Appendix 3Horticulture / Landscape Apprenticeship

Learning JournalThis learning journal is an optional template for use in the apprenticeship. It is recommended that a minimum of 20 tasks and 20 plant profiles are completed during your apprenticeship. This might equate to doing a plant profile and detailed task on alternate weeks.

Apprentice name:

Line manager name:

Date:

Apprentice to provide a bullet list of the main tasks carried out – can be by day or by task as preferred – up to 10 points maximum including tasks supervised

• This section needs to be factual.• What tasks did you undertake and in what order ?• The content of this section shouldn’t be repeated in the Skills Profile!

Key learning actions achieved, including supervisory skills

• This section needs to outline what you learnt from your task. • Please be specific. For example, if your task is turf laying, its insufficient at L3

to just state, “ I learnt how to lay turf”. Please elaborate and be specific and provide greater depth and analysis. For example:“ I learnt the full process of laying turf. One learning action achieved was preparing the soil, making sure it is flat, free from large dips/undulations and the soil surface is free of large stones. If the large stones aren’t removed, during this stage they will impede the successful laying of the turf”

Regarding the supervisory skills; “ I demonstrated the basic process of turf laying with my staff. I undertook a 30 minute guided demonstration on soil prep, turf laying and post laying watering”“ It is my opinion we had an insufficient number of staff to undertake this task”“ We undertook a verbal, site specific Risk Assessment with the other member of staff.

Line manager to comment on performance, discuss any errors and suggest

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improvements

• Direct your line manager to provide meaningful feedback.• Direct to your line manager to provide specific feedback

Your line manager has to provide comments on your performance.Direct your line manager to comment on ;

• Quality of your work• Your commercial speed/ your speed of work• How you personally performed on this task, were you calm, did you work

methodically, or perhaps you were stressed and struggled to perform this tasks to the best of your ability?

Your line manager has to provide comments on any errors. Please direct to to your line manager to be specific.For example, “insert student name, struggled with the organisation of his worksite. The student failed to have the deliveries ordered in the most efficient manner which led to inefficiencies and extra labour required to move the soil onto the worksite.”

Your line manager has to provide suggestions for improvements. Please direct your line manager to be specific. For example “insert students name, has to thoroughly think through the program of works for this task next time. I would recommend the student produce a simple XL spreadsheet to to illustrate when and where deliveries are required for this task. By producing a simple spreadsheet rather than holding all the information in his head this will help him plan more efficiently and communicate the program of works to his members of staff.

Line manager signature & date

Skills portfolio – Apprentice to record, research and analyse a horticultural skill, this should preferably be something you have been trained in or have experience of from the list provided. ( Guideline word count ( 500 word)

Skill Title

Description to include why, how & when task is done.

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• “Apprentice to record, research and analyse a horticultural skill”- • This section needs to record the task you undertook. For example Turf laying,

Rose Pruning, hedge cutting etc etc• The research section of the skills profile is important. This section allows you,

to expand your knowledge of the task.• The research section isn’t about copy and pasting research you have

found on the internet. The research section is about finding the research and then APPLYING the research to your undertook!

• You're analysing the task you undertook against the research you have found.

Please note, the tutor is here to help you. At level 3 we won’t do the work for you, but, we can help you with your research. At level 3, you must take the responsibility for your learning. You must reach out and ask for help via a tutorial.The tutor will guide you on possible sources of research and help you create a structure for your learner journal!

Please reference your research material

Health, safety and environmental awareness considerations

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• Please state the pieces of Health and Safety legislation relevant to this task. • You then must apply your knowledge of the legalisation to your task. For

example:• We undertook a risk assessment for the turf laying task. A Risk Assessment is

required under The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The Risk Assessment highlighted the following hazards;

• Manual handling injury through lifting the turf

The persons at risk were:

• Myself, my co-worker etc

What rating would you give the task?

What SPECIFIC, named control measures have you put in place.

Supervisory considerations for this task

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Can you apply the academic theory of ……

• Lewin’s leadership styles • Goleman’s leadership styles • Tuckman model • Belbin’s team roles • Bell & Harts 8 causes of conflict • Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory and;• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Relevant Images

• The images need to show you undertaking the task and/or supervising others undertaking the task.

• Please provide a range of photographs. The photographs need to show a before, during and after picture of your task.

Plant profile Study a plant encountered during your work, identify it and take note of the health, maintenance and location. Complete the following.( Guideline word count ( 500 word)

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Family

Scientific name (including cultivar if applicable)

Common name

Health of plant including any problems and actions or investigations required

• To complete a satisfactory plant profile, you must undertaken thorough research for your plant.

• You must use external research material, such as books, WWW and/or asking your line manager for further information.

Please note, you are applying your research to your plant. The plant you are working with on your work site.Please don't just provide generic cut and pasted information about the plant.

If, in your opinion, the plant is healthy and you cant see any problems, then please justify this opinion? Please refrain from writing “ The plant is healthy, no further action required”.

For example, the Libertia grandiflora is healthy and is free from problems. The observed the plant showing healthy growth. The plant grew 45cm high and 45cm wide in this growing season. This is in accordance with my research on the plants annual growth rate.

My research also highlighted the Libertia suffers from root rot and powder mildew in early summer. As the picture shows ( please insert a picture, perhaps obtained from a google search), my plant doesn't show any signs of the disease.

Please note, the tutor is here to help you. We won’t do the work for you, but, we can help you with your research. At level 3, you must take the responsibility for your learning. You must reach out and ask for help via a tutorial.The tutor will guide you on possible sources of research and help you create a structure for your plant profile

Please reference your research material•

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Maintenance requirements including current condition, actions required, seasonal considerations etc…

• Please note, you are applying your research to your plant. The plant you are working with on your work site.

• What specific maintenance task(s) did you undertake on your plant?• After researching the plant ( using books, WWW and/or asking your line manager for

information), what other maintenance tasks could you have undertaken?

• After researching your plant, was the maintenance task you undertook right for the plant?

• For example, you may have undertaken the pruning of an Elaeagnus shrub in late September with a hedge cutter, and this may make the shrub look neat and tidy, but you have just removed all the stems, which contain the buds, which will come into flower in November.

Therefore, how would you prune the Elaeagnus differently next time?. When is the best time to prune an Elaeagnus?. Why did you prune the Elaeagnus at this time of the year?. Is it company policy to prune the Elaeagnus shrub 3 perhaps 4 times a year. ?

Its important to remember a level 3 student, needs to analyse why they are undertaking the maintenance task and not just state they have undertaken it.

Suitability of the plant for the location including light, soil, water, design, mature size and other factors e.g. poisonous, spines, specific user requirements etc…

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• For example: Your research states the Lavandula 'Ballerina' plant you are maintaining, requires the following;

AspectSouth-facing or West-facingExposure:ShelteredMoisture:Well-drainedSoil:Sand, Chalk, LoampH:Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

• Your research also states the Lavandula ‘Ballerina' is best used for informal hedging and in herb gardens.

Your research also states Ultimate height0.5-1 metresUltimate spread0.5-1 metresTime to ultimate height2-5 years

So, you have found this information through your research. Now is the time to apply that information to your plant.

• Your plant is at the base of a shady north facing wall!. So, what specific effect does that have on your plant?. Or:

• Your plant is in an exposed, windy site! So, what specific effect does that have on your plant?

• Your plant is in very Alkaline soil!.So, what specific effect does that have on your plant?

Conversely, if you feel the lavender plant is totally suitable for the location, then please justify that opinion.

Image of plant

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Please select a suitable image of your plant.

Please reference your research material

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