Guidance

National Child Measurement Programme 2023: information for schools

Updated 19 December 2023

Produced by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, part of the Department of Health and Social Care.

1. Executive summary

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP), also known as the School Height and Weight Checks, is a mandated annual programme delivered by local authorities, which involves measuring the height and weight of all school children in reception and year 6. Over 99% (17,000) of eligible state-maintained schools across England, including academies, usually participate in the NCMP.

Support from schools is crucial to delivering the NCMP. This guidance provides information for school leaders, staff and governing bodies on key tasks that schools can help with to ensure the programme runs smoothly.

Delivering the NCMP provides vital information that enables local authorities and their partners to plan for and invest in key services to tackle obesity and its wider determinants. It also provides the opportunity to raise parents’ awareness of overweight and obesity, its consequences and healthy lifestyle choices.

Although most children in reception and year 6 are a healthy weight, the NCMP data^{[footnote 1]} consistently shows that prevalence of obesity doubles between reception year and year 6 (from around 10% to around 20%). The overall change in prevalence levels has also been relatively small each year, with the exception of the unprecedented rise seen in the 2020 to 2021 NCMP annual report which showed an increase of around 4.5%. Though the 2021 to 2022 NCMP annual report showed a decrease in child obesity prevalence in 2021 to 2022 compared to 2020 to 2021, prevalence remains higher than any year prior to the pandemic (2006 to 2007, to 2019 to 2020). More than 1 in 5 children aged 4 to 5 years and more than 1 in 3 aged 10 to 11 years are overweight or obese (22.3% and 37.8% respectively). This is unacceptably high.

There are significant inequalities in terms of very overweight prevalence in children from the most deprived compared with least deprived areas, and between different children from different ethnic groups.

The term ‘very overweight’ refers to the clinical weight status ‘obese’. While the use of the word obese is a clinical classification, the sensitivity and stigma around using this term is acknowledged. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) encourages all conversations and correspondence with parents in relation to their child’s weight status to use the more acceptable term ‘very overweight’ instead. Children identified as very overweight are more likely to be ill, be absent from school due to illness, experience health-related limitations and require more medical care than children identified as a healthy weight. Very overweight children are also more likely to suffer from dental caries, type 2 diabetes, breathing difficulties and bone and joint problems and experience mental health problems such as depression, poor mental well-being, bullying and weight stigma. Additionally, children living with obesity are 5 times more likely to become adults living with obesity.^{[footnote 2]}

A child’s weight category affects their health and wellbeing. Growing healthily and maintaining a healthy weight throughout childhood is important for physical, social and mental wellbeing and readiness to learn.^{[footnote 3]},^{[footnote 4]} Children and young people may themselves recognise the benefits of being a healthy weight and some identify they need help to make healthy choices to stay healthy, happy and well.^{[footnote 5]}

Since September 2020, health education has been a statutory requirement for schools. Guidance on Relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education does not apply to independent schools, who must meet the Independent School Standards as set out in the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014. It does however, apply to academies and free schools. The new health education curriculum^{[footnote 6]} can support schools with teaching pupils how to make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing - a statutory duty that Ofsted inspectors evaluate.^{[footnote 7]},^{[footnote 8]}

The wellbeing of children and families is a priority. Measurements are conducted in a sensitive way, in private and away from other children. The weight and height information is shared with the parent or carer in a feedback letter, where letters are provided. No individual information is shared with the children themselves, teachers or the school. It is a parent’s choice if they share the information with their child. If a parent is concerned about their child’s growth, weight, body image or eating patterns, NCMP feedback letters provide national and local information to support parents and advise on when to seek further support from a school nurse or General Practitioner.

Parents do react in different ways to receiving their child’s NCMP feedback, so guidance is available to help school nursing teams and NCMP delivery staff have supportive conversations with parents about the NCMP and their child’s health and growth. See the NCMP conversation framework for talking to parents.

The emotional impact of the NCMP has been researched. Studies show that body image, self-esteem, weight-related teasing and restrictive eating behaviours do not change as a result of being measured or receiving feedback. For example, one study reported that most children (96%, 351 children) are indifferent or unconcerned about being weighed or measured. The small number of children (4%, 13 children) that disliked the process were mainly from year 6, children aged 10 to 11 years. This reinforces the need for sensitivity when weighing and measuring, particularly in older children.^{[footnote 9]},^{[footnote 10]}

2. Overview of the NCMP

2.1 Background

The NCMP, also known as school height and weight checks, was established in 2006. Over 99% (approximately 17,000) of eligible state-maintained schools, including academies, participate in the programme. Over 1 million children in reception and year 6 usually have their height and weight measured in schools as part of the programme.

