Skills for Life: Practical Gardening
Practical gardening is Pearson Skills for Life Unit SfL 22, in which learners learn about plants, flowers, vegetables and gardening tools and safely plant, grow and care for them, indoors or outdoors. It is one 20 hour unit that learners combine with others into a Pearson Skills for Life or Skills for Work Award, Certificate or Diploma, achieved once at a single level from Entry 1 to Level 2. Literacy demand is low: learners name, describe or explain the uses of tools and plants and follow instructions, but most of the assessment is practical. Numeracy demand is also low: measuring planting depth, spacing and compost and planning watering are mapped by Pearson but not required by any criterion.
- Awarding body
- Pearson
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 20
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of literacy work
- Low
- Amount of numeracy work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3): One assessment criterion at each of Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3: learners list, outline or identify types and uses of gardening tools and plants and safely take part in practical gardening activities, from at least two activities at Entry 1 to at least four at Entry 3. There are no mandatory evidence requirements; the centre sets its own assignment (Pearson's Authorised Assignment Brief is optional), assesses it internally, and Pearson quality assures it through standards verification. Graded Pass or Fail. 20 guided learning hours.
- Level 1 and Level 2: One assessment criterion at each level: Level 1 learners describe the use of a range of plants and gardening tools and safely carry out at least four gardening activities, and Level 2 learners explain why plants and tools are used and independently carry out at least five activities, adapting their skills where required. Evidence type is chosen by the centre, internally assessed by the centre and quality assured by Pearson through standards verification. Graded Pass or Fail. 20 guided learning hours.
Skills that use Connectives and syntax
-
Describing and explaining the uses of tools and plants
Level 1 learners describe the uses of at least four types of gardening tool and plant and how each is used, and Level 2 learners give reasons why different plants and tools are used for different gardening activities. This moves from description to reasoned explanation and is required by the Level 1 and Level 2 assessment criteria.
Literacy: Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context, Connectives and syntax, Clarity and vocabulary
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils write two sentences for each of three tools saying what it does and when a gardener would use it.
- Year 8
- Pupils explain to a partner why a gardener would choose a spade rather than a trowel for one job, then swap roles with a new tool.
- Year 9
- Pupils write a short guide explaining why particular plants suit a shady school bed and which tools are needed to plant them, using connectives such as because and so.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 22, Assessment criteria, Level 1 and Level 2, page 103; Essential information for assessment decisions, Level 1 and Level 2, page 104
“give reasons why different plants and gardening tools are used for different gardening activities”
Progression step 3
I can write a comprehensive account of a topic, theme or viewpoint.
I can use an increasing range of connectives to organise my ideas in sentences, paragraphs and whole texts.
Progression step 4
I can use summary, discussion of issues, detailed explanations and logic when covering a topic.
I have experienced a range of area of learning and experience/discipline-specific and general academic vocabulary, and can use them in my own communication.
Good to know
- The unit is "SfL 22" with "20" guided learning hours in the unit summary table (Section 3, page 5), and "Learners can only achieve each unit once, at a single level" (Rules of Combination, page 6).
- Written work is limited: the criteria ask learners to list, outline, identify, describe or explain the use of tools and plants, and "centres can select the type of evidence" (Essential information for assessment decisions, page 104), so descriptions can be spoken or labelled.
- Each level sets a minimum number: Entry 1 learners list "at least two types of gardening tool and at least two types of plant", rising to "at least four different types of gardening tool and plant" at Level 1 (page 104).
- Assessments "can include both practical and written tasks" and need "a brief that is issued to learners with a defined start date, a completion date" (Assessment of units, page 9), so plan around growing seasons.
- Learners can be assessed "in Welsh or English" (Language of assessment, page 8).
- AI must be acknowledged and work must be in learners' own words: "If AI is used, the final submission must be in the learner's own words and reflect their own effort" (Requirements relating to permitted/prohibited resources, page 105).
Links with other qualifications
WJEC also offers a Practical gardening Skills for Life unit, also 20 guided learning hours. The WJEC unit asks for more literacy and numeracy, with recording observations of plant growth, writing care instructions and explaining and evaluating sustainable practices across four learning outcomes. The Pearson unit's one criterion per level asks only for naming, describing or explaining the uses of tools and plants alongside a set number of practical activities. GCSE The Sciences and GCSE Integrated Science share the vocabulary of plants and growing conditions, and GCSE Food and Nutrition shares growing vegetables. Within the Skills Suite, Sustainability in action and Skills in the natural environment share outdoor practical work and measuring resources.
Source: Pearson Entry Level 1 to Level 2 Skills for Life Award, Certificate and Diploma specification, Issue 1, August 2026, Unit SfL 22: Practical gardening.