Extended Project Qualification
EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) is a Level 3 qualification equivalent to half an A level. Students take an EPQ as an additional element of their study programme and complete it during their Lower 6th year.
The EPQ at Aquinas is an inclusive curriculum, with a highly tailored approach to supervision and support of students, as they produce their project or artefact. We have a low student to supervisor ratio which means that students can develop and realise their knowledge and skills with expert support.
The project consists of a 5000 word report, or the production of an artefact or performance with an accompanying 1000 word report.
Key features of the qualification are:
- Development of independent research, critical thinking, referencing, project management and digital skills
- Academic and creative exploration and development
- Supports student autonomy and allows students to explore a topic of their choice, beyond their college studies which is often linked to next steps
- Development of key oral skills and real world application through final presentation in the format of a professional panel.
The course is highly flexible as the students will be developing a project of their own choice. Throughout the year all students will engage with skills sessions that will help develop their abilities with skill key to the course and beyond such as research, assessing the validity of sources and academic writing.
Each week, students will have 2 sessions of 45 minutes each. One of these sessions is with a small group of students with their project supervisor who provides specific 1:1 support for students on their projects while the other session is a larger group in a semi-independent setting for students to set their own goals based on the feedback of their supervisors.
Students are given clear advice that guides them through every step of the project in order to complete their production log, their project and finish with a presentation. Students use this advice and take ownership of their own project which they have high flexibility over the topic of this project.
The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is not assessed by a traditional exam. Instead, you are graded on your final project—either a 5,000-word dissertation or a creative artefact accompanied by a shorter written report—along with a production log tracking your journey and a short presentation. Your work is marked internally by college staff using exam board criteria that evaluate your project planning, research skills, problem-solving, and final reflection. This grade is then externally moderated by the exam board to ensure national standards are met.
The EPQ qualifications are equivalent to half an extra A Levels in terms of UCAS points.
The EPQ is highly regarded by Universities and employers. Universities frequently make reduced offers to students who have gained the EPQ at a certain grade. This includes some universities for highly competitive courses, such as Medicine.
Student Satisfaction ratings for EPQ at Aquinas are high,
“I enjoyed all the process of the EPQ, since the start of deciding what will be the topic for my project until the end of the EPQ. Really enjoyed the presentation”
“Rewarding to build a topic from draft to the final product”
“I enjoyed completing primary research as I got to interview dancers about a topic that we all had an interest in.”
“I enjoyed learning new skills such as referencing and using new websites like google scholar and JSTOR”
“I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience and would recommend it to anyone!”
