RHS Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture – Saturdays
COURSE NOW FULLY BOOKED - PLEASE EMAIL TO ADD YOUR NAME TO THE 25-26 WAITING LIST
This qualification has been designed to provide learners with the breadth of horticultural knowledge and skills required to carry out routine tasks proficiently in a variety of contexts. It supports progression to employment within areas of the horticultural industries (such as professional gardening, landscaping, plant production and garden retail), as well as supporting learning in entry level roles in the early stages of a horticultural career. It is also designed to meet the needs of the amateur gardener.
It also provides learners the opportunity of personal development, including the changing of careers and engagement in their learning and offers an opportunity to develop transferable skills such as problem solving, implementing management plans / programmes, and communication as part of their applied learning.
In terms of progression, it allows learners the opportunity to progress to further learning opportunities at Level 3, allowing progression to higher education, career advancement or entry in the horticultural industries at a more advanced, technical level. There are no pre-requisites for entry to this qualification.
The total number of Guided Learning Hours for this course is 120 per year, split over three terms. Classes will be 4 hours long and take place once a week following the academic calendar.
(RHS Qualifications—RHS Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture—Qualification Specification).
This certificate is divided into eight topics, each made up of elements covering a specific aspect of practical horticulture, as follows:
A range of methods will be used to assess this qualification. They include formative assessment of skills by tutors at RHS Centres, and a range of summative short answer tests as well as direct observation by RHS Assessors. All assessments must be conducted in accordance with the RHS requirements (see rhs.org.uk/qualifications for more details). Please note that the exams are an integral part of the course and are not optional.
The Practical exams will be offered in-situ at Anglesey Abbey and the Online Assessment will be conducted at home via a personal computer. All dates will be communicated once the course begins, and re-sits will be available, should they be required. Please note that the course fee does not include re-sit fees and these will have to be paid separately and will be priced by the RHS. For a full list of fees please see the RHS Qualifications Fees Notice. This document is available on the Qualifications page on the RHS website and on the RHS web portal. All fees are payable prior to confirmation of entry for any examination.
A formal certificate is issued by the RHS on successful completion of the qualification the learner is enrolled on.
Reserving Your Place: Please pay the £350 deposit online by clicking on the ‘Book Now’ button on our website. Please ensure your place is booked and the deposit paid at least 7 days before the course starts in order to ensure your place. Places are limited so we advise booking as soon as possible, as bookings are on a first come, first serve basis.
Course Fees: The full fee for this course is £1,080 which includes a booking fee, tuition, RHS registration, examination fees and materials. The course fee may be paid by instalments: a non-refundable booking fee of £350 to reserve your place, followed by eight monthly payments (from November 2024 to June 2025) of £91.25. Please note that if you choose to withdraw from the course after the start date, the full course fee remains payable. In the event of the course not running, or a place not being available, the booking fee will be refunded.
For all deposit or the full £1,080 fee payments, please use Wisepay or contact us and we can take a card payment in person or over the phone. Please note for those paying in instalments, these can be made via card (over the phone or in-person), via Wisepay or via Standing Order (bank details available upon request) by the 7th of every aforementioned month.
Funding: Some of our RHS courses are co-funded* (subsidised) by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA). This funding is managed by Cambridgeshire Skills and available only to students aged over the age of 19. Depending on your personal circumstances, (e.g., unemployed or low waged and in receipt of certain benefits) at the commencement of the course, you may be eligible for a fully funded place, where only the booking fee is payable. Completion of our full enrolment form at the commencement of the course will indicate whether you are eligible, until then you should expect to pay the full fee.
*Subject to continuation of funding.
Full Enrolment: Before the start of the course, you MUST complete and return a full enrolment form for the academic year 2024-2025 (soon to be available to download on the payment page). This must be done by ALL STUDENTS, regardless of whether or not you are seeking funding. Please note that either the first instalment or the full balance must reach us at least 7 days before the course start to retain your place. You will need to bring your completed form, ID (Driver Licence or Passport) and original documents supporting your application for funding on the first day of class. Please note that any enrolment forms not fully completed and returned by 21 September 2024 will not be considered and funding will not be made available. The full course fee will then be payable as per the information provided in this document.
Further Information: The syllabus is taught by experienced tutors using a variety of delivery methods. Comprehensive handouts will be provided. In order to gain the most from your course and achieve the qualification, at least 2 hours’ home study is required each week. The Centre expects a high level of commitment to the course, because places are limited. If you do not attend for 4 consecutive weeks, you will be withdrawn from the course and the full fee will be payable, whether or not funding was successfully obtained. Visits to places of interest such as The University Botanic Gardens and Anglesey Abbey Gardens will be offered on some Sundays throughout the year. Costs for external visits are not included in the course fee.
Please note: This course will only run on a Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 at Anglesey Abbey Kitchen Gardens, Lode and at Childerley Hall, Dry Drayton. Facilities available at the main National Trust site.
Covid-19: Whilst we fully intend to offer this course at the above locations, we reserve the right to change the delivery of this course to remote learning via an online platform, should COVID-19 local restrictions make it necessary. In such circumstances no refund of course fees will apply.
IMPORTANT STIPULATION: For those students applying for and being granted funding, please note that you MUST complete ALL learning and PASS ALL exams. Failure to do so will mean the FULL COURSE FEE WILL BE DUE, as the funding requirements will not have been met.
Course Dates:
September – 21 & 28
October – 5, 12, 19 & 26
November – 9, 16 & 23
January – 18 & 25
February – 1, 8 & 15
March – 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29
April – 5
April – 26
May – 3, 10, 17 & 24
June – 7, 14 & 28
July – 5 & 12