With this in mind we propose to make a few changes to the previous arrangements in order to encourage as many schools as possible to participate in this year’s event.

Schools will now be judged in three groups, Pre School, Primary, Middle / Upper.  We propose one category entitled, ‘A Whole School Approach to Environmental Gardening’. Our aim is to make the competition broad enough to allow as many schools as possible to compete and to use the work which forms part of your curriculum.

We fully understand the limitations of people’s time and resources and we must emphasize that as judges we are not looking for perfection but evidence of pupil’s learning. The ‘whole school approach’ could be as simple as the recycling of fruit waste for composting!

Last year a number of schools produced photographic evidence showing pupil’s gardening activities throughout the year.  We found this enormously helpful when making our final decision. In anticipation of the judging this year, especially as we are now part of the Britain in Bloom competition, we would encourage all schools to produce their own journal.

This is a valuable opportunity for young people to link with Bury in Bloom to promote gardening in an environmentally friendly way as well as enhancing the important links between our schools and the local community.  We hope you will support us in this.

Yours sincerely,

Julie Nye       Jean Hardy