RHS Level 2 Practical: Qualification-wide outcomes

 What you need to learn and where to find it

The RHS Level 2 qualification is split into two halves: practical (the course I'm currently studying) and theory. As you'd expect, the practical half has a strong emphasis on actual tasks: digging, planting, mowing etc. However, there's still conceptual learning to do, and there is still a written (online) exam!

Alongside the main points of the course like propagation and plant establishment, there are also four 'qualification-wide outcomes'. These are concepts that underpin everything you'll do in horticulture. There are specific exam questions about them, and you'll need to be aware of them for work too.

In my experience, course providers don't explicitly cover much. You're expected to study them yourself. However, the topics are very broad, and working out what exactly you need to learn - and where to find it - can be a challenge, as it's not really set out anywhere other than in the unofficial textbook by Barnaby Millard (which is really for the theory half of the qualification). 

To help you, I'll summarise the reliable sources I've found. If you have a good link that I've missed, please comment on this post and I'll add it to the list!

Sustainability

A massive topic, close to the heart of many gardeners. Don't try to study everything if you're new to it, or you'll get overwhelmed. Start with the RHS Sustainability Strategies, which many exam questions are based on, then explore from there.

Make notes on the following, which the exam covers:

• How horticulture can do good things under the RHS' three 'pillars of sustainability'. These are environmental protection, social equity and economic viability and are detailed in the RHS strategies.
• Negative impacts horticulture can have on the environment (including carbon footprints, soil health, insects & wildlife, resource use, and biosecurity)
• Climate change - both how horticulture impacts it, and how it impacts horticulture
• How horticulture can be a 'net positive' industry - the RHS strategies go into good detail about this.

Other good sources include:

• Sustainability-related episodes of the BBC Gardener's World podcast. I've linked to Spotify - it's not on BBC Sounds, but is on other podcast platforms!
• Another good podcast (less lively, but more detailed) is Gardening with the RHS
• People Fixing the World is an interesting BBC radio show, which interviews people coming up with interesting solutions to issues like plastic pollution and biodiversity decline. 
• The Woodland Trust has some useful webpages and blog pieces
• Kiss The Ground is a brilliant, impactful, easy-to-watch documentary about soil which I watched after the head gardener at RHS Wisley recommended it in a webinar. There are occasional screenings around the UK and beyond, but if you're in education you can also arrange one free for your classmates, or ask your tutor to.
• The Garden Inspiration section of the RHS website has some good articles.
• So does the Wildlife Trusts website.
• And the RSPB.
• It's also worth looking into the work of Charles Dowding, the father of the 'no-dig' movement. He's received an RHS People Award for his efforts. Be aware, more recently he's also been linked to conspiracy theories about chemtrails etc, so if that's not your thing, steer clear of those elements - they definitely won't come up on the exam! 

Best Practice

This one is nebulous as far as the practical course goes. You should be learning and showing best practice in your practical work. Try also to learn a bit about each of the plants in your idents - their favoured soil, light levels, position and conditions. The RHS website or its Grow app is good for this. It's also worth familiarising yourself with horticultural trials, how they work and what they do, e.g.:

• RHS Plant Trials
• Which? Plant Trials (these are conducted in the Which? garden at Capel Manor)
• BSPB Variety Trials

Equality, diversity and inclusion 

You'll need to know about relevant ED&I legislation as it relates to horticulture. Understanding what victimisation, discrimination and harassment are is also important, as well as the concepts of respect, fairness and dignity. You should also know the benefits of inclusive workplace cultures.

This is summarised in the Millard book, but other reliable sources include:

• FutureLearn often has free online courses on ED&I, like this one
• The ACAS webpage on ED&I - what they are and their benefits
• The ACAS webpages on discrimination, harassment and victimisation
• The RHS Equality & Diversity Policy

Health and Safety

There's a whole host of relevant legislation, which can look quite offputting. The good news is that you only need to learn a couple of specific points for each, relevant to horticulture. 

The Barnaby Millard book contains a really good three-page summary of the relevant bits of all the legislation. This is also one area where your college or course provider really should provide you with an overview PowerPoint or document. 

However, if you need a reminder (or are keen on reading legislation for fun!) these are the acts etc to be aware of:

• Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) aka HASAWA
• Electricity at Work Regulations (1989)
• Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations (1992)
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999)
• Manual Handling Operations Regulations (1992) as amended (2002)
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (2002) aka COSHH
• Control of Noise at Work Regulations (2005)
• Working at Height Regulations (2005)

If you've only got time to learn about one, make it HASAWA. This is the broadest act, and its principles underpin all the rest. 

Lastly, it might be tempting to chuck the acts through an AI like ChatGPT and ask for a summary. If you do, be aware that it does make mistakes and tends to mix up horticulture and agriculture!

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