Skills for Life: Practical Gardening
Practical Gardening is an Open Awards Skills for Life unit about plants, tools, plant care and sustainable gardening in Wales, from planting a seed and watering a plant with support at Entry 1 to planning, carrying out and recording a growing project at Level 2. Each of the 5 levels is a separate 20 hour unit, assessed through provider designed practical and written tasks with portfolio evidence, and only 1 level counts towards a qualification. Digital demand is low: the only digital reference in the criteria guidance is a digital photographic log offered as one way to record a Level 2 project, so digital skills support research, recording and the e-portfolio rather than being assessed.
- Awarding body
- Open Awards
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 20
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of digital work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level 1 (CBM126) and Entry Level 2 (CBM127): Entry 1 has 3 learning outcomes and 6 criteria: give at least 2 examples of plants, through touch, smell or sight, and 2 gardening tools, demonstrate watering a plant without overwatering and give 1 example of a sustainable gardening action, plant a seed or bulb and clear the workspace afterwards. Entry 2 has 6 criteria: identify at least 2 plants and 2 tools in context, show 2 ways to water a plant correctly and give 2 examples of sustainable gardening, and take part in planting and in cleaning the area, 2 examples each. Provider designed tasks such as picture selection, pointing and supported practical tasks, with portfolio evidence; every criterion must be met for a pass. 20 guided learning hours at each level.
- Entry Level 3 (CBM128): 3 learning outcomes and 6 criteria: recognise at least 3 types of plants and explain the use of 3 gardening tools, take part in 3 plant care activities and explain 2 ways to garden sustainably in Wales, use at least 3 pieces of equipment safely to plant seeds or bulbs, and apply 2 cleaning procedures. 20 guided learning hours.
- Level 1 (CBM129): 3 learning outcomes with 5 criteria in the table: list at least 3 types of plants for the garden and outline the purpose of 3 tools, describe 3 ways to care for plants and outline 3 sustainable practices in Wales, and prepare a site independently, including clearing, improving soil and marking out. The indicative content adds an AC 3.2 on organising cleaning, drying and safe storage of tools, which is missing from the criteria table. 20 guided learning hours.
- Level 2 (CBM130): 3 learning outcomes and 7 criteria: summarise the growing requirements of 3 plants and outline tool selection for 3 tasks, explain 4 ways to maintain plant health and compare sustainable and non-sustainable methods used in Wales, plan the preparation and planting of an area, carry out the project in line with the plan independently, and record its progress, for example with a digital photographic log or a watering diary. 20 guided learning hours.
Skills that use Storing and sharing
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Recording a growing project with photos and a digital log
Level 2 learners record the progress and maintenance of their growing project, and the guidance offers a digital photographic log of a plant's growth from seed to harvest as one example, alongside a written watering diary, feed records and a lessons learned report. The assessment table allows logs, photos or notes. Recording is required at Level 2; a digital log is one option, so the digital skill is taught, not assessed.
DCF: Creating digital content, Storing and sharing
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils photograph a bean plant each week on a tablet and save the photos in a dated folder.
- Year 8
- Pupils build a digital growth diary with weekly photos, captions and plant height measurements.
- Year 9
- Pupils produce a digital project log for a class growing bed with photos, a table of watering and feeding, and a short end of project review.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit Content, LO3 AC 3.3, Level 2, page 25; Assessment Approach, Level 2, page 11
“maintaining a digital photographic log of a plant's growth from seed to harvest”
Progression step 3
I can use a range of software to select, produce and edit a range of multimedia components for a purpose, such as:
- text and images, e.g. format text (bold, underline, italics, highlight); insert and edit text boxes; columns; use refine tools (spellchecker, find and replace); word wrap; crop; alter size and shape; alter images; add effects; trim and split sound and video clips; transitions; onion skin
- presentation, e.g. page orientation; animations; transitions; remove and alter images; use background; use action buttons to create hyperlink; embed objects.
