Children are eligible for a free NHS eye test up to 16 years of age and up to 18 in full time education. We recommend that children have their first eye test before they start primary school. The test often differs to an adult eye test. It is tailored to each child and is designed to detect any eye problems that may affect the development of their vision. It is important that these are picked up during the ‘critical period’ of their development.

During the eye test, your child will be shown pictures and/or letters in order for us to determine how well they can see and whether they need to wear glasses. We use lights and toys for them to follow to check their eye movements. At school age we test for colour vision defects.

We also examine the health of their eyes using special equipment. Sometimes children may struggle to keep their head still and if so, we are able to photograph their eyes on our wide field retinal camera which captures a picture of the back of their eyes in an instant.

Our friendly optometrists and opticians strive to ensure that your child’s eye test is a comfortable and enjoyable experience. Most of our young patients can’t wait to come and have their next eye test!