More than 100 Solihull School pupils have completed Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) presentations, improving their chances of securing places at top UK universities.
In the past year, Solihull School has doubled the amount of students taking an EPQ after seeing the benefits it can provide for its Sixth Form students.
An Extended Project Qualification not only gives students the opportunity to gain an extra 70 UCAS points but allows them to produce a piece of work equivalent to one at undergraduate level.
The pupils’ projects covered a wide range of topics, with titles ranging from ‘Emergency veterinary first aid kit for animals’ and ‘How have the Rio 2016 Olympics impacted upon the city socially and financially?’, to ‘As racial equality has improved have we become a more intolerant society?’.
Over the two-day EPQ event, the 101 students presented their projects to OCR examiners, staff, peers, visitors and family, as well as Dr Emma Thompson, co-ordinator of Learn with Us, a transition scheme from the University of Southampton.
There is a huge difference between how pupils learn at A-Level and how they are expected to learn at university. The EPQ is a way of bridging the gap between the two and preparing our students for undergraduate study through research skills and practice – Stephanie Roberts, EPQ co-ordinator at Solihull School
Stephanie Roberts, EPQ co-ordinator at Solihull School, said: “There is a huge difference between how pupils learn at A-Level and how they are expected to learn at university. The EPQ is a way of bridging the gap between the two and preparing our students for undergraduate study through research skills and practice.
“I’m delighted so many students took the opportunity to do an EPQ and further their studies on a topic they enjoy.”
An EPQ can comprise either a 5,000-word written essay or an ‘artefact’, which is accompanied by 1,500 words of researched material behind the event, artwork or composition.
While the projects are independent from other subjects, students are required to demonstrate their chosen topic is academically valuable and related to their current studies or future careers.