Exceptional EPQ results ensure our Sixth Formers stand out

58% of our EPQ students achieved an impressive A* grade this year, highlighting how our Sixth Form experience offers exceptional preparation for higher education and beyond.

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a popular option amongst our Sixth Formers. It is a formal qualification, taken in addition to A Levels, that provides a unique opportunity for students to broaden their skill-set by studying a topic that is of specific interest to them.

Looking at this year's results overall, 85% of students achieved A*/A grades, and 100% gained A*/B grades. These impressive outcomes reflect our innovative programme of support available to EPQ students, which includes 30 hours of guided learning, focused on developing skills such as:

• Independent research
• Identifying suitable sources of information
• Project management skills 
• Referencing techniques

By applying these skills, each student completes an independent research project to produce one of the following:

• Research-based written report
• Production (e.g. a charity event, fashion show or sports event)
• An artefact (e.g. a piece of art, computer game or realised design)

Completing an EPQ is great preparation for university-style learning, and students also earn up to 70 UCAS points. This ensures our Sixth Form UCAS applications really stand out from the crowd:

"The EPQ is a definite strength in an application. It can create the heartland of a personal statement and give it depth and substance.” Sheila Cosgrove, University of York, Admissions Administrator

The Class of 2022 explored a fascinating range of themes, reflecting their unique interests and strengths. Here's just a flavour of some of the topics:

• Photographing life in lockdown versus life out of lockdown
• The mental health and social impact of Covid-19 on individuals with Autism
• A beginner’s guide to British law and politics
• How does social media affect people?
• Research in supporting individuals with speech and language impairment using augmentative and alternative communication tools to communicate
• My origin - an exploration of inheritance and culture
• The study, design, realisation and sale of effective medical masks
• Creating an edited film using raw footage to show an improvement in my skills in post-production
• The effect of Covid-19 in LIDCs – (low-income developing countries)
• To what extent can someone with a full life with Sickle Cell Disease?
• Creation of a zero waste cook book
• Is cosmetic dentistry ethical?
• What made the West African Ebola epidemic (2013-2016) the worst ever in history?

"The richness and breadth of the EPQ feeds back into other A Level studies and equips students with the creativity, confidence, and initiative needed to thrive in higher education and beyond. This year's results are a testament to the hard work of our students, and the exceptional, tailored support provided by our teaching team." Kate Latham, Assistant Head, Teaching and Learning

"I'm delighted to see the well-deserved strong results from this year's EPQ students. Their topics were inspiring and the key skills we worked on across the project process will prove invaluable as they go on to study at university. I'm so proud of what they have achieved." Alison Gundy, EPQ Co-ordinator

A full list of this year's EPQ themes and further information is available here.

Explore how the EPQ builds on our HPL approach