Essilor has embarked on a ‘pioneering education mission’ with schools neighbouring its UK headquarters in Thornbury, Bristol.
Students have been visiting the Essilor laboratory for weekly project work and have learned how to produce a telescope, spy glass and focimeter. They have also learned about optics, including how refraction and lens glazing works.
Esslior also organised eye screening at Castle School in Thornbury and Marlwood School in Alveston, South Gloucestershire, where hundreds of youngsters were screened.
Essilor managing director Mike Kirkley said: ‘We are passionate about helping young children because we know that more than 90% of a child’s learning will be gained through sight.
‘Research shows that children with some form of visual correction needs do not achieve their full potential. We believe this should not happen anywhere, but certainly not here, in the UK, in 2016.’
Neighbouring Charfield Primary School also produced its own newspaper, called the Charfield Chatter, which interviewed Kirkley and sold advertising space locally through cold-calling.
Essilor has manufactured lenses at its Thornbury site near Bristol for 42 years.