Free Level 1 Horticulture Course in Sheffield. Classes run full-time at The Sheffield College Hillsborough Campus. This level 1 horticulture qualification covers the practical skills you need to work in gardens, parks, and green spaces. The course takes one year to complete. You'll spend time learning hands-on horticulture skills in a structured daytime programme. It's a solid starting point if you're looking to move into gardening or land-based work.
Who this course is for
The Sheffield College is a thriving further education college situated in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. We have 4 main campuses across the city, including our City Campus, Hillsborough Campus, Olive Grove Campus and Peaks Campus. We offer a wide range of Apprenticeships, vocational courses, A Levels, professional courses and university level courses. Please go to our website www.sheffcol.ac.uk for full details.
Entry requirements
Please check our website for the most up-to-date entry requirement for this course.
What you will learn
You'll develop practical plant care and growing techniques.
You'll learn how to maintain garden beds, borders, and planted areas.
You'll understand soil types and how they affect plant health.
You'll practise using and maintaining common horticultural tools and equipment safely.
You'll learn about seasonal growing cycles and how to plan tasks around them.
You'll develop skills in lawn care and turf maintenance.
You'll explore pest and disease identification and basic control methods.
How you will learn
You'll learn through classroom sessions and practical, hands-on activities. Assessment is based on practical tasks and skills demonstrations rather than written exams alone. You'll build a portfolio of evidence as you work through the course, showing what you can do in real horticultural settings. Your progress will be assessed by your tutors throughout the year.
What you will need to bring
The centre will provide most materials. The Sheffield College Hillsborough Campus will confirm anything else you need before you start.
Where next
Jobs you could do
Gardener: maintaining private or public gardens and green spaces.
Grounds maintenance operative: keeping parks, sports grounds, and estates tidy.
Nursery worker: growing and caring for plants in a commercial nursery.
Cemetery and crematorium groundsperson: maintaining burial grounds and memorial gardens.
Local authority parks operative: working in council-managed outdoor spaces.
Garden centre assistant: advising customers and caring for stock plants.
What you could study next
Level 2 Diploma in Horticulture: the natural next step, covering more advanced plant knowledge and practical skills for employment.
Level 2 Award in Safe Use of Pesticides: a short qualification that opens up more specialist grounds maintenance roles.
Level 3 Diploma in Horticulture: for those aiming toward supervisory or specialist roles in horticulture or landscape management.
