Distance learning RHS Courses?????

[Phattaff]

Hi all

Going through a bit of a midlife doda and i'm thinking of a complete career change and doing a RHS Course through a distance learning provider.

Has anyone out there done one of these who possibly point me in the right direction of a good provider or recommend a good provider.

Thanks for all your help in advance

All the best

Phattaff

[Ouya Mellsa]

Yes, I've just done the exams for the RHS course. I studied via distance learning with a company called Learning Curve Education. It was well written and the tutor was helpful.

Have a look on their website.

The Level 2 courses have recently changed.

[piskieinboots]

I just looked at LCE - there was no mention of RHS, can you point me to it please

[Phattaff]

Hi Ouya

Had a quick look for their website also, do you mean Learning Curve at the following website Learning Curve, thet run the RHS courses and seem ok, are they who you studied with ?

All the best

Phattaff

[zazen999]

Before you do - you might want to find out who the awarding body is for those quals...otherwise you could find yourself paying out for something that doesn't exist. Or that is the figment of someone's imagination.

It seems the course books are based around popular...books such as Alan Titchmarsh.

If you like, I can do some distance learning for you, squidge together an exam, and award you the Zaz Cert in Gardening Learning for 8/10 of the price they are charging, and the certificate you get from me comes with a free pack of leek seeds. Interested?

[Phattaff]

Hi Zazen

I'm assuming your not a fan of these distance learning courses, i would like to do a RHS course with the ambition of sitting and hopefully passing their exam and gaining one of their certificates/awards (i am assuming these exams do count for something?). Although your course sounds tempting i think i will pass, if you have any other ideas i would be grateful for your input.

All the best

Phattaff

[Hilary B]

Just as a thought about distance learning in general, there are some things that just don't work for distance learning, and those are things with a significant practical element. Wouldn't anything to do with growing things come into that category?????

[Ouya Mellsa]

Hi Piskiein and Phattaff.

This is the link to the course I did: RHS Level 2 Combined

The price is the best I could find when I was researching, but this does not mean the quality suffers.

There is no practical element tested in the Level 2 courses.

Zazen- these RHS courses are nationally recognised qualifications. They are part of the National Qualifications Framework. They are asked for in job specifications by employers such as councils, garden centres and the National Trust. I do agree, however, that there are plenty of worthless distance learning courses at the same prices- just do your research!

[zazen999]

Hi Piskiein and Phattaff.

This is the link to the course I did: RHS Level 2 Combined

The price is the best I could find when I was researching, but this does not mean the quality suffers.

There is no practical element tested in the Level 2 courses.

Zazen- these RHS courses are nationally recognised qualifications. They are part of the National Qualifications Framework. They are asked for in job specifications by employers such as councils, garden centres and the National Trust. I do agree, however, that there are plenty of worthless distance learning courses at the same prices- just do your research!

Most of the courses haven't got any awarding body attached; the actual RHS exam is on top of the 'course' they are selling. When the course text is Titchmarsh's books, you really do have to question the validity of the course.

[piskieinboots]

..
If you like, I can do some distance learning for you, squidge together an exam, and award you the Zaz Cert in Gardening Learning for 8/10 of the price they are charging, and the certificate you get from me comes with a free pack of leek seeds. Interested?

And that was helpful how?

[perkin]

Most of the courses haven't got any awarding body attached; the actual RHS exam is on top of the 'course' they are selling. When the course text is Titchmarsh's books, you really do have to question the validity of the course.

Learning Curve is on the approved distance learning provider list on the RHS website, so that means the course content and structure has been checked out.
It's also standard for the RHS qualifications to pay separate fees for the course and exams. I did my Level 2 at Capel Manor College - the course fee goes to the college for providing teaching/module books/support and the exam fee goes to the RHS who compile the syllabus, write the exams, mark them and award the certificate.
I must have missed the reference for the Titchmarsh book on that site - as far as I'm aware, the RHS courses don't follow any commercially published books.

[zazen999]

And that was helpful how?

Have a look at some of their other courses; they have no awarding body and produce their own certificate of learning - so without an awarding body, it would be as useful as the aforementioned Zaz cert.

Having been involved in training and learning for a long time, and having investigated fraud by private training providers - I would be very wary indeed of paying out money to a provider who uses books that are available in any high street as the only text for a course; and who issue at the end their own certificate of learning; rather than one issued by an actual awarding body...

In all honesty - you could set that up with a website tomorrow....or I could...is what I'm saying. There is nothing there about provenance and I would be very wary about giving them my hard earned cash.

[piskieinboots]

Fair point Zaz and noted

[Phattaff]

Cheers all
Think i might have hit a nerve or ruffled a feather or two, the combined course through learning curve has seemed to be the best one (at least a few people have recommended them) so i will be taking a closer look, i have no doubt that there are may sham learning providers out there, but it's only by asking for other peoples advice and looking around we can find the ok one's, not all of us can leave work to study full time (wish i could) or even find a part time course which will fit around other things which have to be done (like everyday life).
Thanks for your help be it advice or warnings

All the best
Phattaff

[zazen999]

No ruffled feathers....I've just been on the end of the phone when people have been taken to court for the full whack when the promised course never happened....

Tears, tantrums; the lot...and of course it was our fault for not warning people - so I am afraid I'd prefer to warn people to make sure they know what they are signing up for even if it doesn't make me the most popular kid on campus...