Level 3 Extended Project Qualification

ENRICHMENT - YEAR 2

What is the Extended Project

Qualification?

The extended project ...

◦ involves you identifying, designing, planningand then completing an individual project on atopic of your choosing.

◦ To do this, you find and select information froma range of sources and then:

1. Write a dissertation or investigation; createan artefact or performance using appropriateskills and technology.

2. Evaluate the project including reviewing yourown performance and presenting yourfindings to an audience.

What topics can I choose?

As long as there is no significant overlap with your existing courses you can choose almost any topic or focus. You can complete a project by:

Looking at an issue or idea in greater depth.

Taking a broader perspective on something you have considered previously.

Looking at a topic or idea you’ve not studied before.

Recent Projects include

Dissertations on antibiotic resistance; female Tudor Monarchs;the impact of social media in US politics; assisted suicide; healthand mental health issues.

Artefacts involving a photographic exhibition; the creation ofshort films and pieces of music; anthologies of poetry; shortstories; artwork; website design.

Investigations into soil and climate change; online dating; genderand the law; online service provision at Worcester Bosch.

Understand the issue

Design your approach

Conduct your

research

Analyse your

findings

Produce your work

Review your outcome

Types of Extended Project

Dissertation

Research and answer a question using the

work of others.

Performance

Develop, explain and showcase a

performance.

(e.g. music, drama, sport)

Investigation

Set and test a hypothesis using your own

research and the work of others.

Artefact

Design, develop and create a ‘product’.

If you choose the Extended

Project

You will need to

Negotiate the scope of your project with your EPQ

supervisor.

Identify and draft objective(s) for your project (e.g. identify

a question to be answered; a problem to be investigated; or

outline an artefact or performance brief to be produced).

Produce a plan for how you will deliver the intended

outcome.

Conduct research that is appropriate to your project brief

to demonstrate you can take an extended project through to

completion.

Share the outcome of the project with another or others,

using appropriate communication methods.

Why choose the EPQ?

You will have the opportunity to carry out some genuine research ona topic of your choosing.

This will equip you with the skills of investigation, analysis, synthesisand evaluation which both universities and employers want.

Universities regard the EPQ highly and recognise the UCAS pointsfrom it.

Many universities now make offers including the EPQ, with anincreasing number of universities giving lower offers if you have doneone. Some take the EPQ into account if their offer has not been met.

The project also provides a focus for interview should you be offeredone.

It carries UCAS tariff points as follows

◦ A* 28 points

◦ A 24 points

◦ B 20 points

◦ C 16 points

◦ D 12 points

◦ E 8 points

Creating

Evaluating

Analysing

Applying

Understanding

Remembering

Testimonials

Carla Shipley – Dissertation

‘I did a dissertation on Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy for my

EPQ and also did some of my own research. These are both really

useful skills that I’ll be able to apply to my degree course

(Psychology). I really enjoyed looking really deeply into a subject

that particularly interested me as I felt really motivated to find out

everything I could. I also learnt useful skills like referencing and

reading scholarly journals’.

Josh Brazier – Dissertation

‘The extended project is an great opportunity to create or write

about something that you are highly interested in, or wish to explore

more through your university course. The qualification not only gives

you this freedom of what you choose to produce but also a sense of

security for your course as if provides those extra supportive tariff

points. I found my research on the link between Music and Fashion

really rewarding’.

Abby Wicks – Artefact (Film) on Feminism

‘I enjoyed completing my EPQ, mainly because it was a subject I

became passionate about, due to my learning and understanding

of the term feminism. I was also able to draw on my camera skills

when producing my EPQ. I picked an artefact rather than a

dissertation because my strengths lie more on the creative side. I

enjoyed the process, in particular hearing other people’s opinion

and improving my own confidence around interviewing teachers

and other students. I was really proud of the final edit and

watching other people’s reactions was very rewarding’.

‘

Darian Murray Griffiths - Dissertation

‘For my EPQ I researched social mobility in the 16th century and

asked whether it was a contemporary phenomenon or the

beginnings of modern meritocracy. I chose this subject because I’m

really interested in social, historical and political issues not directly

covered in my A Levels. From it I learnt that the results were more

nuanced than I first thought. In short, there's much more work to be

done to achieve a meritocracy in the UK. I really enjoyed the

opportunity to research a topic at a higher level and it was great

preparation for university’.

The Professor Michael Clarke

Award

Each year, the Worcester Civic Society kindly offers the Professor

Michael Clarke Award and Prize for the best Extended Project at WSFC.

In summer 2019 the winner was Mia Stevens. Her project focused on

the extent to which Henrik Ibsen challenges 19th-century Women’s

roles in his plays ‘A Doll’s House’ and ‘Hedda Gabler’. In this she

looked specifically at how Ibsen portrays female stereotypes and how

his female protagonists address the challenges of a 19th- century

patriarchy.

What to do

next?

As a first step, please email the address below to express your

interest and we’ll get back to you with more details of how to

propose and develop an idea for your EPQ.

epq@wsfc.ac.uk

EPQ Timeline

Summer Term

EPQ Launched

Summer term & holidays

Identifying project focus & beginning research.

Autumn Term

Autumn Term

Continue researching

Autumn Term

Drafting the project

Spring Term

Finalising the project

Spring Term

Hand in the project and do the presentation.