What happens in pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence impacts physical and emotional health all the way to adulthood. Where our children live, their household income, and how they are cared for all impact their health and wellbeing.
There are 26,700 children under 16 living in the borough, 8,500 of whom are under five. 60% of children and young people are from a global majority background. In contrast to the older population, the younger population is expected to decrease over the next 20 years.
In Westminster, nearly one in three children are living in poverty, and there are 180 looked-after children. Over two in five children are overweight by the time they leave primary school, and over one in six are affected by mental health problems. Working with our communities to design preventative activities and promote healthier lifestyles is key to ensuring we give our children the best start in life.
I like Westminster for the city-life atmosphere it sets. There are many new builds across Westminster. I also enjoy the many green spaces around. However, I feel there should be more places like youth clubs and more help with youth getting into employment, as there seem to be a lot of antisocial behaviour issues around. There should be more family hubs and places to go for people to receive the help they need.
Childhood obesity
Almost half of children are overweight by age 11.
27% of children are overweight or obese when they enter primary school. This rises to 47% of children aged 10 and 11 leaving primary school. This varies by ward; for example, those living on Church Street are almost twice as likely to be overweight as those living in West End. Children whose parents are obese are more likely to be obese themselves. This highlights the complexity of supporting families to maintain or reach a healthy weight. Levels of unhealthy weight in children are highest in children from a Black or Black British ethnic background in Reception Year and those from an Other ethnic background in Year 6.
Find out about our Change4Life programme, which helps families stay active and healthy.
Oral health
By age five, two in five children have one or more decayed, filled or missing teeth (40%). It is a common cause of hospital admission, and children who have toothache may experience pain, have difficulties with eating, sleeping and socialising and may also be absent from school. Almost one in three Westminster children have seen a dentist in the past year. While most Westminster child dentist appointments are only check-ups, over one in three include a mid-range treatment such as fillings, and one in 14 are urgent treatments.
Education
Education creates opportunities for better health.
We have some of the highest levels of outstanding schools in London, although a quarter of our children live in poverty, and 7,800 children are eligible for free school meals. Education can trigger healthier futures and protect against disadvantages in later life. 66% of children had a good level of development at the end of the reception year, and 60% achieved nine to five in GCSE English and Mathematics (76% achieved nine to four). The average attainment eight score was 54.1. The average GCSE level of attainment is the lowest in the most deprived areas. 4% of children have educational health care plans, and 14% require support for special educational needs.
Childhood vaccinations
Almost one in four children have not received two doses of the MMR vaccine.
For all types of childhood vaccinations, uptake is among the 25% lowest in England and below the 95% target to stop the spread and protect the community.
For example, although improved from last year, only 74% have received two doses of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) immunisation at or before age five. Uptake varies within the borough, ranging from 54% in Bryanston and Dorset Square to 84% in Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Hyde Park.
Young people and mental health
Over one in six have a mental health disorder.
A 2022 an NHS survey estimated that 18% of seven to 16-year-olds in England have a mental, behavioural or emotional health disorder – 3,000 people in Westminster. They are almost twice as likely to live in a household that has fallen behind with payments. Compared to before the pandemic, demand for children and young people’s mental health services has increased by 37% across North West London. The most common mental health reasons for a GP visit are speech and language, depression and autism.
Find out about support for children and young people’s mental health.
References
Our JSNA brings together data and insight from a range of sources. Below are some of the key sources of data used for this section.
Data used in this section was collated in February 2024.
If you require any further information on specific references, please contact us at [email protected].
- Department for Education (DfE) Explore statistics and data.
- End Child Poverty. local child poverty statistics
- Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID). Public health profiles, 2024.
- NHS Digital Data
- Whole Systems Integrated Care (WSIC) DID February 2024
The Northwest London ICB data access committee granted WSIC ethical approval to use de-identified data for a 2.7 million patient population. This approval is bound by the Health Research Authority (HRA) ethics agreement, which is in place for WSIC until 2028. No identifiable confidential patient data was available or used in this research.