GREEN-FINGERED students are celebrating passing the latest milestone in their quest to become a top gardening school.

Up to 100 students were responsible for Portland’s Royal Manor Arts College passing the level three stage of the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Campaign for School Gardening.

The reaching of level three follows work during the last academic year on the school and community gardens, including the Young Offender Institution’s allotment.

The achievement is part of the school’s drive to gain a level five gardening status from the RHS.

The school was given £250 worth of National Garden gift vouchers for completing level three. It has so far spent half of the money on spades, forks and fruit trees and bushes.

Kate Carter, an applied learning coordinator at the school, said: “Gardening is a good skill for the students to learn. By watching something grow and seeing the end result it gives them good organisational skills while being able to work as a team.

“The successful completion of level three recognises the student’s efforts and proves how much gardening the school does and how much we teach the children.”

The RHS Campaign for School Gardening aims to encourage and support schools to create and actively use a garden.

Miss Carter said: “The gaining of level three status is a benchmark.

“The RHS looks at different gardens that you can do and the benchmark highlights what you have to do to achieve the various levels.”

When the school reaches level five status it will receive a plaque and a visit from a member of the RHS.