Free NHS eye tests will be available to special schools from April 2024

Following campaigning from SeeAbility and a pilot ‘proof-of-concept programme’ by NHS England, the government has committed £10m to ensure that all pupils in special schools will have access to sight tests in their setting. The pilot was carried out in residential special schools and this will now be extended to all day schools. Data from SeeAbility say that children with learning disabilities are 28 times more likely to have a serious sight problem and many have challenges in accessing high street testing services. These issues may cause major barriers to learning that are attributed to other causes, having sight tests in school allow for a more personalised and a less stressful interaction for pupils. nasen worked with SeeAbility in producing a miniguide entitled “Understanding the eye care and vision needs of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities” and it is available on our website.