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 Vocabulary, spelling, grammar
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Naming gardening tools and plants
Entry 1 learners list at least two types of gardening tool and two types of plant, Entry 2 learners outline at least three of each, and Entry 3 learners identify the uses of a range of tools and plants. Learners need the correct names for tools and plants, given orally, in writing or by labelling. This is required by the Entry level assessment criteria.
Literacy: Vocabulary, spelling, grammar, Clarity and vocabulary
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils label a picture of a garden shed with the names of six tools, such as trowel, dibber and hand fork, and spell each correctly.
- Year 8
- Pupils sort seed packets into flowers, vegetables and herbs and write a one sentence outline of each plant using words from the packet.
- Year 9
- Pupils make a glossary of ten gardening tools and plants with a short definition of each, then use it to name kit aloud during a practical lesson.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 22, Assessment criteria, Entry 1 to Entry 3, page 103; Essential information for assessment decisions, Entry 1 to Entry 3, page 104
“list at least two types of gardening tool and at least two types of plant”
Progression step 3
I can use varied, appropriate and precise vocabulary including area of learning and experience/discipline-specific words for different purposes.
I can express issues and ideas clearly using area of learning and experience/discipline-specific vocabulary and examples.
Progression step 4
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.
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.