OHID has responsibility for the national oversight of the NCMP. The surveillance components of the programme are a mandated public health function of local authorities. Local commissioners and providers have been advised to follow national and local infection control guidance required to help enable the safe delivery of the NCMP.

Data collected through the NCMP is returned to NHS England, where it is analysed. A report summarising local and national data is then published. Local areas use this high-quality data to inform the development and delivery of services to tackle child obesity. Nationally it is used to track trends in child obesity levels over time, to inform policy and is key to monitoring progress of the government’s Childhood Obesity Plan chapter 2.^{[footnote 11]} Tackling child and adult obesity is a renewed and strengthened priority for the government, as is shown in its tackling obesity strategy.

2.2 Weight status in primary school

National data from the NCMP shows that the prevalence of children living with obesity doubles from around 10% of children at the start of primary school to around 20% at the end of primary school. Additionally, year-on-year, the data has shown that obesity prevalence in the most deprived 10% of areas in England is more than twice that in the least deprived 10%.^{[footnote 12]} This gap in obesity prevalence by deprivation continues to widen for both reception and year 6, and for those children with severe obesity, this gap rises to more than 4 times for both year groups.

Analysis of NCMP data to assess how weight status changes in individual children during primary school found that weight status tracks between reception and year 6. The findings suggest that excess weight is likely to persist or worsen during primary school and that children from the most deprived backgrounds and certain ethnic communities may be at higher risk of retaining or gaining an unhealthy weight^{[footnote 13]}.

An infographic of the findings to show changes in the [weight status category of children between the first and final years of primary school can be found in the OHID report.

2.3 Achieving a healthy weight is important

When children are a healthier weight, they may feel better about themselves. They may find it easier to play and learn and they are more likely to grow up healthy too. Helping them to be a healthier weight when they are a child can set up their health and wellbeing for life.

2.4 Facts about childhood obesity

Children who are overweight or very overweight are more likely to develop a variety of illnesses in childhood and later life, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, increased risk of type 2 diabetes (pre-diabetes), breathing difficulties, dental caries and bone and joint problems.^{[footnote 14]},^{[footnote 15]} Health is not the only issue. Children living with obesity are also impacted by emotional and social issues such as:

• poorer emotional well-being
• being at a higher risk of depression
• developing an eating disorder in older children
• lower body image and self-esteem
• teasing or bullying
• behavioural problems
• avoidance of active play or learning opportunities in school sport and PE ^{[footnote 16]},^{[footnote 17]},^{[footnote 18]},^{[footnote 19]}

Children living with severe and persistent obesity are more compromised. It’s important to note that many children living with obesity are psychologically well, have high self-esteem and do not suffer major depression.

Living with obesity can impact on:

• a child’s attendance, as they may need to miss school for medical appointments or treatment
• a child’s learning and academic achievement
• a child’s sleep - sleep deprived children are less likely to perform well academically
• staff training and expertise, because staff may need to provide extra support to children with health problems arising from overweight and obesity to ensure they manage their condition during the school day

2.5 The importance of school participation

Supporting the NCMP and embedding it in a whole school approach to health and wellbeing will:

• support pupils to gain the knowledge and skills required for good health and wellbeing
• support the delivery of the new health education curriculum which became a statutory requirement in September 2020
• help schools to demonstrate to Ofsted that they are considering the health and wellbeing of their pupils and helping them know how to keep physically healthy

Supporting the delivery of the NCMP in your school ensures that vital information is available to help local authorities and their partners plan, target and deliver services to promote children’s healthy weight and growth – manage both underweight and excess weight (overweight and obesity) and in turn address the issues set out above.

Local authorities may also share individual height and weight measurements and calculated weight category with each child’s parent by sending a letter, typically via post from the NCMP provider directly to the parent. OHID has produced a template letter (also known as a specimen result letter to parents) for local authorities which can be used and adapted locally. This letter contains links to the NHS BMI healthy weight calculator and the Better Health Families website - both of which can support and encourage parents to monitor their child’s growth and to adopt healthier lifestyle behaviours. This is particularly important for parents and families who may need additional support to achieve and maintain a healthier weight due to the impact lockdown has had on healthy lifestyle behaviours.

