A local optician in Sutton is encouraging parents to make sure their children ‘see their best school year yet’ by adding a free eye test to their back to school ‘to do’ list.

The plea comes from Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care in Idlewells Shopping Centre, as rates of childhood myopia (short sightedness) are increasing, and an estimated 1.6m school-aged children in England are thought to be living with an undiagnosed vision problem that can affect their ability to learn and develop.

The earlier myopia is diagnosed, the more effectively its progression can be managed and slowed – making regular eye tests throughout childhood particularly important.

Yet, Scrivens’ customer research found an eye test (22 per cent) ranked bottom of parents’ back-to-school priority list, behind even arranging a haircut (36 per cent), with many parents unaware that NHS eye tests – and support towards the cost of glasses – are free for children.

Sutton in Ashfield parents are encouraged to make sure their children ‘see their best school year yet’ by adding a free eye test to their back to school ‘to do’ list

placeholder image — Sutton in Ashfield parents are encouraged to make sure their children ‘see their best school year yet’ by adding a free eye test to their back to school ‘to do’ list

Joanne Wright, branch manager, said: “We see it every September – children starting the new term struggling to keep up, and it turns out nobody had thought to check their eyes.

"It’s such a simple thing to rule out, and it costs parents nothing.

"Over the summer, if you notice your child sitting closer to the TV than usual, or complaining of headaches after reading, it’s always worth popping in.

"We’d rather see a child for a test that comes back fine than have them start the year unable to see the board properly.”

NHS eye tests – and support towards the cost of glasses – are free for children.

To help children who have never been to the opticians before feel confident and know exactly what to expect, Scrivens has created an animated comic strip that brings an eye test to life in a fun, simple way.

It's available at scrivens.com/backtoschool.

Top signs your child might need an eye test: