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RHS School Gardening Awards
Level 5

Level 5 is about gardening through the year, gardening with members of your local community and keeping gardening at the heart of your school

How do we achieve Level 5?

To achieve Level 5, you need to demonstrate the following:

  • We are gardening with our community (This involves hands-on gardening where children and young people are gardening with five or more people who are not current pupils or staff at your school)
  • We garden in every season (An example for each season: spring, summer, autumn and winter)
  • Our gardening has a future

How do I apply?

Log in to your account to submit your evidence to reach the RHS Level 5 Award

children gardening

When you are ready to apply for Level 5, please submit up to 100 words for each of the above criteria explaining how you have met each one. For school submissions, please show how at least 10 pupils have been involved when you submit your evidence. You are welcome to include quotes from children and young people as part of your submission.

If you are a group or individual, to submit your evidence.

School rewards

Once you have achieved Level 5 you will receive:

  • £150 National Garden Gift Voucher
  • A certificate, digital logo and RHS Level 5 Gardening School plaque to promote and celebrate your achievement
  • A selection of Mr Fothergill’s seeds*

* Due to postal restrictions we are only able to send seeds to addresses in England, Scotland and Wales.​

NB. From 1 September 2026, schools will receive a certificate, digital logo and plaque to promote and celebrate your achievement. In addition, state-funded schools will receive a £50 National Garden Gift Voucher. (We’ll no longer be sending books and seeds as rewards.)

Group and individual rewards

Once you have achieved Level 5 you will receive:

  • A certificate and a digital logo to promote and celebrate your achievement
  • A selection of Mr Fothergill’s seeds*

* Due to postal restrictions we are only able to send seeds to addresses in England, Scotland and Wales.

NB. From 1 September 2026 the Awards will only be open to schools. Groups and individuals are welcome to submit evidence until 31 August 2026.

Information and resources to support your submission:

We are gardening with our community

This involves hands-on gardening where children and young people are gardening with five or more people who are not current pupils or staff at the school. This could take place on separate occasions rather than with all five people at the same time. This might include:

  • Gardening with family members at school
  • Gardening with past or future pupils
  • Gardening with children and young people from another school

  • Gardening with gardeners from a local community garden or allotment
  • Gardening with children at a local nursery
  • Gardening with residents of a local residential home

We garden in every season

Gardening through the seasons means that gardening happens each half term - it’s a year-round activity. Please provide an example of a gardening activity that has taken place during the spring, summer, autumn and winter. Examples of autumn and winter gardening might include:

  • Protecting plants from winter frosts
  • Harvesting produce e.g. winter salads, chard or potatoes
  • Sowing seeds for green manure

Our gardening has a future

You’re at Level 5, which is wonderful. The focus now is about ensuring the skills, knowledge, understanding and resources you have established as a school are there for future children and young people to benefit from. This might include:

  • Harvesting seeds for future sowing
  • Forming a gardening link with a local school
  • Gaining increased support from the senior leadership team

  • Establishing growing and caring for plants as a curriculum focus for each year group
  • Having at least two staff members actively involved in growing or caring for plants at school
  • Securing support from local businesses

Get involved

The RHS is the UK’s gardening charity, helping people and plants to grow - nurturing a healthier, happier world, one person and one plant at a time.