Parents and health professionals often cannot tell, just by looking at a child, whether they fall within a healthy weight range. This is why taking an objective measurement by trained health professionals through the NCMP and sharing that information with parents is important.

Information on the prevalence of school overweight and obesity, over a 3 year average, compared with local and national averages, can be shared with schools via a bespoke NCMP school feedback letter. Local authorities send these letters. The letter also includes details of resources to encourage whole school action to increase health and wellbeing, including healthy eating and increasing physical activity (see resources section). In conjunction with action taken by local authorities, this can make a real difference in preventing the continued increase of excess weight in children from reception to year 6, benefiting not only the health and wellbeing of pupils but also their learning and achievement in school.

Healthy eating and food in schools

Research on the impact of Universal Infant free school meals (UIFSM) policy in England found evidence that by the end of the school year, those exposed to UIFSM have significantly better bodyweight outcomes than they otherwise would, and are more likely to be of a healthy weight, less likely to be living with obesity, and have a lower BMI.

Government guidance on school food is designed to create a culture and ethos of healthy eating. Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework includes a judgment on personal development, behaviour and welfare. As part of reaching this judgment, inspectors will look at the extent to which schools are successfully supporting pupils to gain knowledge of how to keep themselves healthy and make informed choices about healthy eating and fitness. The school food standards webpages offer practical guidance to help school leaders and governing bodies adopt a whole school approach to food.

Physical activity in schools

Public Health England (now OHID) previously published a resource for headteachers which brings together key guidance and policy documents on increasing physical activity in children and young people alongside local examples, called What works in schools and colleges to increase levels of physical activity in children and young people. It has been produced to support schools and colleges in order to develop and implement practical, effective evidence-based approaches utilising 8 key principles as shown in figure 1.

Figure 1: promising principles for practice from - ‘What works in schools and colleges to increase levels of physical activity in children and young people’.

Figure 1 shows the 8 promising principles for practice from ‘What works in schools and colleges to increase levels of physical activity in children and young people’, presented in a circle diagram with ‘develop and deliver multi-component interventions’ at the centre. Radially around this core principle are the following 6 principles, arranged in a clockwise manner:

1. ensure skilled workforce
2. engage student voice
3. create active environments
4. offer choice and variety
5. embed in teaching and learning
6. promote active travel

The eighth principle ‘embed monitoring and evaluation’ is considered to be a cross-cutting principle that encompasses all the above principles.

3. The role and responsibilities of local authorities

Delivery of the programme, including the height and weight measurements and returning relevant data to NHS England, is a statutory function of local authorities set out in legislation. Local authorities, or the provider organisations they commission, will follow the process shown in the Deliverable elements of NCMP document when implementing the programme and in doing so will be responsible for:

• ensuring that, either, a registered medical practitioner, registered nurse, for example school nurse, or registered dietitian oversees the implementation of the programme
• securing the class-list information on children in reception and year 6, including school name and unique reference number, pupil name, gender, date of birth, ethnicity code, home address and postcode, by liaising either directly with schools or with their local authority education officer – a parent’s email address and telephone number may also be required if digital communication methods are being used and proactive feedback calls are planned by the local authority or NCMP provider

It is lawful under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 for schools to continue to provide class lists to the local authority or those working on behalf of the local authority to carry out the height and weight measurements. For more information, see section 5, ‘Supporting NCMP and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018: advice for schools’.

3.1 Developing and disseminating a pre-measurement letter to parents

As consent is not the lawful basis for processing NCMP data under the GDPR and DPA 2018, there is no requirement for schools to obtain the consent of parents in order to provide class lists to school nursing teams and NCMP providers. However, local authorities are required to take steps to ensure parents understand the value of having their child measured and are provided with a reasonable opportunity to withdraw their child from participating in the programme.

OHID has developed a specimen pre-measurement letter for parents, which ensures that the information provided to parents on the processing of their children’s height and weight data meets the requirements of the GDPR and DPA 2018. The letter also acts as the privacy notice and must be sent to all children eligible to take part in the NCMP. Parents must be sent this letter at least 2 weeks before the measurements are scheduled to take place.

