Above: Students at Dame Allan’s celebrate top marks for their Extended Project Qualifications (EPQ)

Year 13 students undertaking a rigorous project-based qualification have triumphed at Dame Allan’s Schools, with 65% achieving an A* or A grade.

Of the 23 students who chose to complete an EPQ, almost 40% (39.1%) achieved an A* grade, with two candidates receiving perfect 100% scores on their projects.

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is equivalent to half an A Level, and is an optional additional qualification for Sixth Form students. Those who undertake an EPQ choose their own field of research – which cannot be related to an area they are already studying at A Level – and complete a detailed project, similar in scope to a university dissertation.

Topics explored by this cohort included: ‘The Role of the Media in High Profile Legal Proceedings’; ‘Is Artificial Intelligence the Future of Surgery?”; ‘Is it Feasible for the UK to create a Sovereign Wealth Fund?”, and “Is there a Compelling Rationale for Human Space Flight?”.

Each EPQ must include academic referencing, a journal showing decision making and evidence of research, a 5,000 word final report (or 1,500 with an ‘artefact’, such as a model demonstrating their research in practice), plus a final presentation of the project to an invited audience.

Head of EPQ at Dame Allan’s, Miss Medway, said: “A successful EPQ requires a lot of hard work and discipline, it is a considerable undertaking, especially when juggled around other demanding A Level subjects. I’m thrilled that our EPQ students have thrived this year, and it has been fascinating learning more about each of their individual topics.”