Skills for Life: Practical Gardening
Practical gardening is a 20 hour Skills for Life unit in which learners get to know plants, flowers and vegetables, prepare soil or containers, plant and care for them, and use sustainable and safe methods. It is one unit learners combine with others into a Skills for Life Award, Certificate or Diploma. Literacy sits in the criteria: following planting guidance, describing plants and their needs, recording observations of growth and, at Level 2, explaining choices and evaluating sustainable practices. Numeracy demand is low: measuring depth and spacing, watering amounts, tracking growth and planning a bed are practical and mostly suggested, and no criterion asks for calculation.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 20
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of literacy work
- Medium
- Amount of numeracy work
- Low
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3): Four learning outcomes (know about different types of plants, flowers and vegetables, plant and grow them, care for and maintain plants, know about sustainable gardening and work safely), with separate assessment criteria at Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3. Evidence goes in a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC. 20 guided learning hours.
- Level 1 and Level 2: Four learning outcomes (understand the characteristics and growing requirements of plants, plan and carry out planting activities, care for and maintain plants to support healthy growth, understand sustainable gardening practices and work safely), with separate assessment criteria at Level 1 and Level 2. Evidence goes in a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC. 20 guided learning hours.
Skills that use Clarity and vocabulary
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Describing plants and their growing needs
Learners name common plants at Entry 1 and 2, describe basic needs of plants at Entry 3, describe a range of plants and their growing requirements at Level 1 and explain characteristics and compare growing requirements at Level 2, using words such as annual, perennial, roots and stems. This is required by the criteria.
Literacy: Vocabulary, spelling, grammar, Clarity and vocabulary
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils label the roots, stem, leaves and flower on a photo of a plant and write what each part does.
- Year 8
- Pupils write a short fact file on a herb and a vegetable, describing what light, water and soil each needs.
- Year 9
- Pupils write a comparison of an annual and a perennial plant, explaining how their growing needs and care differ.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Entry Level, learning outcome 1, assessment criteria 1.1 and 1.2, page 5; Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcome 1, assessment criteria 1.1 and 1.2, page 6; amplification of learning outcome 1, pages 7 and 8
“Describe a range of plants, flowers and vegetables and their growing requirements”
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.
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Explaining choices and evaluating sustainable practices
Level 2 learners explain their choice of soil, containers, seeds or planting methods, apply sustainable practices and evaluate their benefits. Level 1 learners describe sustainable practices and how to apply them, and Entry 3 learners describe them. This is required by the criteria.
Literacy: Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context, Clarity and vocabulary, Questioning
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils say one way to save water in the garden and why it helps, such as collecting rainwater in a butt.
- Year 8
- Pupils write a paragraph explaining why they chose peat free compost and a recycled pot for their planting.
- Year 9
- Pupils weigh up composting, mulching and rainwater collection for the school garden in a short written evaluation and recommend one.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcomes 2 and 4, assessment criteria 2.2 and 4.1, page 6; Entry Level, learning outcome 4, assessment criterion 4.1, page 5
“Apply sustainable gardening practices effectively and evaluate their benefits”
Progression step 3
I can adapt my writing style and structure to suit the audience, purpose and context, e.g. suitable balance between facts and viewpoints, a precise conclusion.
I can express issues and ideas clearly using area of learning and experience/discipline-specific vocabulary and examples.
Progression step 4
I can use summary, discussion of issues, detailed explanations and logic when covering a topic.
I can sustain a convincing point of view, anticipating and responding to other perspectives.
Good to know
- Unit codes are "S622E1" to "S622L2", one code per level from Entry 1 to Level 2, and the unit is 20 guided learning hours (Unit overview, page 3).
- The pack itself names the literacy and numeracy: "Learners develop Literacy skills through recording observations, labelling plants and writing simple care instructions" and numeracy is applied "when measuring soil, spacing plants or tracking growth over time" (Unit overview, page 4).
- Evidence can be spoken or practical: "extended written work is not required unless appropriate" and spelling is not judged "unless specifically assessed" (Sources of evidence, page 10).
- Plural criteria mean at least two: "a plural reference within assessment criterion refers to a minimum of two" (pages 5 and 6).
- The unit needs growing space and kit: "small outdoor/indoor planting areas, basic tools (trowels, gloves, watering cans), and consumables (seeds, soil, compost)" (Resources required for delivery, page 11).
- Suggested assessment tasks "are not mandatory"; teachers may use, adapt or replace them (Skills for Life and Work specification, section 4.1, page 18).
- AI tools may be used only when "properly referenced", and misuse includes "Copying or paraphrasing whole responses of AI-generated content" (Skills for Life and Work specification, section 4.6, page 21).
Links with other qualifications
The pack names Community participation, Looking after others, Healthy lifestyle, Home management and maintenance, Mental health and wellbeing, Skills in the natural environment, Sustainability in action and Teamwork as units to deliver alongside Practical gardening. GCSE The Sciences and GCSE Integrated Science share describing plant structures and growth conditions and recording observations over time, and the pack names AS and A level Biology as a later link. GCSE Geography shares sustainability and fieldwork style recording, and GCSE Food and Nutrition shares growing vegetables and seasonal food.
Source: WJEC Practical gardening unit delivery and assessment pack, read with the WJEC Entry 1 to Level 2 Skills for Life and Skills for Work specification, approved by Qualifications Wales, teaching from September 2027 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2026).