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This apprenticeship has been retired
Planning and maintaining large gardens, parks and other green spaces.
This occupation is found in a wide range of outdoor spaces. This may include public parks and gardens, green spaces, schools, tourist attractions, business and retail parks, historic gardens, private gardens, and estates. The horticultural spaces may be privately or publicly owned.
Work may be carried out on a variety of locations that might include domestic gardens, construction sites, retail and business parks.
Employers will vary in size and type and can include charities, commercial businesses or governmental organisations. Many organisations will be specialised in their activities, such as grounds maintenance or landscape construction.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to plan, oversee and carry out horticultural or landscaping operations to create and maintain horticultural spaces. The work involves both the soft landscaping aspects (plants and soil) and the hard landscaping (surfaces, features, and structures).
Horticulture or Landscaping Supervisors will be employed in an occupation that specialises in either horticulture or landscaping.
Horticultural Supervisors plan the maintenance of established horticultural areas. They oversee and carry out hard and soft landscaping maintenance operations and ensure that the site is maintained in line with the design, purpose and business objectives. They will have an advanced skill set, enabling them to undertake a wide range of horticultural operations.
Landscaping Supervisors will plan, oversee and undertake activities required to install landscapes to meet customer specifications. This might be complex landscapes with high values and a range of features including ornamental, horizontal and vertical structures, or smaller scale domestic gardens such as patios, retaining walls, water features, decking or pergolas.
Horticulture or Landscaping Supervisors frequently work outdoors, year-round and in all weathers. They sometimes work at heights, for example pruning taller plants and hedges.
Horticulture or Landscape Supervisors will require certificates of competence and or training to undertake particular activities and use specialist machinery.
Horticulture supervisor
Horticulture team leader
Landscape supervisor
Senior gardener
This is a summary of the key things that you – the apprentice and your employer need to know about your end-point assessment (EPA). You and your employer should read the EPA plan for the full details. It has information on assessment method requirements, roles and responsibilities, and re-sits and re-takes.
An EPA is an assessment at the end of your apprenticeship. It will assess you against the knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) in the occupational standard. Your training will cover the KSBs. The EPA is your opportunity to show an independent assessor how well you can carry out the occupation you have been trained for.
Your employer will choose an end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) to deliver the EPA. Your employer and training provider should tell you what to expect and how to prepare for your EPA.
The length of the training for this apprenticeship is typically 30 months. The EPA period is typically 5 months.
The overall grades available for this apprenticeship are:
When you pass the EPA, you will be awarded your apprenticeship certificate.
The EPA gateway is when the EPAO checks and confirms that you have met any requirements required before you start the EPA. You will only enter the gateway when your employer says you are ready.
The gateway requirements for your EPA are:
For the horticulture or landscaping supervisor, the qualification required is:
Ofqual regulated Level 3 award in first aid at work (3-day course)
Lantra Awards Level 2 Award in Safe Use of Pesticides OR City & Guilds Level 2 Principles of safe handling and application of pesticides (for Option 1: Horticulture Supervisor)
Lantra Awards Level 2 Award in the Safe Application of Pesticide Using Hand Held Equipment OR City & Guilds Level 2 Award In The Safe Application of Pesticides Using Pedestrian Hand Held Equipment (for Option 1: Horticulture Supervisor)
City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Certificate of Competence in the Safe Use of Abrasive Wheel Machines OR Lantra Abrasive Wheel Machines (for Option 2: Landscaping Supervisor)
Practical assessment with questions
You will be observed by an independent assessor completing a set of tasks. It will last 90 hours. They will ask you at least 10 questions.
Project with report
You will complete a project and write a report. You will be asked to complete a project. The title and scope must be agreed with the EPAO at the gateway. The report should be a maximum of 2000 words (with a 10% tolerance).
You will have 14 weeks to complete the project and submit the report to the EPAO.
You need to prepare and give a presentation to an independent assessor. Your presentation slides and any supporting materials should be submitted at the same time as the project output. The presentation with questions will last at least 25 minutes. The independent assessor will ask at least 5 questions about the project and presentation.
Professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence
You will have a professional discussion with an independent assessor. It will last 60 minutes. They will ask you at least 15 questions. The questions will be about certain aspects of your occupation. You need to compile a portfolio of evidence before the EPA gateway. You can use it to help answer the questions.
You should speak to your employer if you have a query that relates to your job.
You should speak to your training provider if you have any questions about your training or EPA before it starts.
You should receive detailed information and support from the EPAO before the EPA starts. You should speak to them if you have any questions about your EPA once it has started.Reasonable adjustments
If you have a disability, a physical or mental health condition or other special considerations, you may be able to have a reasonable adjustment that takes this into account. You should speak to your employer, training provider and EPAO and ask them what support you can get. The EPAO will decide if an adjustment is appropriate.
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