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 Representing data
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Tracking growth over time
Level 1 learners monitor growth and record observations, and the overview says numeracy is used when tracking growth over time. Measuring heights and drawing growth charts or logs are suggested ways to do this, so monitoring is required but the numerical form is optional.
Numeracy: Collecting data, Representing data, Interpreting data
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils measure a bean plant's height in centimetres every few days and record the results in a table.
- Year 8
- Pupils plot a line graph of their plant's height against days and describe when it grew fastest.
- Year 9
- Pupils compare growth graphs for plants kept in sun and shade and draw a conclusion, noting why a small sample might mislead.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcome 3, assessment criteria 3.1 and 3.2, page 6; Unit overview, page 4; sources of evidence, page 10
“Labels, logs or growth charts showing plant development over time”
Progression step 3
I can collect relevant data to answer posed questions.
I can represent data using:
- lists, tally charts, tables, diagrams and frequency tables
- bar charts, grouped data charts, line graphs and conversion graphs
- pictograms where one symbol represents more than one unit using a key
- Venn and Carroll diagrams.
Progression step 4
I can construct and interpret graphs and diagrams (including pie charts) to represent discrete or continuous data, choosing an appropriate scale.
I can draw conclusions from data and recognise that some conclusions may be misleading or uncertain.
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).