Extended Project Qualification

The Extended Project Qualification is worth 50% of an A level and offers an A* grade, increasing the number of UCAS points available to candidates. Projects can be on any subject at all; they are an opportunity to explore subject areas pupils might pursue at university level.The EPQ can support a pupil’s A level choices (e.g. a project about history of art to support an Art A level), or it can be a cross-curricular project (e.g. a project about gravity, which would support both Physics and Mathematics and showcase the potential of someone contemplating a degree in Engineering). It can also focus on a subject not covered at A level.

To complete an EPQ officially requires 120 hours of project work during which a pupil can pursue their own line of enquiry and interest, having agreed their project with their supervisor. Emanuel allocates more time than this and has created an impressive introductory course, teaching a range of useful transferrable study and research skills, which is delivered in the Autumn term of the Lower Sixth.

The end result produced by the pupil takes one of four forms: dissertation, investigation, performance or artefact. Examples of recent topics include ‘To what extent is the state unjust and unnecessary?’ (dissertation), ‘To what extent is the effectiveness of antibacterial handwash affected by price?’ (investigation) and ‘Create a dress that fuses Edwardian design with modern Haute Couture’ (artefact).

EPQs are widely regarded as an excellent way to prepare pupils for undergraduate study, and universities look upon them very favourably, with several making preferential offers to pupils achieving high grades for their projects.

2022 A Level Headlines

An impressive 32.3% of all A Level grades achieved were A*. The A*/A grades showed a 15% increase upon our last set of public examination results, with a total of 70%. This great cohort has also achieved the highest ever proportion of A*/B grades at Emanuel, in all forms of assessment, with 93%.

Most pupils took the EPQ qualification and 3 A Levels. Of those who took four A Levels, seven pupils achieved 4 A*, two achieved 3A* and 1 A and three achieved 2A* and 2 A.

Of the pupils who took three A Levels, nine achieved 3A* and eleven achieved 2 A* and 1 A.

In total, fifty-six pupils, just under half, achieved all A* and A grades.

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