Congratulations to Year 13 students, who have received outstanding results in their Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) this week.

Nine A* and three A grades have been awarded to St Albans High School for Girls (STAHS) students.

The EPQ is a stand-alone qualification, taken alongside A level subjects. It is an opportunity for students to explore a topic of personal interest in great depth. Students have to plan, research and carry out the project, keeping a production log, which documents process or planning, research and production. The process finishes with a presentation delivered to a non-specialist audience, where the process and the product are discussed and questions answered.

The EPQ is supported by universities and employers as it develops a range of skills that are crucial for Higher Education and the world of work.

Projects chosen by STAHS students this year ranged from the benefits of robotics in surgery, to firearm regulations in Mexico, to sustainable development in southern Africa, to influential political figures from the Middle Ages, and more! The depth of each individual research project was impressive, reflected in the outstanding results achieved.

Comments from students highlight the benefits of undertaking the EPQ:

“The EPQ allowed me to discover my passion for renewable energy and expanded my knowledge on the subject beyond anything I could have done myself. The techniques I learnt for managing a long term project and organising large quantities of information will be invaluable for university.”

“The EPQ taught me really useful skills that I will never forget, and I can tell it really helped me to secure my offers from universities.”

Special thanks to the STAHS EPQ Team for the fantastic supervision of students’ projects.