The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a nationally recognised qualification at Level 3 which all pupils at St George's are encouraged to undertake during their Sixth Form.
The EPQ is a single piece of work that requires a high degree of planning, preparation, research and autonomous working. As an independent research project, it is designed to develop skills that are vital for university level study, while also increasing the confidence of the individual. in their capacity to deliver a larger piece of work. The EPQ is highly valued, carrying up to 18 performance table points and 28 UCAS points, and many universities will give pupils an alternative offer which takes their EPQ grade into account. This might, from our experience, take an offer of ABB without an EPQ to an offer of BBB with an A grade EPQ.
Whilst primarily designed around independent study, the EPQ includes a minimum of thirty hours of timetabled, skills-based lessons and each pupil is allocated a member of teaching staff, who acts as a supervisor to guide them through the project.
The final outcome of the EPQ is either a 5000 word mini-dissertation or an artefact. The latter allows pupils to demonstrate their chosen topic in a more creative, physical way. In recent years, quite a few pupils have chosen to produce works of Art, one pupil planned and managed an event and another created an item of historical clothing. It is a constant source of pride amongst staff that our pupils' passions are so wonderfully varied and the projects they produce are so rich in creativity and are of such quality.