Perseid School

Rights Respecting Schools

SeeAbility

Sight is incredibly important to a child’s learning and development; and ensuring the correct eye care is supported in their early years can prevent serious sight problems later on in life.

We are thrilled to have achieved the Nasen 2019 Provision of the Year Award for our work alongside SeeAbility in their Children in Focus Campaign Partnership. SeeAbility is a charity that supports people with with learning disabilities, autism and sight loss and it runs a sight testing and glasses dispensing programme in many London special schools.  

SeeAbility Website

Research carried out by SeeAbility has found that children with learning difficulties:
  • Are 28 times more likely to have a serious sight problem than other children.
  • Often not accessing the eye care that they need.
  • Over four in ten pupils have no history of sight tests or eye care.
  • Half of the children seen have had a problem with their eyes or vision.
  • Most children just need access to glasses of the right quality and right support to get used to them.

Their research provided proof that thousands of children with disabilities across the country are missing out on the eye care that they need. Working with SeeAbility, Perseid school has shown how eye care can work in special schools and we were delighted that the government and NHS has now promised a national plan in place to meet these needs in all special schools from April 2024!

SeeAbility will be providing eye tests, and if required, glasses, for all our pupils at school this year; and we invite all parents to take advantage of this opportunity if they so wish. Parents should have received information and permission letters; if you require further information please contact Debbie at Lower School or Danielle at Upper School and they can put parents in contact with SeeAbility.

Further information, including their reflections on the past year, key findings, details of their service (now provided through NHS funding) please have a look at the links below.

Find out more about the NHS Eye Care Service (film for parents)

Find out more about this from SeeAbility

NHS and Government announcement on sight testing for all Special Schools (2024 Onwards)

SeeAbility Satisfaction Parental Survey 2023 

 SeeAbility Press Release: Nasen 2019 Provision of the Year 

At Perseid School, we understand the importance of the correct eye care and its contribution to a child’s learning and development. Research carried out by SeeAbility has highlighted that children with significant learning difficulties are 28 times more likely to have a serious sight problem than other children and not accessing the eye care they need.

We are incredibly grateful to SeeAbility for the opportunity they provide our pupils, delivering specialist sight tests and dispensing glasses at our school since 2013, allowing our pupils to continue their learning and development, with the eye care that they vitally need and deserve.

Lower School Upper School