Find out more about our available courses and dates below:
Course Dates
The training dates for this programme are:
- PA1 Training & Assessment: 9th Dec 2025 PA6 Training: 10th Dec 2025 PA6 Assessment: 11th Dec 2025 (Venue Highfields Park, St Albans) **FULLY BOOKED**
- PA1 Training & Assessment: 7th/8th Jan 2026 PA6 Training: 15th Jan 2026 PA6 Assessment: 16th Jan 2026 **FULLY BOOKED**
- PA1 Training & Assessment: 10th March 2026 PA6 Training: 11th March 2026 PA6 Assessment: 12th March 2026 (Venue Highfields Park, St Albans)
- PA1 Training & Assessment: 5th May 2026 PA6 Training: 6th May 2026 PA6 Assessment: 7th May 2026 (Venue Highfields Park, St Albans)
- PA1 Training & Assessment: 14th June 2026 PA6 Training: 15th June 2026 PA6 Assessment: 16th June 2026 (Venue Highfields Park, St Albans)
- PA1 Training & Assessment: 14th July 2026 PA6 Training: 15th July 2026 PA6 Assessment: 16th July 2026 (Venue Highfields Park, St Albans) **FULLY BOOKED**
- PA1 Training & Assessment: 1st Sept 2026 PA6 Training: 2nd Sept 2026 PA6 Assessment: 3rd Sept 2026 (Venue Highfields Park, St Albans)
- PA1 Training & Assessment: 12th Oct 2026 PA6 Training: 21st Oct 2026 PA6 Assessment: 22nd Oct 2026 (Venue Highfields Park, St Albans)
- PA1 Training & Assessment: 24th Nov 2026 PA6 Training: 25th Nov 2026 PA6 Assessment: 26th Nov 2026 (Venue Highfields Park, St Albans)
- PA1 Training & Assessment: 15th Dec 2026 PA6 Training: 16th Dec 2026 PA6 Assessment: 17th Dec 2026 (Venue Highfields Park, St Albans)
We are also able to offer courses at another venue to suit your requirements upon request. We can also run courses bespoke to your needs, so please do contact us today for more information.
Foundation Unit PA1
Safe use of Pesticide: Foundation Unit PA1. This course is suitable for those working in forestry, agriculture, horticulture or greenkeeping. It is based around the National Proficiency Test Council PA1 (Foundation) Test and is designed to help people to successfully prepare for their tests.
PA1 Prerequisite: It is necessary to be competent at reading, writing, understanding and speaking English, along with basic numeracy skill, PA1 assessment is an online computer-based assessment. In the event of the PA1 not being achieved, there will be a charge of £90+ VAT for resitting the test.
Course Objectives:
The candidate will be able to:
- Identify those key aspects of legislation which apply to the use of pesticides.
- Identify the precautions necessary to use a product safely, using product label information.
- Identify, select and understand the maintenance and storage of the correct personal protective equipment for use with a particular product as determined by a label and/or COSHH risk assessment. Follow appropriate personal hygiene procedures to prevent personal contamination. Follow the appropriate procedures for dealing with accidental personal contamination.
- Understand the correct procedures for the storage of pesticides.
- Understand the correct procedures for the disposal of empty pesticide containers, surplus pesticide and washings.
- Understand the records that must be kept.
- Understand the situations where pesticide application may pose a risk to people or the environment.
Course Modules:
- Legislation Product
- Labels
- Personal Safety and Contamination
- Pesticide and container storage
- Disposal Record keeping
- Environmental factors
Unit PA6 – Hand Held Applicators
Safe use of Pesticide: PA6 This course is suitable for those working in forestry, agriculture, horticulture or greenkeeping where spraying pesticide is required. It is based around the National Proficiency Test Council PA6 (Hand Held Applicators) Test and is designed to help people to successfully prepare for their tests.
Course Objectives:
The candidate will be able to:
- Prepare a hand held pesticide applicator for work, calibrate it and operate it to ensure correct application rate without risk to themselves, other people and the environment.
- Use the information detailed on product labels to determine the approved uses for the product and its potential hazards to human safety, non-target areas and the environment in general.
- Carry out daily and routine maintenance on a hand held pesticide applicator.
- Carry out the correct procedure for cleaning personal protective equipment and application equipment which may have been contaminated with pesticide.
- Carry out calibration of sprayer using an approved method and record results.
Course Modules:
- Applicator set-up nozzles
- Read and interpret labels
- Calibration and calculation
- Equipment
- Environmental Risk Assessment
- Application of pesticide to area
- Cleaning sprayer and PPE Application Records
Certification/Award on Completion:
- NPTC Level 2 Award in Safe Use of Pesticides Foundation Unit PA1
- NPTC Level 2 Award in Safe Use of Pesticides - Module PA6 Hand Held Applicator
You will need to supply:
- Rubber Wellingtons
- Nitrile Gloves 300mm long .5mm thick (suitable for handling chemicals)
- Coveralls - Minimum of type 5
- Full Perspex Face Shield
- Pen, Paper and Calculator
Course Costs:
The Course cost for PA1 & PA6 Including 2 days training and 1 day assessment is £535.50 inc VAT per candidate. If the course is delivered at an alternative venue to meet the employers bespoke requirements then the course cost may be subject to change.
- PA1 only is £233.10 including VAT per candidate
- PA6 only is £378 including VAT per candidate
- PA1 & PA6 together are £535.50 including VAT per candidate
- PA6aw is £180 incl VAT per candidate if added as an extra unit.
- PA2 is £420 incl VAT per candidate.