3.2 Raising awareness of the programme among parents, school leaders and staff, children and governors

Many NCMP leads will seek to include short articles in school newsletters, provide governors with information and deliver assemblies to ensure parents, children and teachers understand what the programme involves and why it is done. The local NCMP lead is your first point of contact and could be your local authority public health team or an NCMP provider such as a school nursing service or commissioned service that delivers the height and weight measures.

3.3 Planning for and carrying out the height and weight checks

Planning the logistics of measuring children’s height and weight and liaising with schools to arrange appropriate days and times to take measurements. Current national and local infection control guidance should be referred to in order to inform the planning and delivery of NCMP measurements. The following links advise on the necessary adjustments required to help enable the safe delivery of the NCMP:

Emergency planning and response for education, childcare, and children’s social care settings

Health protection in education and childcare settings

Taking the height and weight measurements of children in reception and year 6 and returning the data collected to NHS England. This contributes to the annual national statistics report publication.

3.4 Optional feedback

Check with your local NCMP lead whether feedback to parents and/or feedback to schools is provided.

Feedback to parents

Providing parents with feedback, within 6 weeks of measurement, either in the form of a feedback letter or through a telephone call. The feedback provides parents with individually tailored information on their child’s height, weight and weight category (either underweight, healthy weight, overweight, or very overweight), together with signposting to sources of local support and advice as well as national support such as a link to the Children’s weight page on the Better Health Families website.

Feedback to schools

Providing schools with feedback on how overweight and obesity prevalence at their school compares with the local or national average by sending the NCMP school feedback letter.

4. Supporting delivery of the NCMP in your school

Your local authority is responsible for delivering the NCMP. However, the programme has been most successful in areas where schools have provided support. Therefore, local NCMP leads may contact your school to ask for your help in the following ways.

4.1 Providing them with a class list for all children in reception and year 6

The class list should contain the school name and unique reference number, and the name, gender, date of birth, ethnicity code, home postcode, home address and home telephone number of each pupil. It is lawful under the GDPR and DPA 2018 for schools to continue to provide class lists to NCMP providers for the purposes of the NCMP. For more information, see section 5: ‘Supporting NCMP and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018: advice for schools’.

Check there are no new starters missing from the class list

Some local authorities request the class list electronically to move towards a paperless way of working.

Advise if there are any children on the class list who are not eligible to participate in the height and weight checks because they are unable to stand unaided

The NCMP lead can make alternative arrangements for these children (a specimen letter to parents of children unable to be measured unaided can be sent to parents).

Advise if there are children with Down’s syndrome

Children with Down’s syndrome should be included in the NCMP activity on measurement day as appropriate. However, the NCMP provider will need to use a specialist growth chart and provide parents with an adapted result letter.

4.2 Facilitating the dissemination of the pre-measurement letter to parents

The local authority is responsible for ensuring that parents are informed about the NCMP, including how their child’s data will be stored and processed. The pre-measurement letter also gives parents the opportunity to withdraw their child from the programme. Your local NCMP lead may seek your support to send pre-measurement letters electronically or through the pupil post. Local authorities may also ask for the pre-measurement leaflet for parents: school height and weight measurements to be disseminated along with the pre-measurement letter for parents. This leaflet helps parents understand the NCMP process and why healthy weight is important for a child’s health and wellbeing.

Letting the local authority know if any parents have withdrawn their child

Although parents will be asked via the pre-measurement letter to let the local authority or service provider know if they have chosen to withdraw their child, some parents may respond directly to the school. Relaying this information to the NCMP delivery team will ensure that parents’ wishes are respected.

Confirming a convenient day and time for NCMP staff to come into the school to measure the height and weight of children in reception and year 6

Providing a room where children’s height and weight can be measured and a member of staff to help with supervising children’s movement to and from the room

Ideally it is important that each child’s height and weight is measured in privacy, without being seen or heard by other pupils. Schools will need to identify a private area, with adequate space and appropriate flooring (such as a level, non-carpeted flooring to ensure that scales give an accurate reading). If a separate room is not available, a screened-off area can be used. Children are not given their height, weight or weight status by staff delivering the programme.

Promoting robust hand and respiratory hygiene

The availability of facilities for handwashing is of increased importance for NCMP staff, students and school staff to help with infection control.

