Awards and qualifications
The people we support are keen to learn new skills and techniques, therefore we offer a range of courses to supplement practical learning. We believe in the investment in every person’s potential, skills and confidence and strive to help each individual meet their full potential. Each course is made up of manageable chunks, is inclusive and encourages students to work together and as individuals. New knowledge and skills are reinforced and applied on the farm.
Courses enable people on the farm to engage together, be creative and have fun whilst learning and gain certified qualifications. We believe in ability and not disability and we assess and advocate for each person’s needs in order to undertake and be successful in their chosen course, whether this support be physical, emotional or other means of assistance.
Current courses
Open Awards Level 1-3 in Horticulture
Dale Farm is currently piloting the Open Award Scheme with a view to rolling the qualification to all those who wish to undertake a qualification in horticulture. Currently, we are introducing an Open Award, Level 1 in Horticulture, we then hope to move through the other levels of the course.
“Open Awards is an Awarding Organisation approved by Ofqual and an Access Validating Agency approved by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). They provide Ofqual regulated qualifications and units across a range of sectors, QAA Access to Higher Education Diplomas and also offer bespoke quality endorsed units and flexible learning solutions”.
Open Awards
The qualification is evidence based, where students undertake a variety of modules based in a horticultural setting. Students must provide sufficient evidence that they have the required knowledge, skills and understanding of the assessment criteria and that it is their own work. In order to promote equal opportunities, anyone who requires additional support will be assigned a mentor to guide them through the process. At present two of our volunteers, Colin and Coral, who have had long established careers as teachers are guiding students through the course.
Lizzie and Paul are involved in our current ‘pilot scheme’, undertaking the Level One Open Award.
In order for Lizzie and Paul to become certified they must demonstrate with evidence various horticultural skills. Only a few of these skills are listed here:
- Prepare Ground for Sowing and Planting Under Supervision
- Apply Fertiliser by Hand to Bare Ground
- Care for a Planted Area
- Collect and Prepare Produce or Plant Material for Transport
- Construct a Composter Control Weeds in a Planted Area
- Cultivate Land by Single Digging or Forking
- Determine Soil pH with Colour Indicator Test Kit Under Supervision
- Establish an Even Gradient or Level between two Fixed Points
- Health and Safety in a Practical Environment
- Identify Annuals and Herbaceous Perennials
- Identify Trees and Shrubs Identify Weeds
- Introduction to Propagation of Plants
- etc.
Graduation Class of 2024
We are very pleased to announce that Lizzie and Paul have graduated from their Open Awards Level 1 in Horticulture course. You can read more about their graduation day.
Historical courses
Our students and volunteers have previously undertaken the John Muir Award; an initiative which encourages people to connect with, enjoy, and care for wild places.
What is the John Muir Award?
The award is an environmental scheme for people of all backgrounds – groups, families, individuals. It’s non-competitive, inclusive and accessible. To undertake the John Muir Award, our students and staff shared an adventure to discover, explore and conserve the wild places surrounding our grounds.
John Muir Award activity involves positive, real-life experiences that provide space for developing key skills such as problem solving, decision-making, creativity, communication and team-working. The Award often brings young people into contact with a range of outdoor, creative and countryside-based roles, helping broaden horizons. Activities undertaken can help demonstrate experience and achievements in personal statements and at interviews. Employability and the John Muir Award gives an overview of how it is used to help move participants towards employment.
The John Muir Award embraces outdoor learning approaches and offers a personal learning context for exploring sustainability and climate through direct experiences of nature. The Conserve Challenge promotes simple concepts of personal responsibility and the ability to make a positive difference. This helps learners to understand the impact of our actions and helps engage them in finding solutions to mitigate some of the most urgent global and local issues of sustainability, climate action and managing the planet’s natural resources.
What we achieved
Four Challenges are at the heart of each John Muir Award. They are designed to promote a holistic approach to learning – including awareness, understanding and
action. To achieve a John Muir Award each participant engages in a range of activities to meet Four Challenges:
- Discover a wild place(s) – this can range from school grounds to mountain tops
- Explore it – experience, enjoy and increase awareness and understanding
- Conserve it – take action for wild places, nature and our climate
- Share experiences – reflect, review and celebrate with others
DISCOVER A WILD PLACE
We have explored some of the incredible land which surrounds Dale Farms, including the ‘Lower Meadow’, which leads into the Dales. The Lower Meadow is home to our bees and a beautiful range of wildflowers.
EXPLORE IT
We explored what grew in and around Dale Farm and why they did. We learnt the differences between different trees and plants and learnt to appreciate our natural environment as it flourishes.
DISCOVER A WILD PLACE
We have explored some of the incredible land which surrounds Dale Farms, including the ‘Lower Meadow’, which leads into the Dales. The Lower Meadow is home to our bees and a beautiful range of wildflowers.
Reflect with Others
The people we support are encouraged to reflect on their experiences, celebrate their achievements, build relationships with their community, staff and volunteers.
On the following images you can see the graduation day after our students received their certificates and some of the learning material and images taken during the course (we apologise there are not many images remaining from this time).
