The Chief Minister has praised a secondary school for announcing it will stop selling bottled water from September.

Ramsey Grammar School announced this week it not be selling the drinks from the new school year and is working with government to install new water fountains.

Howard Quayle wrote to Annette Baker, head teacher of the school to praise its students for their determination to end the sale of single use plastics at RGS.

Mr Quayle said: ’I have asked the head teacher of Ramsey Grammar School to pass on my praise to the students who had the initiative and determination to campaign for ending the sale of plastic water bottles in school.

’I was pleased to meet them in May and am pleased that they have now succeeded in their objective. It is testament to the pupils’ engagement and social conscience. I have no doubt that they will go far if they maintain this approach in life.’

Following the announcement, the Department of Infrastructure will also be installing new water fountains in the school so that students can fill up reusable bottles.

On April 30, the Examiner reported that the school was selling about 2,000 bottles a week, earning the school’s canteen £20,000 a year.

At the time, the school’s students petitioned Chief Minister Howard Quayle directly to ensure the school didn’t lose out financially by dropping single-use plastics from its canteen. He has now restated that he was ’very impressed’ with the initiative and drive of students from Ramsey Grammar School when he met them earlier this year.

All staff and students at RGS have been supplied with refillable water flasks, sponsored by Conister Bank.

And this week RGS was notified that their stand on plastic water bottles has been recognised by a schools’ organisation in the UK. The ’We are not going to Bottle it!’ campaign won an Environmental Impact award at the Schools Farms Network awards ceremony.