2025 – ‘Our Favourite Story’
For the 2025 Planting Day in the Park, children from Banbury’s primary schools took to People’s Park to celebrate children’s literature, with the year’s chosen theme being ‘My Favourite Story’. Participants were encouraged to create flowerbed centrepieces based on favourite stories. These included classic children’s tales such as ‘The Wizard of Oz’, ‘The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe’, and ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’.
The event also saw schools awarded prizes for ‘Best Flowerbed Arrangement’ and ‘Best Centrepiece’. The awards were handed to winners by Councillor for Ruscote, Rebecca Biegel, who is also Vice-Chairman of the General Services Committee at Banbury Town Council. Receiving the Gold Award for the best flowerbed was St Mary’s with their special tribute to their school with ‘The Story of St Mary’s’. Meanwhile, the top prize for centrepiece design was handed to Hardwick School for their design based on the tales of Dr. Seuss.
Planting in the Park 2025 Awards – Best Planted Bed
Gold
St Mary’s C of E
Primary School
Silver Gilt
Wroxton
Silver
Bishop Loveday
Bronze
The Grange
Highly Commended
William Morris
Planting in the Park 2025 Awards – Best Centrepiece
Gold
Hardwick School
Silver Gilt
St Joseph’s Catholic
Primary School
Silver
Harriers
Bronze
St Mary’s C of E
Primary School
Highly Commended
Cherry Fields School










2024 – ‘Olympics’
In celebration of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, schools from across Banbury came together to create a series of themed flowerbeds, which take pride of place in the Rose Garden in People’s Park. Students at each of the 11 schools designed and constrcuted dazzling centrepieces designed to stand out among the colourful flower arrangements. Each of these fantastic centrepieces is a reflection of the hard work and exceptional creativity of Banbury’s primary school students, and the themes exhibited encourage sportsmanship, inclusivity, and respect for nature.
Pupils armed with trowels, spades, and flowerpots took to the flowerbeds on the morning of the 12th of June, 2024, and by the end of the day the Rose Garden had been completely transformed into a colourful garden full of eye-catching flowers and stellar centrepiece designs. After a couple of hours of gardening and music provided by Puritan Radio, the awards were given to the best floral beds and centrepieces. St Mary’s CE School took home the award for Best Planted Bed, while Hardwick School had the honour of claiming Best Centrepiece.
However, it was the work of each and every individual in attendance that made the day so worthwhile, and Banbury Town Council would once again like to thank all the schools, students and staff, for all their hard work. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the efforts of the Council Officers and Rangers who were on hand to set up and help out, as well as Puritan Radio for providing the day with a fun and memorable sound!
Planting in the Park 2024 Awards – Best Planted Bed
Gold
St Mary’s C of E
Primary School
Silver Gilt
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School
Silver
Bishop Loveday
Bronze
Harriers Banbury Academy
Highly Commended
Dashwood Banbury Academy
Planting in the Park 2024 Awards – Best Centrepiece
Gold
Hardwick School
Silver Gilt
St Mary’s C of E School
Silver
St Leonard’s School
Bronze
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School
Highly Commended
Hanwell Fields School
2024 Gallery









