ABSTRACT
Overseeing the health of school-age children is a requirement on the health services. Health authorities must make provision for the overseeing of schoolage children’s health, and the British Paediatric Association (BPA) points to school entry and ages 7-8 (Year 3) as key points; they recommend the nurse carries out a health interview at age five with a parent present, and measurement of weight, height, vision and hearing, with referral to a doctor for any problems, and further sight-testing and referral at age 7-8 (BPA, 1995, p. 51). However, how local health authorities organize and deliver the service is up to them. At the time of writing we know that a few districts have abandoned the traditional SHS, and work with school-aged children through GPs (general practitioners) and community health services. In some areas, children are inspected before they start primary school. As far as we know, there is no national information on current SHS input into schools.
