Ok, 5 ft 3 inches should be 1.6m. My child is 1.62m(5 ft 3.78 inches) now, and she should still be growing. She had her growth spurt on the late side as compared to girls her age. Menses at 15. So, I presume she could still be growing while the rest has stopped. She was the shortest kid in class when she was 12. And when she met up with these kids again end of last year, she has caught up and in fact, taller than some of them.
Yes, I kept hearing that the German vocational schools look for taller kids vs UK vocational schools.