Blackawton Primary School has been recognised for its gardening efforts after achieving Level 4 of the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Gardening Award.

Staff and pupils are celebrating the achievement, which was marked with an official RHS certificate.

The school has also received a selection of seeds from gardening experts Mr Fothergill’s .

To secure the award, the school had to prove how their gardening supports wildlife and how they use gardening to support the curriculum. The school says gardening can enrich the entire curriculum as it offers opportunities for pupils to learn about everything from science, literacy and maths, to geography, art and design.

To achieve the Level 4 award, the school also had to demonstrate that they inspire others to get growing by sharing plants or seeds.

Blackawton Primary’s gardening club has been at the foundation of the project, with children learning how to grow fruit, vegetables and flowers while developing an understanding of nature, sustainability and healthy eating. The garden has become an outdoor classroom where pupils work together, care for plants and wildlife, and take pride in seeing their efforts flourish.

Pupils have also shared some of the produce they have grown with people in the local community, including freshly picked vegetables, herbs and other seasonal crops.

Liam Fielding, Headteacher at Blackawton Primary School, said: “We are incredibly proud of everyone involved in reaching this milestone and look forward to continuing to develop our school garden, inspiring even more young gardeners and strengthening our connections with the community.”

Matthew Shanks, CEO of Education South West, said: “Many congratulations to everyone at Blackawton Primary School on this wonderful achievement. There are so many benefits to getting outside and learning how to grow and harvest your own food. Everyone at Education South West is very proud of the pupils who have worked so hard to share the fruits of their labour with the local community.”