Gardening Short Course
About this course
What is it?
The Gardening Short Course offers exciting and rewarding activities to develop skills and knowledge through gardening. This course helps learners develop practical gardening skills, as well as personal, social and work-related skills. Certification is available for 10–60 hours of work.
The flexibility of ASDAN's Short Courses means that they can be carried out in a variety of settings, over a time period to suit the individual or co-ordinating centre.
This Short Course can be completed using the student book or is available for learners to complete online through the ASDAN e-portfolio system. Learners log in to complete challenges, record skills development and upload evidence. Tutors can view learner progress and sign off work, leaving feedback as needed.
Free gardening resources
Download our free Gardening Short Course resource pack, packed with useful tips, challenge links and project ideas to promote wellbeing and develop practical skills.
Join ASDAN
To teach this course you must have one of these membership types:
- Programmes Plus
- Programmes
- Qualifications
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Who is it for?
Short Courses are widely used in formal and non-formal settings, by 13-19 year olds. Because they are multi-level, the focus is on completing challenges and skills development according to individual ability, although learners are expected to be working at Entry level 3 to Level 1.
Facts and Figures
- Flexible, multi-level programme
- Internally moderated
- Accredits 10-60 hours of activities
- Can count as up to 3 of the credits needed to achieve the Personal Development Programmes
- Can count as up to 6 of the credits needed to achieve Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE)
- Also offers progression to Award of Personal Effestiveness (AoPE) and Wider Key Skills
Requirements
Learners must present evidence of their activities in an organised portfolio or e-portfolio.
This will contain:
- a record of challenges completed, with supporting evidence for each challenge
- recording documents, showing how learners have planned and reviewed their activities
- summary of achievement, highlighting skills development
- personal statement
Course Content
The Gardening Short Course contains eight modules:
- Planting in the garden
- Growing food on the allotment
- Working under cover
- Wildlife in the garden
- Using your produce in the kitchen
- Construction in the garden
- Art in the garden
- Careers in gardening
Each learner will need their own copy of the Short Course student book or an e-portfolio login – this contains the challenge content and recording documents.
Download sample pages from the Gardening Short Course student book.
Supporting Resources
A quick guide to Short Courses is available to support the delivery of all ASDAN Short Courses. This document offers advice and guidance for tutors, including a step-by-step guide to delivery.
1. Staff training
• The members of staff with overall responsibility for delivery should attend an ASDAN introductory workshop, webinar or an INSET.
• Training to deliver Short Courses is not a mandatory requirement, however it is highly recommended to ensure that the centre and learners obtain the maximum benefit from the programme.
2. Register with ASDAN
• You will need to have ASDAN Programmes membership to deliver Short Courses. Membership allows centres to purchase materials and access support from ASDAN, including regular mailings and updates.
• Become a member at: asdan.org.uk/membership or manage your existing membership at: asdan.org.uk/membership-details
3. Create a new cohort
• Create a new cohort using the ASDAN website: asdan.org.uk/member/cohorts
• Specify a course co-ordinator, the expected completion date and the number of learners taking the course.
Either:
- Select student books for your learners.
- Or, assign tutors and generate login details for learners via the tutor portal: tutor.asdan.org.uk
4. Purchase supporting resources
• Buy optional supporting resources below.
5. Delivery
• Learners can log in to their e-portfolio at eportfolio.asdan.org.uk
• Deliver the course to your learners. Resources, such as skills sheets, can be accessed through the e-portfolio and downloaded from this page.
6. Internal moderation
• Internally moderate all e-portfolios to ensure that learners have met the full requirements of the course. Ensure learners are given time to make any necessary amendments. Internal moderation checklists are provided to support this process.
• While Short Courses are not externally moderated, ASDAN reserves the right to sample learners’ portfolios for quality assurance purposes.
7. Certification
• After successful internal moderation, confirm your learner names and details claim certificates via the tutor portal: tutor.asdan.org.uk
• Choose a free downloadable PDF certificate, or request printed and foiled certificates from ASDAN at an extra cost.