I can manage files and folders locally or online, e.g. move files to a folder.
Progression step 4
I can select and use a variety of appropriate software, tools and techniques to create, modify and combine multimedia components for a range of audiences and purposes, such as:
- text and images, e.g. explore and use effectively image manipulation techniques; explore and use appropriately the many aspects of document layout; use animation, video and audio effects such as echo, tempo, envelope, layering, frame rate, key frames
- presentation, e.g. use design tools; adapt themes and colours to suit the purpose; create master templates.
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Keeping practical evidence in an e-portfolio
Learners collate evidence in a portfolio, and e-portfolios are encouraged wherever possible. Much of the evidence is practical, such as planting, watering and cleaning, so photos and short records are a natural way to show it. Digital evidence is encouraged, not required, so this is taught, not assessed.
DCF: Storing and sharing
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils take a photo of themselves planting a seed and upload it to the class area with a 1 line caption.
- Year 8
- Pupils organise photos of their practical tasks into named folders in online storage for each activity.
- Year 9
- Pupils manage an e-portfolio of a growing project, naming files consistently and keeping earlier versions of their plan.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Assessment Approach, page 8
“Wherever possible, e-portfolios are encouraged”
Progression step 3
I can manage files and folders locally or online, e.g. move files to a folder.
I can upload files from a local drive to online storage.
Progression step 4
I can use appropriate advanced file management techniques, e.g. version history, restore previous version, tagging, compression.
Good to know
- Each level is a separate unit, CBM126 to CBM130, with "Credit Value: Two (2)" and "Guided Learning Hours: 20" (Unit Content, pages 12, 14, 17, 20 and 23), matching the Level 1 Qualification Guide (page 19).
- Only 1 level counts: "units with the same title at different levels are barred for completion within the same qualification", BSL being the only exception (Level 1 Qualification Guide, page 17).
- Tasks are designed by the provider and "All assessment criteria must be met in full for the learner to be awarded a 'pass'" (Assessment Approach, page 8). Evidence goes in a portfolio and "Wherever possible, e-portfolios are encouraged" (page 8).
- A growing space is needed: "Access to a safe indoor or outdoor area suitable for gardening activities", simple tools, peat-free compost and seeds, bulbs or small plants (Physical Resources, pages 6 to 7). Raised beds, greenhouses and water butts are optional.
- Safety is a delivery condition: "risk assessments are in place for" use of tools and indoor and outdoor activities, and staff must "demonstrate and model safe use of tools and equipment" (pages 6 to 7).
- Recording can be digital or not: the Level 2 assessment table asks learners to "Record plant growth and maintenance using logs, photos or notes." (Assessment Approach, page 11).
- Neither the unit specification nor the Level 1 Qualification Guide says anything about learners using AI tools.
- The Level 1 criteria table lists only "3.1 Prepare a site for planting" under LO3 (page 20), yet the indicative content gives an AC 3.2 on cleaning and storing equipment (page 22). Entry 3 AC 1.1 reads "Know different types of plants" (page 17), and the Level 2 guidance mentions a "vegetable primary bed" (page 24), which looks like an editing slip.
Links with other qualifications
Practical Gardening links with GCSE Geography and the Humanities Area of Learning and Experience, which the unit names, through sustainability, peat bogs, water use and biodiversity in Wales, and with GCSE Biology and the Sciences for plant parts and growing requirements. Planning and recording a growing project connect with the WJEC VCSE and Foundation qualifications in the land based and environmental area where offered, and with Food and Nutrition for growing vegetables. The Pearson Practical gardening unit covers similar tools, plants and care; the Open Awards unit puts more weight on sustainable gardening in Wales at every level and adds a planned and recorded growing project at Level 2. Within the Open Awards Skills for Life group, Skills in the Natural Environment covers nearby ground.
Source: Open Awards Skills for Life Unit Specification, Practical Gardening, Entry Level 1 to Level 2.