TWO Ramsbottom schools are celebrating winning an award at Groundwork's Environmental Oscars.

Holcombe Brook Primary and Woodhey High Schools were both nominated by Bury Council for their school travel plans.

Holcombe Brook won the Mike Lord Memorial Award for primary school environmental projects in recognition of the Longsight Road school's travel plan introduced in 2004 following complaints from local residents about congestion in the area caused by parents on the school run.

Headteacher Graham Howarth worked with pupils, parents, residents and the council's school travel adviser to make the journey to school safer and healthier, and reduce congestion and pollution around the school.

Following an award of £5,000 from the Department for Transport, the school now has a parent waiting shelter, cycle storage, and regularly gets involved with walk to school campaigns.

Woodhey High School, in Bolton Road West, won a highly commended certificate for its high school environmental project, which carried out an analysis of how pupils and parents travelled to school, and outlined plans to tackle the issue.

The travel plans are now being used by the Department of Transport and Department for Education and Skills as a good example for other local authorities nationwide.