Do they have an eye test in Reception?

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DD has just started school. She has complained of 'sore eyes' after school and told me that when she sits at the back of the carpet, she can't see the letters on the whiteboard. She hasn't had an eye test since she was discharged from the eye clinic age 2 after having a perceived squint monitored. Should I have been taking her?
I vaguely recall knowing that they have an eye test in Reception - is this right, or should I book her in Specsavers asap? Feel terrible if she's been struggling to see - there were no other outward signs.

I would take her yourself. My kids both had them in reception but they weren't until the summer term. DD1 missed hers as she was off ill and we got a note saying that she would be called to the eye hospital in the summer holidays but we never heard anything at all. LUCKILY we had taken her to the opticians anyway so all was ok (well not ok because she has glasses but you know what I mean). So I wouldn't wait as it might be months away.

She will be measured and given an optional eye test in a Reception, I believe. That is what happened in our area, but it was in the summer term.

But eye tests are free for children - just go and get her checked at an optician rather than wait, as it could impact her progress and reading in class.

FWIW my DC1 has had a lot of optical appointments and the advice was to get them checked before they start school, for the reason above. But many don't.

In our area they are screened when they are 5 and the nurses come into Reception to do it. Obviously a lot of children are not 5 until the summer so they have to wait until Year 1. I would go to the optician as your child might miss out.

You will need to go anyway as they need to be checked every year.
They usually send reminders. School only do one test in reception then its up to you.
It's just like the dentist appointments.

For DS it was year 1, at the end of the year.

I would go now.

His sight is poor in one eye (and we didn't notice) but the optician said until they are about 7 their eyes are still changing and developing. So you might be able to reverse (a little) some of the issues if you start now.

My DS wears a patch for an hour a day at home.

I was a specsaver fan until I have heard a few stories of a friend's DD being given glasses when she didn't need them and then my Dad being sent to the hospital when he didn't need it. I know they are affordable, but we went to a local place with DS. You get most of it free on the NHS.

Good luck.

FWIW the school tests (imo) are unreliable and staff poorly trained. Fortunately my son was already under the eye hospital but I received a call, after a 20 min test at school which DS (age 4.5) failed, to tell me that his sight was so poor that I needed to think about "career options for him because he'll never be able to drive".

Which was not only alarmist, given that a driving test was at least 12.5yrs away, but completely and utterly wrong (he's fine).

So longwinded way of saying go to a properly trained optician who can perform a proper and accurate test.

All children are entitled to a free eye test every year.

When dc2's eye problems were picked up we were 'told off' by the optician fir nit taking her sooner. He likened it to the dentist...everyone takes their dc to get their teeth checked so why not their sight?

I now get annual eye checks fir all dc

Thanks for the information - I'm going to see if I can get her in after school one day this week. I'll also ask around or local optician recommendations.

Definitely ask local for recommendation. Some are good. With children, some aren't. There are lots of resources to deal with the ones who can't read yet and the guy we used was ok with DD spelling phonetically.

DD had the eye test in Spring, measuring was done in .autumn. But with a small window and lots of children to test I doubt the accuracy, the measured DD too short and a friend was told her DS needs glasses, no he just couldn't be bothered.

No eye tests at my DCs school but they get a free one anyway so into ok them myself when they were in reception.

I think it's bizarre that summer born children are not tested until they have done nearly a whole year at school. And when DD 'failed' her school eye test, we had to wait 3 months for a hospital appt. All those months of daily struggles with her reading because she couldn't make out the letters!

I have learned from that. DC2 went to the optician's just before he started school.

All the reception children were done at the same time so made no difference when their birthday fell. And if you have concerns you can go any time you like to an optician / contact your HV and ask for a referral

Eye tests are carried out by the school nurse in the summer term here. Very basic test so best to take your child to the optician if you are concerned.

I think it must vary by area. The tests in our school definitely weren't done in the summer term or by the school nurse! They brought in "specialists" which I presume work for the whole of the LEA and they presumably have a rolling programme of schools so depending on which school your child attended, it could be at any point during the school year. My DS (and his classmates) were tested just before Christmas.

My DD is rather long sighted. It wasn't picked up until she mentioned how tired her eyes sometimes get at the end of Y1 and I took her to Vision Express. She was already doing well with her reading by then and passed the straightforward reading down a board with letters on type eye test. The optician said this was because her muscles were strong and young and were compensation for the issues. But this was making her eyes very tired. She now has glasses which she wears all the time in the classroom and for reading at home.

By the way all children get free eye tests on the NHS and the glasses you can get for the NHS voucher are very light and stylish these days. At vision express they also give you a second pair free (DD leaves one pair in her tray and school and one at home) and I found their service very good.

The "school nurses" are the brought in specialists in many LEAs (as school nurses are not based in a single school - normally in a health centre and cover all or part of the LEA depending on size)

I think its something different at least where we are - I have liaised with the school nurse in relation to a possible issue re my DS and she has nothing to do with eye tests.

Must be different my LEA tests carried out by a school nurse though not always the regular school nurse

Definitely take her yourself. It's free and you won't have to wait for the school to do it. My optician actually recommended that I brought the dc in even though they were getting checked at school as she said the tests done at the optician's were more thorough.

please get them checked. I am very about the reception eye test.....having been told that dd had very poor vision in one eye. The hospital are now telling me that this isn't the case.

50% of the adult population wear glasses. Very few reception children do. An annual eye test should be routine.

Just go to your optician it will be free, don't wait mònths for school eye test! Honestly!!!