Tray Garden Competition
Our Year 1 pupils recently participated in the annual Woodley Year 1 School Tray Garden Competition, held at Waingels College along with Beechwood, Highwood, South Lake, and St Dominic Savio primary schools.
This year’s theme was “Kindness”, which inspired our pupils to design tray gardens celebrating friendship, teamwork, and creativity. The children worked in mixed-school teams to craft imaginative scenes featuring miniature ponds, pathways, treehouses, and even stickman figures which were all brought to life with donated plants from Winnersh Garden Centre.
Distinguished guests, including Woodley’s Town Mayor Cllr David Bragg, Cassie King from British Garden Centres, and Brenda Milton of the Woodley Flower Club, evaluated the entries. They praised the pupils for their originality, storytelling, and spirit of cooperation.
Awards went to:
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1st Place: The Happy Garden (Beechwood & Rivermead)
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Teamwork Award: The Beautiful Adventure Park Garden (Beechwood & Rivermead)
Every participant received a certificate and a packet of seeds to continue their gardening journey at home. The winning teams also took home plants to nurture in their own gardens. All of the tray gardens were showcased at the Woodley Carnival alongside entries from the Woodley Flower Club.
Councillor Bragg said: "The passion and imagination displayed by Highwood, Rivermead, and Beechwood children were truly inspiring. It was a real pleasure to see the incredible creativity and teamwork from our young gardeners. Each tray garden told a unique story of kindness and friendship, which made judging both a joy and a real challenge."
This event was a wonderful celebration of creativity, collaboration, and the joy of gardening — and we couldn’t be prouder of our Year 1 pupils for their enthusiasm and teamwork. A big thank you to Waingels College for hosting, Winnersh Garden Centre for their generous support, and all fellow schools and organisers who made this such a memorable day.
Gardening Competition 2025
Read more in the Reading Chronicle.