Raising awareness of the NCMP

The NCMP has been successful in areas where governors, parents and children have a good understanding and awareness of the programme and its importance. The local NCMP lead may liaise with you to arrange engagement sessions such as plan an assembly where the NCMP lead can talk to children about the programme, include an article on the NCMP in the school newsletter, or share information on the programme with governors.

Embedding NCMP as part of a whole school approach to health and wellbeing

A whole school approach^{[footnote 20]} is one that goes beyond the learning and teaching in the classroom to pervade all aspects of the life of a school including:

• culture, ethos and environment – the health and wellbeing of students and staff is promoted through the hidden or informal curriculum, including leadership practice, the school’s values and attitudes, together with the social and physical environment
• learning and teaching – using the curriculum to develop pupils’ knowledge, attitudes and skills about health and wellbeing
• partnerships with families and the community – proactive engagement with families, outside agencies, and the wider community to promote consistent support for children and young people’s health and wellbeing

Embedding the NCMP as part of a whole school approach to health and wellbeing can complement teaching about physical health, fitness and healthy eating which are an integral part of statutory health education.

Make full use of curriculum linked teaching resources

Resources are available for head teachers, reception and year 6 teachers, to help them teach pupils about leading healthy lifestyles in the years in which they are weighed and measured as part of the NCMP. There are ideas for whole school activities and suggestions for engaging parents.

Providing parents with contact details if they have any questions

Some parents wish to discuss their child’s result with someone. So giving the parent the correct details that the NCMP lead has provided to you will help parents receive support quickly.

5. Supporting NCMP and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018): advice for schools

Under the GDPR all processing of personal data must have a lawful basis. The legal foundation for the NCMP is provided in local authority regulations^{[footnote 21]},^{[footnote 22]}. This statutory authority means that the lawful basis for the NCMP is provided by the Articles of the GDPR covering:

• compliance with a legal obligation
• exercise of official authority
• provision of health or social care
• public interest in the area of public health

Consent is not the lawful basis for the processing of NCMP data.

Schools have a legal obligation to release pupil’s personal information. Schools do not require parental consent to share a pupils’ personal information for the purposes of participating in the NCMP.

As consent is not needed to lawfully process NCMP data under the GDPR and DPA 2018, there is no requirement for schools to obtain the consent of parents to provide class lists to school nursing teams and NCMP providers. This sharing continues to be lawful under the GDPR and DPA 2018. All parties involved should be following information governance guidance regarding the secure transfer of personal data.

The NCMP Regulations state that parents must be given an opportunity to withdraw their child from the programme. This requirement is covered by sending them a pre-measurement letter at least 2 weeks prior to being measured. OHID has developed a specimen pre-measurement letter to parents for local authorities, which complies with the requirements of the GDPR and DPA 2018 including detailed information on what happens to the child’s data and information on how to withdraw. Schools may be asked to support dissemination of this letter to parents (see section ‘Supporting Delivery of the NCMP in your School’).

Further guidance on schools sharing information with the school nursing team or providers for the NCMP is provided in the NCMP Operational Guidance.^{[footnote 23]}

Key point

No change is required to the way in which the NCMP data is collected and processed for this to continue to be lawful under the GDPR and DPA 2018.

6. Resources

6.1 NCMP collection

Emergency planning and response for education, childcare, and children’s social care settings and Health protection in education and childcare settings: advice on the necessary adjustments required to help enable the safe delivery of the NCMP from an emergency planning and health protection perspective.

NCMP operational guidance: guidance for local commissioners, providers and schools on running the NCMP.

Deliverable Elements of NCMP (PDF, 200KB): a table showing an overview of the programme with links to relevant documents.

Specimen pre-measurement letter to parents, specimen letter to parents of children unable to be measured unaided and specimen result letters to parents: specimen letters for local authorities to adapt based on local arrangements.

This ‘Information for schools guidance’ and specimen pre-measurement letter for head teachers: to be sent to head teachers in advance of starting the height and weight checks every school year.

Pre-measurement leaflet for parents: school height and weight measurements: to send with the pre-measurement letter. This leaflet helps parents understand the NCMP process and why a healthy weight is important for a child’s health and wellbeing. Available for download only from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)’s campaign resource centre. Please note, a free account will need to be set up on the campaign resource centre to download this resource.

Post-measurement leaflet for parents: Better Health Families top tips to keep your family healthy and happy: to send with the result letters. This leaflet provides simple tips to help families eat well and move more and highlights the additional ideas available on the Better Health Families website. These are available from DHSC’s campaign resource centre. Please note: a free account will need to be set up on the campaign resource centre to order copies of this resource.

