Bleep test and weighing children twice a year

[ReallyTired]

My dd primary school wants to weigh the children twice a year and do police style fitness tests. I feel uneasy about dd being weighed twice a year as she is only five years old. I don't want her to worry about her weight. I don't mind the school nurse weighing her as I am confident the school nurse can interpret the data sensibly.

Well, you'll have to take it up with your school, as this is their own decision (nothing to do with the national health screening programme that's been running for ages, but measures children only twice in a school career).

Did you ever get any explanation of why they chose to do things like this?

I don't think I'd have a problem with the idea of monitoring children's fitness levels, however the bleep test isn't actually a very good test for children under about 12/13 yrs old as their aerobic systems are still developing. I suppose it could help to track whether their aerobic fitness is improving over time, but you would expect it to show a gradual improvement through childhood anyway. Making comparisons between children would be fairly pointless if this is what they propose to do, as I don't believe it is a particularly valid test to give 5 yr olds, as so much is down to genetic disposition/innate ability at that age. I would ask them why they have chosen this particular fitness test?
As for their weight, If you don't want her to be weighed at school I would simply send a letter in requesting that she be excluded from this practice. I can't see why you should be obliged to comply with it.

How is weighing her going to make her worry about her weight? If they measured her height, will she have to worry about that?

I think you should ask on what grounds they are introducing this policy - as a pp said, bleep tests are not good indicators of fitness in that age group and their weight - well, that's your business and not theirs. I'd also say there were some consent issues involved in the weighing - if you do not consent, they should not and must not weigh your DD and if they do, I would be taking it up with OFSTED.

I think it is a very unwise policy, especially in the KS2 age group where they start to become aware of body image and weight issues.

I wouldn't be upset with beep testing or weighing. I would wonder why the school are pushing these and i would assume that they were concerned with students health

why don't they just increase their PE provision and then they wouldn't need to do the bleep tests as if children were taking part in the PE sessions then they would generally be assumed to be at least maintaining their fitness levels.

The school could also deliver healthy school meals that aren't all processed protein, white wheat stodge, cardboard puddings and limp veg. The school would do best to really teach kids about healthy foods.