Gardening and Countryside Skills Activity Centre Adult Prospectus · 2019-08-13 · On a Monday and...

Jonathan Ensell (Company Director)

T 0121 353 3481 M 07590620890 E [email protected]

http://www.rootstofruit.co.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/Roots-to-Fruit-Midlands-Ltd-632441953485719/

Roots to Fruit Midlands Ltd. Gardening and Countryside Skills Activity Centre

Adult Prospectus

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.rootstofruit.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/Roots-to-Fruit-Midlands-Ltd-632441953485719/




Roots to Fruit is a not for profit social enterprise based on the established plant nursery Oakdene Nurseries

in Streetly, Walsall. The nursery is open to the public and grows a wide range of plants to sell with other

garden related products. It is set in four acres of beautiful established oak woodland with a heritage apple

orchard and has been in the family since the 1930s.

At Roots to Fruit we are passionate about gardening, horticulture and plants. It runs through our veins. As a

family we have been growing plants on the same piece of land for over 70 years. We love teaching and

want others to enjoy the peaceful haven of Oakdene Nurseries. We want to cultivate in you the same

enthusiasm and zeal for horticulture that we have.







Disability Learning

We provide 2 days of learning per week at our training centre based at the working nursery and garden

centre in Streetly called ‘Oakdene Nurseries’. We blend work experience and learning at our gardening

clubs. On the job learning means gaining an accredited qualification at the same time, through our

accredited courses you will be assessed by the practical skills you learn at our centre. On top of this you

will be socialising with a range of different people, learning independent living and social skills that you can

take with you to other walks of life. Both physical and learning disabilities are catered for within an informal

and supportive environment. A massive range of practical skills can be learned to suit both the learner’s

level and interests. We can start at lower abilities such entry level 3 and work our way all the way up to

level 2 (GCSE grade C or above equivalent). The clubs can be started at any time of the year.

The gardening club has also had the opportunity to help with landscape jobs in the community from

installing a garden in Willenhall Park to constructing a sensory garden at Hobmoor Oasis Academy School.

There is no end of opportunities available through disability learning at Roots to Fruit.







Disability Learning Courses Available at Roots to Fruit

Monday & Friday 10am-3pm Plant Nursery and Gardening Club

On a Monday and a Friday, you can learn about propagating plants from seeds and cuttings as

well as preparing plants for sale and creating/maintaining retail areas on a working plant nursery

and garden centre that is open for business 6 days a week. You can learn to plant stock gardens

and maintain your own piece of ground as part of the course. You can come to enjoy the

therapeutic aspect of being outdoors and gardening within the team of fellow students and

volunteers. There is an option to gain a qualification from ABC Awards with Roots to Fruit’s highly

experienced horticultural lecturers Jon Ensell and Chris Murphy.

Monday & Friday Class Nursery and Gardening Course Time Table

Winter Spring Summer Autumn

Indoor Seed sowing Hardwood Cuttings Grafting Maintaining structures Maintaining concrete and wooden surfaces Constructing hard Surfaces Maintaining a stock garden

Indoor Seed sowing Pricking out Potting up Dividing herbaceous perennials Displaying and marketing plants Retail and customer services Maintaining a stock garden

Softwood cuttings Displaying and marketing plants Maintaining plants outdoors Retail and customer services Planting a stock garden

Semi ripe cuttings Potting up Dividing herbaceous perennials Maintaining structures Maintaining a stock garden Sweeping and tidying leaves Bulb Planting







Disability Learning Costs

Start dates are roll on roll off and you can usually start within a month of accepting a place. The

prices below apply to all of the courses currently available.

Places are subject to 2 free no obligation trial sessions and are based on an initial assessment.

The price reflects the supervisory needs as being the leaner is left unsupervised for up to 20 mins.

