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Horticulture - Level 3 - Hadlow Campus

Hadlow College

Tonbridge Road, Hadlow, Kent, TN11 0AL

National Diploma (BTEC)
Level 3
Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care

Available start dates

Available start dates

Monday, 08 September 2025
Hadlow College
2 Year(s)
Full time
Not applicable
Low Availability

Application Instructions

Applications Open - 26th September 2025

Applications Close - 14th August 2026 for application forms - please visit www.hadlow.ac.uk if applying after this date for GCSE Open Events and Open Enrolment Dates.

How to Apply - Apply through KentChoices

PLEASE NOTE - Popular courses can fill up quickly so apply early to avoid disappointmentourses can fill up quickly so apply early to avoid disappointment

Course Summary

This course consists of a range of practical and written assessments, examples include tree planting, building walls and fences, laying concrete, growing plants from a range of cuttings and driving machinery. Written assessments include garden drawing designs and essays on understanding plant and disease management in protected structures. There are also externally marked exams for plant and soil science and working in the land-based sector.

Course Details

This course covers a wide range of Horticultural subjects and is aimed at four distinct careers paths within the Horticultural industry: production horticulture, garden design, hard and soft landscaping, and garden amenity maintenance. On completion of the course the students will have the knowledge and skills to start their own garden maintenance company, undertake site surveying and garden design briefs for clients, grow a variety of crops in an environmental commercial situation for clients/garden centres and to landscape clients' gardens from building walls, nurseries, concreting, raised beds, fencing and paving. Students will, as part of the course, have responsibility to maintain the public gardens at Broadview, as well as be involved in the new gardens. They will gain supervisory experience through assisting some groups within the gardens and be responsible for some horticultural crop production. In addition, all Level 3 students will have the opportunity to undertake the learning and assessment of the RHS Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture. Achievement of this Level 2 qualification is subject to an additional registration, assessment and certification fee which will require self-funding by all students. Cost information will be provided nearer the time along with payment options

How will it be delivered and assessed?

This course consists of a range of practical and written assessments, examples include tree planting, building walls and fences, laying concrete, growing plants from a range of cuttings and driving machinery. Written assessments include garden drawing designs and essays on understanding plant and disease management in protected structures. There are also externally marked exams for plant and soil science and working in the land-based sector.

Entry requirements

Minimum of 4 GCSEs grades 9 - 4 or equivalent (Level 2 Diploma), which must include GCSEs in English AND Maths 9 - 4 Grade or equivalent (Level 2 Functional Skills). You should also have a keen interest in the subject and demonstrate a commitment to the curriculum area.

Your next steps...

Successful completion of this qualification will provide you with the opportunity to apply for one of our many Higher Education courses or directly into employment. Some employment opportunities from studying a two-year qualification include skills to start their own garden maintenance company, undertake site surveying and garden design briefs for clients, grow a variety of crops in an environmental commercial situation for clients/garden centres and to landscape clients' gardens from building walls, nurseries, concreting, raised beds, fencing and paving.

For more courses like this, check our courses page.