A RIOT of colour is about to decorate Oxford schools as they prepare for this year’s Oxford in Bloom contest.

It is the Oxford Mail-backed flower and garden competition’s silver jubilee this year, and organisers are hoping to get as many families, children, schools, and businesses involved as possible.

The first school to enter the schools and community groups category is Rye St Antony School, in Pullens Lane, Headington.

And pupils there are proving you do not have to have a garden to get involved.

Children aged three to seven are busy working on two large flower boxes, planting everything from sunflowers to herbs.

Head of junior school Jo Reed said: “We are really keen to get the children involved this year.

“We have started off small with these boxes, but we also have plans for a vegetable patch for the older children later on as part of our development plan.”

On Friday, Year One children spent an hour planting green beans and herbs in the planters.

Ms Reed said: “We are becoming more eco-friendly by growing our own herbs and vegetables, and we are hoping that we will have a little feast for the children when everything has grown.”

She said the work contributed to the science curriculum and encouraged children to learn how to care for something that is living, as well as raising awareness of nature.

The school is using Tesco and Sainsbury’s vouchers that children have collected to pay for garden tools.

It also recently received the Woodland Trust’s bronze award after joining the scheme in September last year.

Ms Reed said: “Oxford in Bloom really does help because it makes you more keen to do things to make children aware of nature.

“Often children can name Pokemon figures, but if you ask them to name a British tree, they can’t.

“I think people should encourage children to get their hands dirty because they love it.”

The deadline for schools groups to enter is Saturday, July 2, and entries can be completed using the form printed right.

Once all the entries are in, judges will visit the nominated sites during the week beginning Monday, July 18, before winners are announced at a grand ceremony in September.

Oxford Mail deputy editor Sara Taylor said: “We know there is lots of fantastic work going on in schools to get children into gardening, so we want to encourage as many schools as possible to get involved.

“Rye St Antony doesn’t have a garden, but the pupils are showing how you can get growing with even just a few boxes.

“We want to see other schools following their example and entering this year’s competition.”