Eighteen students in year 13 at Wilmslow High School who undertook an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) have achieved excellent results.
Between them, this year's cohort of students were awarded 5 A* grades, 8 grade As, 4 Bs and one C grade.
Alison Farris, Expedition Programme Leader, said "An EPQ gives participants the opportunity to select their own area of study, refine this to a discussion question, and then carry out a significant amount of research and reading around the identified topic. Titles may be derived from A level or BTEC studies, or from any area of academic study that interests the student with the end result being a dissertation, investigation, artefact or performance of extensive depth."
Alison added "It's worth noting that an EPQ brings more UCAS tariff points than an AS level qualification, with an A* worth 28 points and a C grade worth 16 points. Universities and employers look favourably on student achieving an EPQ, as it demonstrates those skills so important for undergraduate success and initiative in the world of work - skills of independent research, the synthesis of arguments, the identification of reliable or objective evidence, and the ability to review and reflect on one's own work."
Some notable student achievements are Ewan Ferguson, about to embark on a history degree at Cambridge University, whose achieved a grade A* for his project, "To what extent did the Spanish Civil War represent a microcosm of the polarisation of European politics between the right and left in the early twentieth century?".
Nathan Forrest, who secured a place to study accounting at Nottingham University, also achieved a grade A* for "To what extent can businesses account for sustainability?".
Isabelle Simpson, taking a gap year, achieved an A* for her dissertation on "Why does the UK banking industry lack gender diversity in senior roles?".
In addition, Abigail Tipton secured a place at Hull University to study geography partly due to her grade B writing on "Are the environmental consequences of deforestation in rainforests such as the Amazon justifiable?" and Jessica Stansby, taking up a place on an art foundation course at MMU, who completed a draft of her novelette with her A grade project entitled "How can I approach writing a short story inspired by the Gothic and South Gothic genres?"
Alison Farris continued "Success in an extended project is down to individual motivation, perseverance and time- management. We have a new cohort of year 13 students who have spent the summer reading and researching their own titles and look forward to congratulating them next year on a similar high standard of work and achievement. Students entering the sixth form can find out more information about pursuing an EPQ at the sixth form Opportunities Fair on Wednesday 13th September and by visiting the Project Qualification pages of firefly."
