Manchester is a Child Friendly City, which values the voice of young people. Pupils from three Manchester schools helped to illustrate and narrate a short animation to help fellow children better understand the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) process. 

The Public Health team at Manchester City Council and Manchester Local Care Organisation’s School Health Service worked with Armitage CE Primary School, Acacias Community Primary School and St Chad’s RC Primary School to develop the animation. 

The NCMP programme measures the height and weight of children in Reception class (aged 4 to 5) and year 6 (aged 10 to 11). The programme 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 public and professional understanding of weight issues in children and 
• be a vehicle for engaging with children and families about healthy lifestyles and weight issues. 

The aim of this animation was to help other young people know what will happen when the school health screeners come to school and why it is important. 

As Manchester is a Child Friendly City, it is important to ensure the process was explained in a way that felt accessible and reassuring, with meaningful input from local young people. 

Pupils from each of the schools were asked to illustrate elements of the NCMP process. These drawings were then brought to life by animators at Nice Cat Media. The pupils showed fantastic enthusiasm and creativity – what they produced was relatable and engaging for fellow students. 

Armitage CE Primary School also contributed three students to be narrators who read beautifully. A special thanks to the narrators and the teachers for taking the time to support this project. 

Health Improvement Practitioner Cassie Cox, from Manchester Local Care Organisation’s School Health Service, said, ‘ I thoroughly enjoyed working with pupils from the three schools to co-create this NCMP project. Their enthusiasm, honesty, and creativity were inspiring, and it was fantastic to see them take ownership of the animation through their drawings, ideas, feedback, and narration. Watching the project evolve from an initial concept into a resource shaped by children’s voices was incredibly rewarding and highlighted the value of meaningful pupil participation.’ 

Watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/L_DqdtjqHZA 

If you have any questions about the animation, please contact healthy.schools@mft.nhs.uk.

Find out more about the NCMP: National Child Measurement Programme – NHS England Digital