EPQ (THE EXTENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATION)
Universities tell us that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) Level 3 is an excellent preparation for undergraduate study as it gives real evidence of independent, critical thinking. It is a stand-alone qualification, an extension from studies, which enthuses students by offering the opportunity for open debate and research on their own topic. Students from Year 12 can opt to take the EPQ, alongside their A Level studies and will be taught skills such as researching effectively or time management. It is essential that students work independently, but have a supervisor and subject mentors who assesses their progress.
It focuses on:
- A solid and coherent grounding in a specialist topic
- An ability to undertake independent and self-directed learning
- The ability to think laterally, critically and creatively
- Problem solving
- Reflective learning
- Self-management
- The development, presentation and communication of information
- The delivery of a presentation to an audience
The students’ choice of topic is free, although they must show that it is academically useful, either related to their current course of study, or their future career. It takes the form of either a dissertation (5,000 words being a common guideline) or a number of other forms: a musical or dramatical composition, report or artefact, each backed up with paperwork.
An EPQ consists of 100% coursework, there is no exam. The EPQ projects generally start in February in Year 12 and finish in November of Year 13 to ensure students can adequately focus on their exams. Final projects are submitted in the November after the EPQ presentation events.
Our annual EPQ results are almost always outstanding with our 2024/2025 cohort all registering A* – C grades with 85% of all grades at A* or A.
Several of our EPQ projects were included in the schools annual academic journal ‘The Gateway’ for 2025.