If more supervision and help is needed, then one to one care arrangements will need to be made

Number of days to attended per week

The prices below reflect attending either as a non accredited activity or accredited (to gain a qualification a 4 month commitment to the course needs to be agreed

Half a day £15 per session (qualification is un available for half day sessions )

One Day £20 per day or £60 per month Please note that monthly cost reflects 16 weeks of the year has been deducted for holidays, training centre closures and

an average amount of general absences

Two Days £15/ day or £90 per month Please note that monthly cost reflects 16 weeks of the year has been deducted for holidays, training centre closures and an average

amount of general absences







Professional Horticulture

For those starting in the industry E3 and Level 1(L1) practical skills courses are a great introduction to a

wide variety of subjects and skills within the industry. These courses are mostly practical based where you

will be carrying out duties and planning and completing projects in a working plant nursery, kitchen gardens

or ornamental gardens. Some written work is required but the majority of assessments for this course are

carried out in practical situations

The Level 2 qualification is the next step and will give trainees the opportunity to look at various subjects

within horticulture in a more in-depth way. More written work is involved as you have the opportunity to

build up an extensive plant knowledge. There will still be practical observations as part of the assessment

process and you will be expected to become more independent and work through duties and projects with

less supervision than the Entry Level 3 and Level 1 course. This course is designed to get you ready for

working in the horticultural industry or to set up your own gardening business.

There are subsidised volunteer places, based on volunteers earning the accredited qualification through

giving their time to helping both the gardening and plant nursery business. We also ask that volunteers

support the lower ability students within their studies. You will also be using online resources to complete

your assignments and produce your own photo evidence portfolios.

Garden maintenance in the

community

Students and volunteers gaining practical wood working

skills building the new workshop







Monday & Friday 10-3:30 Professional Plant Nursery and Garden Centre Qualification

On a Monday you can learn about propagating plants from seeds and cuttings as well as preparing plants

for sale and creating/maintaining retail areas on a working plant nursery and garden centre that is open for

business 6 days a week. Learn from the centre manager, Paul Ensell, who has been managing the centre

for the past 45 years and gain a qualification from ABC Awards with Roots to Fruit’s experienced and

qualified horticultural lecturers Jon Ensell and Chris Murphy. Subsidised volunteer places available.

Places are limited and subject to terms and conditions.

Monday & Friday Class Nursery and Gardening Course Time Table


Indoor Seed sowing Hardwood Cuttings Grafting Maintaining structures Maintaining concrete and wooden surfaces Constructing hard Surfaces Maintaining a stock garden

Indoor Seed sowing Pricking out Potting up Dividing herbaceous perennials Displaying and marketing plants Retail and customer services Maintaining a stock garden

Softwood cuttings Displaying and marketing plants Maintaining plants outdoors Retail and customer services Planting a stock garden

Semi ripe cuttings Potting up Dividing herbaceous perennials Maintaining structures Maintaining a stock garden Sweeping and tidying leaves Bulb Planting







Tuesday 9:15am- 3:00pm Professional Gardening Course On our Professional Gardening Course we aim to give you the skills to maintain gardens within a

professional setting. We go out into the local community to maintain private gardens and public

spaces giving you the confidence skills and knowledge to start either your own gardening

business, work for a gardening company or maintain your own garden. There is the opportunity to

gain a qualification from ABC Awards with the training centre’s award winning horticultural lecturer,

Jon Ensell. Various qualifications are available along with subjects to study. This course is

available as a professional course only. Subsidised volunteer places available.

Tuesday Professional Gardening Course Seasonal Time table.


Pruning, tidying

gardens, lawn

restoration.

Machinery

maintenance.

Garden

Maintenance:

Weeding , pruning,

tidying gardens,

lawn restoration

and care

Garden

Maintenance:

Weeding, tidying

gardens, lawn Care

(mowing, edging

and strimming)

Garden

Maintenance:

Weeding, tidying,

pruning, lawn care

(mowing, edging

and strimming)

lawn restoration

and leaf clearance







Potential Horticultural

Jobs

Skills and Knowledge

Gardening/Grounds

maintenance

Grass cutting

and strimming

Caring for

planted

borders

Pruning

plants and

hedges

Vegetable growing

Growing Plants/Nursery

Work

Propagating

plants from

seeds

Propagating

plants from

cuttings

Potting up

plants

Watering and

irrigation

Retail/Garden Centre Work

Preparing

plants for sale

Displaying

plants for sale

Creating retail

displays

Customer care

and services

Landscape Gardening

Garden

Design

Planting

borders

Clearing and

levelling the

ground

Laying paving

slabs and

block pavers

Erecting fences

Course Costs and Start Dates

Start dates are roll on roll off and you can usually start within a month of accepting a place. The below

prices apply to all of the courses currently available.

