Should my child’s eyes be checked before starting school?
Yes, and earlier if anything is noticed. A child with reduced vision in one eye will rarely report it, because they have no comparison to make. Finding it before school matters because some conditions are more treatable while the visual system is still developing.
- Subject
- Children's eyes
- Topic
- Testing & screening
- Kind of question
- Other questions
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
What this answer depends on
- Whether there is a family history of squint, lazy eye or glasses in childhood
- Whether the child was born prematurely
- Whether any screening has already been done
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Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Children's eye health in Testing & screening . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
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This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- EyeSmart: eye health information for the public
Patient-facing material from the largest ophthalmology professional body, covering conditions, tests and treatments outside refractive surgery.
Used for Cross-checking patient-facing explanations of non-refractive eye conditions; Describing what tests such as dilation and OCT involve.
Link checked 23 September 2026
- The Royal College of Ophthalmologists
The UK professional body for ophthalmologists, which publishes standards and commissioning guidance for refractive surgery services.
Used for What good preoperative assessment and consent look like.
Link checked 22 September 2026