Sixth Form students are offered the opportunity to undertake an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). An independent research-based project, an EPQ is an opportunity to write a dissertation on a topic of the student’s choosing, providing a unique and exciting opportunity for students to manage their own learning. They may also create an artefact with a report; in the past these have included a Search and Rescue Robot, music for drumming, dressmaking and art.
The EPQ is a free-standing Level 3 qualification worth half an A Level, providing valuable UCAS points. It provides an opportunity for developing critical thinking and project management skills; these are widely transferable and useful in both courses and the working world. In addition it is great preparation for university, in that independent learning skills needed in higher education are developed.
The fact that an EPQ requires the student to identify and design their own project, adopt a strategic approach to its management and work independently, means it is an ideal vehicle for curriculum enrichment and academic extension and that is welcomed by many of the top Universities including Oxford, Cambridge and other Russell Group Universities and the 1994 group.