School Age Health Service Warwickshire (5-19 years)

Reviewed on : 21 Jan 2026

Reviewed by : GP Gateway Editor

Expires : 21 Jan 2028

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Rugby & South Warwickshire Guidance

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South Warwickshire Guidance

Supporting children and young people to stay healthy, happy and ready to learn.

Our School Age Health Service supports children and young people across Warwickshire from starting school through to the end of secondary education – and up to 25 for those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).

We’re here to help children and young people stay healthy, confident and supported as they grow. Our friendly team of school nurses and health professionals work closely with schools, families and community partners to promote good health, identify any concerns early, and offer the right support at the right time.

What we do

Through our school nursing service, we provide advice and support on a wide range of health and wellbeing topics, including emotional wellbeing, healthy lifestyles and managing physical health needs. We also deliver national and local health programmes such as the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) in partnership with Compass and Health Needs Assessments, which help us understand and support the health of children and young people in Warwickshire.

Our approach is about more than just physical health – we aim to build confidence, resilience and positive habits that last into adulthood.

You can find our team working in schools, clinics, Family Hubs and community settings across Warwickshire. We also offer confidential advice and signposting for young people who want to talk about their health or wellbeing.

School Nursing

We understand the importance of ensuring that all school-aged children and young people in schools and academies have access to a school nurse. We believe that every child deserves the best possible care and support to grow into a happy and healthy adult.

We take pride in working in partnership with schools, supporting the development of health policies that impact all children and young people. We understand that every child is unique and requires individual attention, which is why we complement any health-related classroom-based programs that are being delivered.

Our school nurses provide confidential advice, care, and treatment to children and young people. They work with parents and carers in schools and other community settings to ensure that every child’s needs are met.

We take our role in the development of young people very seriously. We conduct screening programs, manage medical conditions, and serve as a point of contact for child protection concerns. We believe that every child deserves to grow up healthy and happy, and we are here to make that happen.

About the Service

How can we help?

The school aged health service will:

Promote public health and healthy lifestyles.
Safeguard children from harm and reduce risk taking.
Provide health education and advice.
Participate in national campaigns and initiatives e.g. National Child Measurement Programme.
Work with children and young people who have complex medical needs

Confidentiality

School nurses provide confidential advice, care and treatment to children and young people working with parents and carers within schools and other community settings. School nurses always encourage young people to discuss their health concerns or worries that are troubling them with their parents/carers first.

Although the school nurses offer a confidential service to young people, there are times when the school nurse may need to share information. Depending on their age and level of understanding, young people may be able to give their own consent to talk with a health professional.

How do I refer to this service?

The school aged health service accepts self-referrals through school drop ins or text a nurse service by the young person themselves. Details of the school drop-in clinics and school nurses’ contact details can be found in each secondary school.

For professionals: please complete this referral form and email it to the address below.

Children and young people can also be referred by parents/carers as well as other agencies such as education staff, GP and social care.

You can make a referral by contacting our Single Point of Access (SPA) on 0300 247 0072 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or email wcfw.contact@hcrgcaregroup.com

What happens next?

Upon receiving a referral or a self-referral a school nurse will make contact with the young person through school. Should additional information be required or parental discussion, this will take place prior to meeting the child in school.

Useful Links

Mental Health Crisis Support

Call 999 or go to A&E immediately if:

Someone’s life is at risk (for example, serious injury or overdose)
You do not feel able to keep yourself or someone else safe

Urgent Mental Health Support (All Ages)

Call NHS 111 and select the mental health option
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year

Urgent Support for Under 17s (Coventry & Warwickshire)

Rise Crisis Team
Freephone: 08081 966798 (select option 2)
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Advice-only service outside core hours (8am–8pm)

If you have tried the above options and still feel you need urgent support, go to your nearest A&E department or call 999.

Free Listening & Text Support

Shout Crisis Text Line: Text SHOUT to 85258 (24/7)
Childline (under 19s): Call 0800 1111

Self-Harm Support

National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) and Healthy Lifestyles

We support you with monitoring your child’s growth and development, including maintaining a healthy weight.

There’s more to weight than just a measurement. It involves looking at your child’s growth and development, diet, eating habits, portion sizes, sleep, fluid intake and physical activity levels to name a few.

Weight is one measure of wellbeing that can be helpful in identifying health problems both now and in the future.

How do we monitor children’s weight?

To begin with, you may weigh your baby at a family hub or delivery site and record the weight in their Personal Child Health Record (Red Book). Weight is recorded on a ‘centile chart’ which allows us to assess your child’s rate of growth. We will also assess your child’s growth and development at the child’s 2–3-year developmental review.

When your child reaches school age, you are invited to take part in the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) in reception and year 6.

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is a nationally mandated public health programme and is delivered through the Warwickshire Child and Family Wellbeing Service on behalf of the local authority. If you do not wish for your child to take part, or if you have any questions, please contact us on 0300 247 0072. Children will not be made to take part if they do not want to.

The programme monitors the BMI and growth of children on a national scale and helps to inform the development of services at a local level. The information collected about your child is held by your local NHS provider and is treated confidentially, it is not shared with your child, school staff or other children.

After the programme, we contact parents where the programme identifies children that fall outside a healthy weight range for their age, sex and height to offer access to the free support across Warwickshire. These results can be surprising but are a snapshot of your child’s growth at that moment of time. The information is intended to help identify where changes can be made and provide the support to help you make those changes and support your child to grow into a healthy weight.

Guidance and helpful information

To support your child with a healthy weight, you might wish to consider their:

Portion sizes
Levels of physical activity and active play
Diet and eating habits
Lifestyle and hobbies

If you have recent growth measurements, you can check your child’s BMI using the NHS BMI calculator:

NHS BMI Calculator

Please see useful links below for more info and useful advice

Health Needs Assessments

Understanding and supporting every child’s health and wellbeing

Our Health Needs Assessments help us understand the health and wellbeing needs of children and young people across Warwickshire, so we can provide the right support at the right time.

These assessments are part of the Warwickshire School Age Health Service (5–19 years) and are carried out by our experienced school nursing team. They give children, young people, parents and carers the opportunity to share how things are going – physically, emotionally and socially – so we can offer advice, early help or extra support if needed.

What the assessments involve

Health Needs Assessments are offered at key stages of a child’s life to make sure we’re supporting their development as they grow. These include:

School Readiness Assessments – helping children get off to a healthy start when they begin school
Year 6 and Year 9 Assessments – supporting wellbeing and transition during key school stages
Holistic Health Needs Assessments – offering a full picture of a child or young person’s health, lifestyle and emotional wellbeing
Child in Care Review Health Assessments – ensuring that children and young people in care receive the right health and wellbeing support

All assessments are designed to be simple, supportive and confidential. They help our team identify any needs early and work with families, schools and other professionals to make sure every child has access to the right care and guidance.

By understanding each child’s unique circumstances, we can focus on prevention, early help and positive long-term health outcomes – giving every young person in Warwickshire the best chance to thrive.

North Warwickshire Guidance