Subsidised Volunteer Qualification Costs.

Please note though the tuition fees for the volunteer courses are free an administration and qualification

registration fee needs to be met by each volunteer as listed below

Qualification Level Qualification Credit Cost

Level 1 Practical Horticulture Skills Award 10 £50.00

Level 1 Practical Horticulture Skills Certificate 20 £95.00

Level 1 Practical Countryside Skills Diploma 40 £175.00

Level 2 Practical Horticulture Skills Award 10 £60.00

Level 2 Practical Horticulture Skills Certificate 20 £120.00

Level 2 Work Based Horticulture Diploma 40 £200.00

Full Cost Recovery Courses

All candidates will have to go through an admissions process in order to ascertain exact costs and the level

they should be studying at.

Number of days to attend

Accredited Training - Qualification Courses (Work Experience Prices

Entry Level 3 to Level 1 Practical Horticulture/Countryside Skills. Total all inclusive prices of each qualification below.

Level 2 Practical Horticulture Skills/Work Based Learning

Total all inclusive prices of each qualification below.

Up to 12 Days 10 Credit Award £245.00-£300.00 10 Credit Award £380.00

Up to 27 Days 20 Credit Certificate £580.00 20 Credit Certificate £690.00

Up to 50 Days 40 Credit Diploma £950.00 40 Credit Diploma £1300.00







What are Entry Level 3, Level 1 and Level 2 Qualifications?

There are opportunities to start at Entry Level 3 (E3) and gain OFFQUAL registered qualifications

up to Level 2 (L2) with the accredited awarding body ABC Awards. You will be studying mandatory

units such as preparing the ground for seed sowing and planting containerised stock together with

watering plants effectively which are the foundation skills for learning horticulture. The

qualifications are industry recognised and are eligible for funding by the Skills Funding Agency.







EVENING CLASS RHS LEVEL 2 CERTIFICATE IN THE PRINCIPLES OF PLANT GROWTH, PROPAGATION AND

DEVELOPMENT

Location: Oakdene Nurseries

Duration: 1 Year or 35 Weeks (excluding holidays)

Start: September 2019

Days / Times: Thursday evenings 18:00 – 21:00*

Concessions: Course/tuition £660 RHS registration & 4 x exams: £112

Course Summary

This qualification provides a route to improve your gardening knowledge & skills or employment in

professional horticulture by assessing knowledge of the scientific principles underpinning horticultural

practices, and it supports career development for those already working in the profession. It also provides a

foundation for further learning or training in the field of horticulture.

Entry requirements

You need to have a keen interest in horticulture.

You should also have a minimum of a Level 1 qualification in English and Maths.

Course Content

1. Plant classification, structure and function

2. Plant nutrition and the properties and management of soils

and growing media

3. Maintaining plant health through understanding pest,

disease and weed lifecycles

4. Principles and practices of plant propagation in horticulture

How will I be assessed?

The course will be assessed through 4 x exams in February and June

Tutor: Stephen Ensell

Stephen has over 25 years’ experience in horticulture and landscaping, including 5 years teaching and

assessing experience, delivering horticulture programs for Milton Keynes college and South Staffordshire

college. Stephen has also developed and reviewed horticulture and landscaping qualifications.

For more information and to obtain a course booking form, please email

Steve Ensell ([email protected])

* Requires a minimum number of people to run








Student projects

At our centre you can explore many different subjects and gain your qualifications and skills by engaging

with a range of projects.

Here are some of the projects students have built so far:

Giant’s head- a planted garden

created by students for the Level 2

Establishing Decorative Areas Unit.

A rock garden.

Constructing and planting a

cottage style garden. The

student collected the willow

branches and constructed

the wattle hurdle as part of

the garden.

An allotment plot planted with vegetables raised from seed by

the student; grown and nurtured organically as part of the

course.







