Tree work07884 274693Training01772 369694
An exclusive territory, assessment through our City and Guilds approved centre, our systems and the training model we already run in Preston. Licence from £35,000 excluding VAT.
Request the information pack Book a callAnyone using a chainsaw at work needs a certificate of competence, and their employer has to be able to evidence it. That demand does not go away. Certificates expire, crews change, and new entrants keep arriving.
Great Oaks has delivered City and Guilds NPTC qualifications since 2018 from our base at Freshfield Farm in Freckleton. We are a City and Guilds approved assessment centre. That is the approval that exists in this industry: there is no such thing as approval to deliver training, so no centre can claim it and we do not. What it means in practice is that the independent assessment is done in house rather than bought in.
The part that takes years is not the teaching. It is the assessment centre approval, the course documentation, the quality assurance framework and the systems that keep a centre running and auditable.
A franchise gives you that on day one, in a territory of your own.
The courses, the delivery pattern and the assessment routes we already run in Preston. Not a theory, a working centre.
From onboarding through to your first course date, supported by our management and training team.
Mentoring, observation and sign off, so you teach with confidence and hold the standards City and Guilds expects of an approved assessment centre.
Lesson plans, paperwork and templates, with guidance on scheduling and completing NPTC assessments.
Sized to support a sustainable calendar for one trainer at launch, with room to add an instructor as demand grows.
Experienced NPTC qualified professionals.
You hold the tickets and you have years on the tools. You want to move into instructing without building a business from nothing.
The licence fee is fixed. Every other line is a range, because it depends on your region, the equipment you already own and the sites you can get access to. We work through all of it with you during onboarding before you commit.
| Item | What it covers | From |
|---|---|---|
| Franchise licence and onboarding | Territory grant, the train the trainer pathway and sign off, the quality assurance framework, course documentation, centre set-up, systems onboarding and mentoring through your first year | £35,000 |
| Equipment pack | Chainsaws, PPE, maintenance tools and climbing kit to entry scope, with an allowance for inspection and servicing | £12,000 to £18,000 |
| Practical sites set-up | Site sourcing support, safety documentation, initial site preparation and contingencies | £2,000 to £5,000 |
| Launch marketing | Local activation plan, your centre page content and photography, and the first campaigns | £3,000 to £5,000 |
| Working capital | Early trainer and assessor costs, venue and site fees, exam fee cash flow, insurance and initial travel | £10,000 to £20,000 |
| Typical total | One trainer, one exclusive region | £67,500 to £87,500 |
Insurance, exam fees and venue or site costs sit outside these figures. We work through what they will actually cost in your region during onboarding, rather than quoting you an average.
Every figure on this page excludes VAT.
These figures are an illustration of how a centre can perform. They are not a guarantee, not a projection of your results, and not a record of what any individual centre has achieved.
Marketing switches on from week four, so enquiries are building before your first course runs.
An established centre with a single trainer. This is the pattern we run, not a promise of bookings.
| Week | Monday to Friday | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Ground Based Chainsaw Operator, five days | Four delegates, assessment scheduled |
| Week 2 | Tree Climbing and Aerial Rescue, five days | Four delegates, assessment scheduled |
| Week 3 | Chainsaw Maintenance and Cross Cutting plus Woodchipper | Mixed modules, refreshers and short courses |
| Week 4 | Felling and Processing Small Trees, three days plus a refresher day | Four delegates, assessment scheduled |
National campaigns and SEO, your own centre page and calendar, and monthly content. Enquiries in your territory come to you. Performance reports shared quarterly.
Two quality audits a year, quarterly peer reviews and a minimum of two CPD days. Pass rates and learner feedback tracked, with an improvement plan agreed if anything slips.
The platform we run our own centre on: calendars, joining instructions, candidate records and assessment scheduling.
Leads sales and marketing for the franchise. Started in 2006 with a National Diploma in Arboriculture at Myerscough College, worked across the industry, achieved Qualified Teacher Status and led apprenticeships at Myerscough. Founded Great Oaks in 2018.
Over seventeen years in forestry and arboriculture, including time in New Zealand, at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and with Forestry England. Supports train the trainer, observes your early delivery and gives direct feedback.
Reviews from delegates on our own courses. Our first franchise centres are not open yet, so there is nothing from a franchisee to show you.
"The course structure flowed perfectly... totally worth it!"
Matt C, Ground-based chainsaw operator"A very positive experience and I've learnt a lot. Thanks!"
Nick S, Ground-based chainsaw operator"I came away with a huge amount of confidence and respect for the profession. Top-quality training from people who clearly care!"
Oliver D, Tree Climbing and Aerial RescueWe come back to enquiries within 24 hours. All figures quoted exclude VAT.
Careers
Climbing, grounds maintenance and utility work.Climbing, grounds and utility work.
Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor.
Last minuteAvailability
Starts Monday 19 October 2026
3 days plus 1 for assessment
£9671 place
Entry requirements: Ground Based Chainsaw Operator and Tree Climbing and Aerial Rescue
Book this date, Using a Chainsaw from a Rope and HarnessOr call the training office on 01772 369694
