Sixth Formers have achieved another superb set of Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) results, with 58% of students gaining A* or A grades and 72% of all EPQs graded A*-B. Students achieved an overall pass rate of 100%. This builds on the excellent successes of last year, when 53% of students achieved an A* or A.
Many of the School’s Sixth Formers elect to take an EPQ alongside their A levels or BTEC course. Greatly valued by universities for the independent research and analysis skills students learn, EPQ students typically receive reduced offers from universities as a result. Students research and develop a project on a topic of their choice, which then provides the equivalent of half an A Level grade. The finished product takes the form of a report, a production, or an artefact.
The EPQ fits in well with Sidcot’s educational philosophy of building curious inquirers, as it encourages creativity, self-direction and motivation.
Commenting on this year’s outcomes, EPQ Co-ordinators Geoff Andrews and Andrea Grist said, “Our students came up with a fascinating breadth of EPQ topics this year, and we are tremendously proud of the way in which they approached their projects. Their strong set of results are well-deserved and we enjoyed supporting them with their self-driven investigations.”
The Sixth Formers’ stand-out projects included:
- Millie Baltzer from Wedmore, A* for her artefact project linking to her plans to study fashion at university, ‘How has fashion been influenced by animals and what is my personal vision of how it will look in the future?’
- Charlotte Gunter from Wrington, A* for ‘An evaluation of the relationship between media, sponsorship and sport’, exploring how sponsorship deals can provide an unfair advantage for some athletes
- Thomas Robbins from Weston-super-Mare, A for ‘First Step to Getting Your Wings- Basics of Flying a Light Aircraft for Novices’ – an artefact project that resulted in the a ‘How to fly guide for novice teenage pilots, to support his goal to pursue a career in flying.
- Zachary Townsend, boarder, A for ‘How likely is String Theory to be true?’, supporting his plans to study Astrophysics at university.
Thomas Ruddle, Assistant Head (Upper School), said, “These impressive results are a testament to the students and co-ordinators involved. They reinforce the value of the Sidcot approach to learning, which fuels a passion for learning among our students. I congratulate all of our students on their results.”