On Wednesday 18 March, Hayesfield Girls’ School hosted what is thought to be the largest school climate conference ever held in Bath & North East Somerset. Around 180 students from 20 secondary schools in the region came together for a day focused on a simple but powerful idea: small changes really can make a big difference.
Supported by the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership and Bath & North East Somerset Council, the day felt busy from the start. After an opening session in the Roper Theatre, students headed off into workshops covering everything from energy and air pollution to soil, the natural world, community action and repair skills.
There was a great mix of voices. A session from BBC Natural History producer Paul Williams gave a glimpse into how wildlife programmes are made – and how telling the right story can genuinely help protect species. Workshops from groups like Greenpeace and Energy Sparks (a charity helping schools cut energy use and carbon emissions) focused on practical action and the role young people can play in it. Students could also explore the lifecycle of everyday electronics with Share and Repair, getting hands-on with fixing household items; consider how conversations around climate change shape action in a session from Another Way; and build confidence in making a difference through Eco Together’s focus on the ‘eco powers’ young people already have.
Some sessions were hands-on, others more reflective, but the thread running through all of them was that change doesn’t have to start big. It can start with noticing things, asking questions, and doing something small but meaningful.
The two keynote speakers brought a different kind of energy to the day. Paul Hargreaves spoke about business as a force for good, while adventurer and filmmaker James Levelle shared stories from his 9,000-mile journey from the UK to Chile without using fossil fuels, documenting young people’s experiences of climate change along the way.
In the afternoon, things opened up into a lively Eco Fair. At first it was just for the students, but later it welcomed the wider school and local community. It felt less like an exhibition and more like a conversation – people sharing ideas, asking questions and making connections.
Transition Bath helped shape the day, suggesting a number of the organisations and speakers involved. Their stall drew people in with a Sustainability Spinner that encouraged students to make a simple pledge, and a thermal imaging camera that let people see heat and energy in a completely new way. It was hands-on, slightly chaotic at times, and very engaging.
The eco fair also featured a range of local groups including Bath and West Community Energy, the University of Bath, Eco Wild, Lambridge and Walcot Community Nature Haven, More Trees BANES, Blooming Whiteway, Climate Hub, Bath Organic Growers, Share and Repair and Charlcombe Toad Patrol – each bringing a different angle on what climate action looks like in practice.
The day also reflected how far Hayesfield has come as a school. A few years ago, only paper was recycled; now the school recycles a wide range of materials and is starting to look at soft plastics, pens and biodiversity on site. It’s a reminder that institutions, like individuals, change step by step.
What stood out most was the atmosphere. There was curiosity, a lot of conversation and a sense that this wasn’t just a one-off event. It felt like part of something growing – a stronger connection between schools, local organisations and the next generation of people who will shape what comes next.
