What is our School Plates programme?

21 October 2025

Two children with dark hair, wearing green Proveg School Plates t-shirts, stand side by side outdoors in a sunny garden area, facing away from the camera. Raised garden beds and a shed are visible in the background.

At ProVeg UK, we believe every child should have access to meals that are tasty, healthy, and good for the planet. Our School Plates programme is all about transforming school food by making it healthier, more sustainable, and more inclusive without ever compromising on flavour or cost.

We partner with school caterers, often responsible for hundreds of schools at a time, to enrich menus and diversify their plant-based offerings. We provide free support, including chef training, resources, and menu support, helping schools serve meals that pupils genuinely enjoy. And because we know language matters, we use evidence-based insights and behavioural nudges to support the uptake of plant-rich dishes, such as using descriptive language that increases desirability. Think vegetable burger (vague, undesirable), versus an accurate and thoughtful description such as, crispy bombay-spiced mushroom burger (find out more about methodology on our School Plates page).

Since launching in 2018, School Plates has supported caterers serving more than 12,000 schools across the UK. Together, we’ve switched over 60 million meals to more sustainable, plant-rich alternatives, cutting carbon emissions, boosting healthy options, and saving schools money in the process.

A rustic outdoor buffet table with a red-and-white checkered cloth, featuring spaghetti with sauce, beet salad, brownies, a berry dessert, cinnamon rolls, and various other colorful dishes, with green plants as decoration.

How do we approach school food in secondary education settings?

Until now, our work has been predominantly focused on primary schools. We chose to begin there because younger children are still forming food habits and are more open to trying new things. By intercepting early, we can influence long-term choices and build healthier norms.

Secondary schools, however, present a tougher challenge. Pupils don’t sit together for lunch, many eat on the go between classes, and some skip the canteen entirely. Others head straight for the ultra-processed food outlets clustered around the school gates. Add to this the billions spent on fast-food and processed meat advertising targeted at teens (see campaigns by Bite Back), and it’s easy to see why change is difficult.

And yet we have still seen success in this setting. From the outset, we’ve been approached by secondary schools and catering partners eager to extend School Plates into this age group. Through those experiences, we’ve learned a vital lesson: for teenagers, taste is everything. If the food isn’t exciting, they won’t choose it – no matter how healthy or sustainable it might be.

A young man wearing a blue apron chops vegetables on a cutting board in a kitchen classroom, while a woman in the background bends over a counter by the window. Cooking ingredients and utensils are visible on the counter. — ProVeg UK Secondary school plant-based cooking workshop with students (Three Rivers Alliance)

How we’re growing our programme: a new menu and new workshops for students!

Building on what we’ve learned, we’re developing an exciting new, flavour-packed, student-led menu. By involving young people directly in the design process, we’re creating dishes that reflect what they actually want to eat: grab-and-go meals that are quick, affordable, and packed with flavour. These menus will feel just as fun and convenient as what’s on offer outside the school gates, but healthier and more sustainable. In doing so, we’re ensuring that meals are approved by both students and chefs.

But changing what’s on the menu is only half the story. That’s why we’re also launching new workshops designed specifically for secondary school pupils. Building on our Canteen to Classroom programme, these interactive sessions bring food education into the classroom, giving young people the chance to cook, learn, and taste for themselves.

The workshops show students how to prepare whole-food plant-based ingredients that are packed with nutrients, with a focus on protein and fibre. We teach simple, affordable recipes that pupils can recreate at home, encouraging them to share their new skills with friends and family.

Working with this age group presents yet another crucial opportunity. Teenagers are forming habits that can last a lifetime, yet they’re also the most vulnerable to peer pressure and brand marketing. By giving them both the style of food they want, and the knowledge to make informed choices, School Plates is helping to build a new food culture – where healthy, sustainable meals are tasty, convenient, and genuinely appealing to young people.

To find out more about our School Plates programme, visit our webpage, or reach out to the team at [email protected] to see how we can support your school caterer.