Sub-Contracted Delivery of Qualifications

Are you a college or training provider and have access to skills funding money? We can deliver a range of

qualifications at a very competitive rates within the land based sector that are all fully funded

Here is a list of the qualifications that we have direct claims status to deliver:

U0004-00 Employability Programme

C9218-E2 Entry Level Certificate in Practical Horticulture Skills (Entry 2)

A9218-E2 Entry Level Award in Practical Horticulture Skills (Entry 2)

A9218-E3 Entry Level Award in Practical Horticulture Skills (Entry 3)

A9217-E3 Entry Level Award in Practical Countryside Skills (Entry 3)

C9218-E3 Entry Level Certificate in Practical Horticulture Skills (Entry 3)

A9217-01 Level 1 Award in Practical Countryside Skills

A9218-01 Level 1 Award in Practical Horticulture Skills

C9217-01 Level 1 Certificate in Practical Countryside Skills

C9218-01 Level 1 Certificate in Practical Horticulture Skills

D9217-01 Level 1 Diploma in Practical Countryside Skills

A9208-02 Level 2 Award in Practical Horticulture Skills

C9208-02 Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture Skills

D9200-C2 Level 2 Diploma in Work-Based Horticulture (Horticulture)

They are nationally recognised and regulated by OFFQUAL.

As a centre we have 3 award winning and highly qualified lecturers of horticulture working to deliver the

wide variety of qualifications we are registered to run

Jonathan Ensell receiving his

Worshipful Company of Gardeners

Prize from Princess Anne at

Buckingham Palace for his

outstanding delivery of City and

Guilds Qualifications within Her

Majesty’s Prisons

Chris Murphy

Chris Murphy is an experienced

horticulturalist, lecturer and an

award winning plant

collector/grower

Stephen Ensell has won a gold

medal at for the construction of

a show garden at RHS

Hampton Court with the British

Association of Landscape

Industries







Bespoke Horticultural Training

We can tailor horticultural training to meet your company or organisation’s needs. For example, you might

run a garden centre and want to improve your employees’ plant identification skills or you might be a school

that wants to prepare the teachers for outdoor curriculum activities. We can help with lots of different

requirements and can either organise the training from our centre or deliver within your workplace. We

have delivered a number of courses for organisations such as Walsall Housing Group, Walsall Council,

Welsh House Farm Big Local and Oasis Academy Trust through community learning events covering

subjects around organic gardening as well as fruit and vegetable cultivation.

Feedback from Community Learning Sessions:

“Most informative and factual- the lecture on compost must useful. The lecturers took time to explain things

and the hospitality was first class.”

John

“Have enjoyed all 3 sessions, planting, showing, compost, cuttings, pruning, dividing and pricking out .Lots

of hands on which is great fun”

Elaine

“Really enjoyed the whole event. Very good information. Would come back again.”

Ben

“Very informative - catering for all levels of gardening knowledge in a clear, non-threatening and

entertaining delivery. Good blend of practical and theoretical activities. A thoroughly enjoyable event.”

Jackie

“Once again full of information presented in a friendly and non-technical way.”

David

“Today has been brilliant and very useful for me. Thank you for the time you have given us. Can't wait to

get back to put into practice what I have learned today.”

Caz

“Welcoming, friendly, well delivered and enjoyable. Will look forward to more sessions in the future for

personal development.”

Ray







Attendance and Costs

Courses will be written and planned to meet specific client needs and a full quotation will be submitted for

each different course/activity.

Allotment Rental

We are fortunate enough to own a gorgeous acre and a half heritage apple orchard within our site. In 2014,

we began carefully and sympathetically installing allotment plots amongst the apple trees, enabling us to

provide a supported allotment service within this unusual and pretty space. You can rent an allotment and

wildlife garden of your own and have full access to tools and resources as part of an annual subscription

fee.

Click on ‘Allotments’ on our website for more information.







Student Stories

Angela’s Story

On starting the course, I felt very nervous and reluctant to come, but was instantly made to feel very

welcome. I have some knowledge of basic gardening which, I have learned from books and other people

with similar interests.

But now at the end of my course I look back at what I have learned. I came specifically to learn about and

pursue and interest in garden design. Jon then encouraged me to design my own garden, and I feel I have

achieved a lovely garden with so much help about compost, cuttings, planting, layout and general design.

Jon helped me to choose the right materials, and has advised me with hard landscaping ideas.

After suffering from long-term major depression the course encouraged me to interact with people, build my

self-confidence and self-esteem which has now improved my life in many ways. The people on the course

have helped me so much.







