This article presents a survey of the demographical, educational and visual functional characteristics of children attending a specialist paediatric low-vision assessment clinic at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. Comprehensive data were collected retrospectively from children attending the paediatric low-vision clinic between January 2003 and August 2004 (n = 64). Data collected included clinical and demographic details and educational status. Use was made of a pre-clinic questionnaire to ascertain information regarding schooling and level of support, and child, parental or specialist teacher concerns. Visual functions assessed included distance logMAR acuity, near acuity, contrast sensitivity, colour vision and when feasible, visual fields. Following refraction, children were evaluated for spectacles and low-vision aids. A key finding to emerge from this study is that children attending the clinic present with a range of visual disorders and levels of visual function. The most common cause of visual impairment was albinism (20%) followed by rod cone dystrophy (10%). It is concluded that a comprehensive assessment of visual function should, when reported to other professionals, permit more relevant adaptations to be incorporated into the educational strategies adopted for the child. (Contains 1 table and 7 figures.)