6.2 NCMP School feedback letters

School feedback cover letter template: letter templates for local authorities to send to schools participating in the NCMP. Intended to be edited, to include details of any local primary care providers, weight management and support services.

School feedback example letter: an example of a letter sent to schools by their local authority, which includes non-identifiable average 3-year NCMP data, is available on request.

6.3 Better Health resources

School Zone: curriculum linked healthy teaching resources, including for head teachers, reception and year 6 teachers to help them teach their pupils about healthy lifestyles. They include ideas for whole school activities to encourage eating well and moving more, as well as suggestions for engaging parents. Teachers can subscribe to the School Zone to keep up-to-date with new mental wellbeing and healthy lifestyle materials.

Children’s weight: information for parents providing more support and advice on receiving their child’s feedback letter, following their child’s school height and weight check.

6.4 Resources to encourage healthy eating

NHS Food Scanner app: an app to help pupils explore what is in their food and drink and swap unhealthy foods high in saturated fat, sugar and salt, to healthier choices.

Healthy Steps - guidance for schools: guidance for schools to support delivering a whole-school approach to healthy eating and supporting families

School Food Plan training resource: a resource to help all school staff understand the importance of a good school food culture.

Creating a culture and ethos of healthy eating: supporting pupils to gain knowledge of how to keep themselves healthy and making informed choices about healthy eating and fitness.

The Eatwell Guide image and Eatwell Guide booklet: a tool used to define government recommendations on eating healthily and achieving a balanced diet.

Let’s Get Cooking and the Learning Network: an e-learning platform with 15 courses for schools and caterers related to improving food for children.

6.5 Resources to encourage physical activity

What works in schools and colleges to increase physical activity: a resource for head teachers, college principals, staff working in education settings, school nurses, directors of public health, county sports partnerships and wider partners. An overview of the evidence and local examples about what works in schools and colleges to increase levels of physical activity in children and young people.

Active Mile Briefings: provides information about the evidence on active mile initiatives, ideas for how to implement them and examples of practice.

School sport and activity action plan: a cross-government action plan to provide pupils with greater opportunity to access 60 minutes of sport and physical activity every day.

Active School Planner: a free-to-use interactive tool for schools to review and improve the physical activity offer to their pupils.

Change4Life Sports Clubs: can help contribute to all children getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity in every school day.

School Games: inspiring millions of young people across the country to take part in appropriate competitive school sport.

PE and sport premium for primary schools: how to invest in sport premium funding to increase physical activity levels.

Physical activity guidelines for 5 to 18-year-olds: Chief Medical Officer’s physical activity guidelines infographic for 5 to 18-year-olds.

Physical activity in disabled children and disabled young people evidence review and physical activity infographic: Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines on physical activity for disabled children and young people.

The Daily Mile: a simple and free initiative to encourage children to run, walk, jog for 15 minutes every day.

6.6 Resources to encourage emotional health and wellbeing

Relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education: 2019 guidance by the Department for Education (DfE) on teaching relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education became a statutory requirement for schools to implement from September 2020. It sets out expectations about what pupils should know by the end of primary and secondary school and includes content on mental wellbeing. It is supported by guidance on teaching about mental wellbeing.

Teaching about mental wellbeing: practical materials for primary and secondary schools to use to train staff about teaching mental wellbeing.

Better Health school zone: offers lesson plans for year 6 and key stages 3 and 4 to support the relationships, sex and health education curriculum and enable teachers to support the wellbeing of students.

Promoting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing: this guidance was refreshed in 2021 and published jointly by DfE and OHID. It sets out 8 principles of a whole school or college approach to promoting mental health and wellbeing. The learning outcomes for senior mental health lead training (PDF, 172KB) are aligned with these principles.

PSHE Association: the PSHE Association is the national body for PSHE education. Within the organisation’s resource library are lesson plans and assessment tools to help teach on mental health and emotional wellbeing.

MindEd: MindEd is a free educational resource on children and young people’s mental health for all adults. It includes content curated specifically for school settings including content designed to help schools promote wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic, for example Wellbeing for Education Return.

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21. The Local Authority (Public Health, Health and Wellbeing Boards and Health Scrutiny) Regulations 2013. No.218 ↩

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