Apprentice Gardener Review
at Clarion Housing Group
Level 2 Apprenticeship
Sustainability
London
Review Submitted: March 2026
Overall Rating
5 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
-
Overview of Role
5/5
-
Skills Development
5/5
-
Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
My role is an apprentice gardener. My day-to-day role is to maintain Clarion’s communal living spaces, gardens, car parks daily. Ensuring they are in pristine condition making our residents proud of their living space.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I enjoy being hands on and working with a close team maintaining all our garden spaces and get great satisfaction from seeing our good and hard work as well as hearing compliments from the residents on our work. I enjoy learning and progressing in gardening skills, each week provides new learning curves and challenges which by completing is enhancing me knowledge. Lastly, I have learnt much from the apprenticeship studies with Grey Seal and currently using what I have learnt into practice in the workplace with positive outcomes.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
I have learned many skills over the past 6 months, including how to operate many of the power tools such as a mower, strimmer hedge cutter etc.
I have learned the importance of waste handling ie green waste separation.
I have refined my customer service skills when speaking to our residents, helping with any concerns, giving them options and making sure they feel heard.
I have learned about all the health and safety legislations that need to be adhered to.
I am learning about all the different type of plants and their growing and pruning requirements.
Level of detail and knowing the standards in making Clarions sites clean and safe for our residents has developed and improved over the past 6 months.
I have learned the importance of waste handling ie green waste separation.
I have refined my customer service skills when speaking to our residents, helping with any concerns, giving them options and making sure they feel heard.
I have learned about all the health and safety legislations that need to be adhered to.
I am learning about all the different type of plants and their growing and pruning requirements.
Level of detail and knowing the standards in making Clarions sites clean and safe for our residents has developed and improved over the past 6 months.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
5/5
The programme is well structured and the support I have received has been amazing, my line manager has been very helpful throughout my time at Clarion and would not hesitate to help me when I have any queries or need advice and I have learned much in horticulture from him whether its during one of our tasks in our 1-1 meetings. Clarion has also implemented their own training days and these also have been amazing and full of critical information that is essential for my journey through this apprenticeship.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
I have regular quarterly reviews who also does not hesitate to offer help and guidance and is always available when I have a query. The apprenticeship team at Clarion regularly arrange ‘Apprenticeship Unwrapped events’ with all apprentices which is a fun and exciting day to look forward to, the last one that took place was a Monopoly day with all the apprentices and it is a good way for all of us to meet and catch up where it maybe difficult in our day – day work life. Also, the apprenticeship team are keen to ensure that once we finish our apprenticeships that we are offered a permanent role within Clarion.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
Grey Seal has been a supportive training provider; they have offered many different learning tools as well as training from highly experienced horticulturalists. My lesson tutor leads great training lessons and is always available to answer any questions before during and after the lessons.
My assessor is who also is great offering help and guidance when I need any help with my studies or any horticultural knowledge.
also feeds back my coursework informing me if I need to add more information to certain topics and praises the points that are correct.
My assessor is who also is great offering help and guidance when I need any help with my studies or any horticultural knowledge.
also feeds back my coursework informing me if I need to add more information to certain topics and praises the points that are correct.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
The lessons that I have had so far have helped me during some tasks I haven’t done before, for example during our soil cultivation lesson I learned about the different types of soils and how they affect plant growth, taking what I have learnt from the sessions I have utilised this with our own role and restored one of our flower beds to an exceptional quality which was once compacted and not suitable for plant growth.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
There are the apprenticeship unwrapped events.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Clarion Housing Group to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Because my experience at Clarion has been great from the interview stage until now, all my co – workers are friendly and supportive and there is much to learn and progress in within Clarion.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Clarion Housing Group?
I would advise them to do their research on Clarion and if they have an interview make sure they have facts about not just the job role and responsibilities but also facts about Clarion, this will show they are prepared and shows willing to the interviewer that they are a good fit for the organisation.
