GP.

If your child has a programmable shunt, please contact the School Nursing team on (0114) 305 3224 (option 4) so we can refer your child to Hearing Services directly, if you are not already under their care.

You can opt out of hearing tests should you not wish your child to be screened by following the guidelines in the opting out section

Vision screening

What is a vision screening?

NHS Sheffield has designed a service for vision screening as children begin primary school. This service uses the UK National Screening Committee recommendations. A paediatric Orthoptist – a specialist in testing children’s eyes – from Sheffield Children’s will carry out the eye test.

Where will the test be done?

Vision screening is usually done in your child’s school which will be arranged in advance with the school. You do not need to be there for the test. Children who are absent on multiple visits or are home tutored will be offered an appointment at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, or at the Northern General Hospital Children’s Outpatients site. We will send you an appointment if this is the case for your child.

What happens at the eye test?

Children are usually seen in groups of two or three, so that they can be with their friends, and will play a ‘looking game’. We will assess your child’s vision using a letter matching test. The test is fun, and your child does not need to know their letters. Each eye is tested separately by wearing a pair of glasses with one eye blanked out. Other tests may be done to assess how well their eyes work together, and to find out if the eye muscles are working correctly. The test is usually takes around five minutes.

What sort of problems will be detected?

The vision tests will determine if your child has reduced vision in one or both eyes. Vision continues to develop from birth to around eight years of age. Children rarely complain of having poor vision and it can easily go unnoticed, especially if it only affects one eye. Reduced vision can have an impact on a child’s learning and development, so, we recommend vision screening between four to five years. Reduced vision is caused by the brain not receiving a clear image from one or both eyes. Reasons for this could be the shape of the eye itself or a ‘turn’ in the eye (squint). Glasses, eye patches or both may be recommended as part of the treatment. The orthoptist will also be able to detect any eye muscle movement problem.

How can I help prepare my child for the eye test?

It is vitally important that you adopt a positive approach in preparing your child for vision screening. Put them at ease and say that it only takes five minutes.

What happens next?

If screening does not suggest reduced vision, we will send you a letter via text message confirming your child has met the required standard. For this reason it is vital that you update your mobile number with school so you can receive this message promptly following the screening.

If screening suggests your child has reduced vision, we will contact you by phone to discuss the results. We will also send you a letter explaining the next steps this will be via text message and in the post. Depending on the nature of reduced vision, a referral will be sent securely and include the reason for further care and a minimum set of data to support that care to either:

• a local opticians (to an optometrist) signed up to the vision screening service
• a hospital eye service – e.g. Sheffield Children’s Hospital

The best treatment for your child will then be recommended. Vision screening should find most problems but like all types of screening it is not perfect and may not find every child with reduced vision.

If you do not wish your child to have a vision test please let us know by following the opt out guidance in the opting out section

When is the next eye test?

There are no further vision screening tests. If you have any concerns about your child’s eyes please visit your local optician and see an optometrist. This test is free of charge for all children under the age of 16 or under the age of 19 if in full time education. You can also see your family doctor (GP) if you are concerned about your child’s eyes. In the case of an emergency please attend Sheffield Children’s Emergency Department.

If you have any questions or concerns about vision screening please call 0114 305 3060.

Immunisations

It is important that your child is up to date with their vaccinations to prevent both individuals and communities from serious and sometimes life-threatening diseases. Please contact our SAIS Team (School Age Immunisation Service) if you think your child is not up to date with their vaccinations. Information regarding school-based immunisation programmes carried out by our service will be sent to you  through your child’s school at the appropriate time. For more information, visit our School Age Immunisation Service webpage or call 0114 3053291.