Students at Ralph Allen School have received national recognition after their sustainability work was praised in the House of Commons by Wera Hobhouse MP.
The recognition follows a recent visit by the Bath MP and Councillor Sarah Warren to the school, which was covered on The Bath & Wiltshire Parent website. During the visit, they met the school’s Green Team and explored a range of student-led initiatives designed to make the school healthier and more sustainable.
Speaking during Education Questions in Parliament, Mrs Hobhouse highlighted Ralph Allen School’s work growing fruit and vegetables on site and increasing the availability of vegetarian and vegan meals, calling on the Government to help more schools introduce similar programmes.
She told MPs, “I recently visited Ralph Allen School in my constituency and saw how students were leading the way in improving their menu options. They have created a vegetable bed in an empty space, and are now offering vegan and vegetarian choices.
“Climate change threatens our health, safety and security – but Ralph Allen is demonstrating that schools can be pivotal in leading change in our communities and contributing to climate resilience.
“Young people are our future – and it is encouraging to see them take direct action to make their environment a healthier place to be.”
Responding on behalf of the Government, Early Education Minister Olivia Blake described the school’s work as “fantastic” and said young people’s views would help shape forthcoming proposals to reform school food.
During the visit, Mrs Hobhouse and Councillor Warren met members of the school’s Green Team, who have transformed unused space into a productive vegetable garden growing tomatoes, rhubarb and other produce. The initiative helps reduce food miles while encouraging healthy eating among students.
The visitors also toured the school canteen, where vegetarian and vegan dishes are promoted alongside other options, before seeing further sustainability projects including a Wellness Garden, expanded cycle storage, recycling facilities and air source heat pumps.
Since early 2025, Ralph Allen School has been working with Let’s Go Zero, the UK’s leading schools climate initiative, to reduce carbon emissions and improve sustainability across its site.
