Ashley Hill Primary School has achieved Level 5 - the highest tier - in the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) School Gardening Awards.

The RHS award scheme is a five-level programme designed to help schools develop gardening initiatives while promoting pupil wellbeing and environmental awareness.

Each level of the award focuses on different aspects of gardening and education, with the highest accolade (Level 5) recognising schools that demonstrate strong community links, year-round gardening, and long-term sustainability.

To reach Level 5, Ashley Hill embedded gardening into both school life and the wider community.

A regular after-school gardening club included not only current pupils but also parents, grandparents, and former students who returned to support activities, while the school’s garden is also home to hens, cared for by volunteers during weekends and holidays.

Community engagement extends beyond the school, with participation in local events such as the Onchan Secret Garden Weekend, where visitors from across the island are invited to explore the school grounds.

Participation in the gardening programme is led primarily by Key Stage 2 pupils through the school’s ‘Farm Club’, which includes children from Years 4 to 6. However, the garden is integrated across the wider school, with other classes using the space for learning and all pupils having access during playtimes.

Asked what made the school start the gardening initiative, Year 6 teacher Debbie Carcas commented: ‘We started Level 1 years ago, but a storm one autumn pulled the fences down from around the garden at the same point we started our afterschool club.

‘This made the area more accessible during playtimes, and the awards gave us a focus as well as garden vouchers to use to help.’

To find out more about the RHS School Gardening Awards, you can visit https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning/school-gardening