Andrew’s Story

After choosing to leave my last volunteer work placement I was optimistic enough to think that given all

of the possibilities out there and with my broad range of interests I would have no problem finding another

placement, especially when coupled together with a number of years’ experience. In reality I was very

wrong. For three years I relentlessly tried to find a new placement but for most and for whatever reason my

disability proved too much of an issue. Over a three year period of being turned down or worse, completely

ignored for application after application I began to take this very personally.

The constant rejection, feeling of isolation and the sheer frustration of wanting to get involved but not being

able to, often for no other reason than the ignorance and preconceptions of people who have never met

me, started to have a detrimental effect on my mental well-being. I was eventually diagnosed with

depression and anxiety and sent for CBT and counselling. For one reason or another none of this seemed

to work.

Then through a chance meeting I came across Roots to Fruit at Oakdene Nurseries. By teaching me

horticulture it got me out of the house and back into the fresh air. I began to meet new, likeminded people

and learn a new skill. I also realised the satisfaction of caring for and watching a plant grow. Soon I started

to feel much better in myself and have a much brighter outlook for the future.

Andrew maintaining his wildflower

meadow

Andrew receiving his Level 2 Work-

based Diploma in Horticulture







Roots to Fruit Midlands Ltd Scoop Top Show Border Medal at Gardeners World Live 2019

Roots to Roots to Fruit Midlands Ltd have built a show border at Gardeners World Live 2019 they are delighted to

announce that it has won a Platinum Medal - the highest award that can be given - and one of only two presented

within the category. In the event our border in addition to this also won 'Best In Show' for their interpretation of a

theme. The topic of the border was a curriculum garden entitled 'Schools Out 4 Summer'. This is an education sensory

border and Jonathan Ensell lead horticultural tutor and company director said ‘this is the only garden at GWL that

children between the age of 4 and 94 can enjoy by touching and feeling its plants and interactive features’. 125 of the

children, their teachers (from schools that Roots to Fruit deliver learning with), their volunteers, their adult learners

were all there to experience the sensory effects of the garden and see the medal being presented to the not for profit

social enterprise.

Jonathan designed the border collaboratively with staff and students, Jonathan’s wife Claire came up with the idea of

embedding the national curriculum in the garden. Jonathan worked with his students to develop the concept into a

plan. Jonathan said ‘It’s a whistle stop tour through maths with a living abacus, English with plants found in the works

of Shakespeare, it has a volcano for geography, plants growing in test tubes for science, dinosaur fossils and Roman

mosaics that need digging up for history and a

clay pot chime for music. The main stars of the

show were the plants included to represent

each curriculum area.’

Roots to Fruit work with a range of people from

all cross sections of the community. Jonathan

said ‘the most amazing thing about this project is

the many outcomes it has achieved for us as a training centre, we have been able to grow all of the plants at our

nursery using the help of the students that access our training facility’, they have been able to grow from seed and

nurture the plants for this border. Roots to Fruit students maybe adults volunteering their time, they may have a

learning/physical disability, or they may have mental health problems. They also work with primary and secondary

schools and have been able to involve them all in some way. Most of the adult learners used the activities associated

with the border to build evidence for their portfolios and were assessed by Jonathan for elements of their accredited

qualifications. Roots to Fruit are a registered centre with SEG awards and deliver ABC awards land-based

qualifications in both horticulture and countryside skills from entry level 3 to level 2. Jonathan said that ‘ All of our ABC

award registered students have been able to complete parts of their qualification practical tasks by being involved in

this show border whether through growing the plants or building the garden at the NEC, it’s a testament to ABC

Awards to how their qualifications provide the wonderful opportunity to embed a wide variety of performance criteria

and out comes in a wonderful and prestigious student experience’. The students were on hand all week to provide

tours of the border to show visitors during the week and helped to engage a range of people with the sensory aspects

of the garden; Jonathan said ‘ I can’t say a big enough thankyou to my students and volunteers this medal is as much

theirs as it is ours’.




Gardening and Countryside Skills Activity Centre Adult Prospectus · 2019-08-13 · On a Monday and...

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Transcript of Gardening and Countryside Skills Activity Centre Adult Prospectus · 2019-08-13 · On a Monday and...