TWO Thornbury schools have won a top royal gardening award.

Crossways infant and junior schools have been awarded the level five gardening award – the highest level achievable - from the Royal Horticulture Society Campaign (RHS) for school gardening.

The award has been given due to the schools’ collaboration with parents, with Thornbury in Bloom volunteers and with the Mayor of Thornbury, Helen Harrison, in creating a sustainable and productive school garden.

The RHS school gardening awards are part of the organisation’s wider campaign for school gardening.

The scheme is accessible to all ages and abilities, including urban and rural areas, and is open to all schools, and community and educational groups in the UK.

The initiative is structured using a rewards scheme, which is made up of five levels that provide achievable goals, all of which help schools to transform their gardens into valuable learning resources.

The five levels, with one being the entry level and five being the highest level, can be achieved by schools completing the stipulated level requirements and then submitting a few words and photos via the RHS website.

Successful schools are awarded with a certificate and a reward worth up to £200.

Sadie Tulley, gardening club leader and teacher at Crossways Junior School, said: “We were absolutely delighted to receive this prestigious award from the RHS for our gardening achievement in the local community and in the school.”

At the Thornbury in Bloom awards ceremony in October, the Crossways gardening club, Crossways’ Federation Farmers were also awarded gold awards in three categories, including inspiring young gardeners and the Joan Tuck schools’ cup.

In September 2012, a federation was created between the Crossways infant and junior schools, and each are now regarded as both caring and successful schools.