School Vision Screening

Valli Opticians visited the Calder Valley Steiner School recently to provide vision screening for its pupils.  Children were given a basic vision screening test to evaluate their sight and a report was provided to the parents.  The education at the Steiner school, which is located in Cragg Vale near Hebden Bridge, is based on the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, and emphasises the role of imagination in learning, striving to integrate holistically the intellectual, practical, and artistic development of pupils.

Vision screening was provided by Moin Valli of Valli Opticians as part of their commitment to raising awareness about the importance of regular eye examinations in particular for children.  Visual defects can have an enormous impact on a child’s development and education.  Children may not realise they have a vision problem and without routine testing there is a risk that any problems could go undiagnosed for months or years.

Many defects can be corrected through the prescribing of spectacles and easily treated if detected early.  Children are entitled to an NHS funded eye examination every 12 months and it is advised that children are tested from around the age of 3 to 4 years, but earlier if necessary.

Janine Bullman, SENDCO of the school said: “We are so glad we invited Valli Opticians into our school to conduct the vision screening.  Moin and his colleague Christine made the screenings fun and the children thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  As a school we have all learnt so much about the importance of regular eye tests and most importantly, it flagged up children who would benefit from a more thorough eye examination, that otherwise may have gone unnoticed.”

Moin Valli, Owner of Valli Opticians has been visiting schools and delivering community talks about eye health for many years and is keen to raise awareness on this subject.  He said: “Community outreach is something we are very passionate about.  Children with poor eyesight often go undetected as they are unaware that their eyesight is not normal. Just the way they take their children for regular dental check-ups, all parents should visit their local Optometrist regularly and have their child’s eyes examined regardless of whether they think there is a problem”.

For more information about Valli Opticians, visit www.valliopticians.co.uk or call 01422 842084.