EPQ Success Continues at Dauntsey’s

Published by Dauntsey's on Wednesday 20th of October 2021

Students and staff at Dauntsey’s celebrated another superb set of Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) results this year with 33% gaining an A* grade and 95% receiving A*- B grades. A total of 40 students submitted an EPQ.

Pupils picked a topic of personal interest at the start of the Autumn term, then carried out more than 90 hours of research during the academic year, before writing a 5,000-word report, or creating an artefact, and giving a presentation.

Patrick Ost, EPQ Co-ordinator at Dauntsey’s, said:

“The EPQ continues to be very popular with universities. It’s valued for its emphasis on independent research, self-motivation and organisation, all valuable skills to take into the world of further education.

“Completing an EPQ is no mean feat but it enables students to explore a topic which either complements their A-levels or focuses on a completely unrelated topic. Congratulations to everyone for these excellent results; there can be little doubt that the students’ hard work, time and dedication has paid off.”

The pupils’ project topics underline the breadth of academic curiosity at Dauntsey’s. Subjects included:

Analysis of how modern technology has affected the relevance of traditional war ethics

The building of a solar powered air conditioning system for kennels

A leaflet aimed at helping sports-people with diabetes manage their condition

An original dystopian short story

An evaluation of prescription opioids in the treatment of chronic and acute pain

An evaluation of assault weapon laws in the prevention of violent firearm crimes

As Sixth Formers battle for places at top universities, the EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) has become increasingly popular. Most students opt to complete their EPQ by writing an essay on virtually any topic. The marking of the essay is designed to reflect the skills needed at university, with 20% for planning and managing the workload, 20% for use of resources, 40% for developing and realising the project and 20% for reviewing it. Many universities will lower their A-level grade requirements if applicants achieve a high score for their EPQ.

ENDS