• Certificates will be posted to the Short Course co-ordinator for your centre within 20 days.
• If credits gained from a Short Course are being used towards another programme or qualification, you must ensure that both the Short Course certificate and the student’s portfolio are presented at external moderation.
ASDAN training events are delivered by experts to enable your centre to successfully run our courses. They provide an introduction to the course, along with guidance on the processes involved, course delivery and moderation.
Costs
All costs shown below are per candidate, unless otherwise stated. Each learner will need their own copy of the student book. Books or registrations purchased for Short Courses are valid for three years from the date of purchase.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Gardening Short Course student book | £12 |
| Gardening Short Course PDF certificate | Free |
| Gardening Short Course printed and foiled certificate (optional, per learner, per Short Course) | £3.50 |
Products can be purchased below.
Products
Course resources
Gardening Short Course - 3B2: Greenhouse conditions log
This log provides a template for learners to record greenhouse conditions (eg humidity, temperature) and any actions they have taken to optimise conditions. This resource links to challenge 3B2 from the Gardening Short Course.
Gardening Short Course - 7A1: Plant pot designs
This template can be used by learners to plan their plant pot design ideas before creating them. This resource links to challenge 7A1 from the Gardening Short Course.
Gardening Short Course - 5B5: Allotment recipe templates
These recipe templates can be used by learners to record their recipe ideas for produce they have grown. There are two template designs - one for vegetable recipes and the other for fruit recipes. This resource links to challenge 5B5 from the Gardening Short Course.
Gardening Short Course - 2A2: Planting and harvesting fruit and vegetables
This worksheet asks learners to record the planting and harvesting months for fruit and vegetables grown on the allotment. Some example fruit and vegetables are listed, with space for learners to include their own. This resource links to challenge 2A2 from the Gardening Short Course.
Gardening Short Course - 1B1: Gardening jobs log
Learners can use this log template to record different gardening jobs. This resource links to challenge 1B1 from the Gardening Short Course.
Gardening Short Course: Seasonal gardening calendar
This seasonal calendar includes tips, tasks and project ideas to keep your gardening activities flourishing all-year round! This resource contains links to challenges from the Gardening Short Course.
Evaluation chart (individual)
This evaluation chart can be used by learners to evaluate a six-week individual activity. Learners are asked to mark on the graph each week to show what they did and how they felt; at the end of the project the learner should join up the marks to give a picture of the whole activity. This resource is particularly suited to challenges in Short Courses, Personal Development Programmes (Bronze, Silver, Gold), CoPE and Wider Key Skills.
Evaluation chart (group)
This evaluation chart can be used by learners to evaluate a six-week group activity. Each member of the group should choose a different colour and mark on the graph each week to show what they did and how they felt. At the end of the project, each group member then joins up their marks to give a picture of the whole activity. This resource is particularly suited to challenges in Short Courses, Personal Development Programmes (Bronze, Silver, Gold), CoPE and Wider Key Skills.
Planning a group or team task
This resource can be used when planning a group or team task. It links particularly well to ASDAN's Short Course programmes.
Self-evaluation template
This generic self-evaluation template can be used by learners to evaluate almost any group activity. Learners are asked to record how they felt about the activity and pick out the best and worst bits, before reflecting on what they could do better next time. This resource is particularly suited to challenges in Short Courses, Personal Development Programmes (Bronze, Silver, Gold), CoPE and Wider Key Skills.
Teamwork health check
This generic teamwork health check template can support a wide range of group activities. Learners are asked to come up with a list of agreed ground rules for good teamwork, then rate each group member's performance against these criteria. This resource is particularly suited to challenges in Short Courses, Personal Development Programmes (Bronze, Silver, Gold), CoPE and Wider Key Skills.
Short Courses summary of achievement and personal statement : PDF version (mandatory)
Short Courses summary of achievement and personal statement : Word version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 1 : PDF version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 1 : Word version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 2 : PDF version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 2 : Word version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 3 : PDF version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 3 : Word version (mandatory)