The EPQ is an extra qualification aimed at ambitious and hardworking students who have high aspirations, and who want the chance to take an area of academic interest and explore it in depth. As well as being an engaging, rewarding, and largely self-driven piece of work, completing an EPQ can also give students an edge when applying for universities with high entrance requirements. EPQ students pick a topic, question, current issue, or academic area of their choice – either related to or separate from their main A-level choices - and conduct a piece of in-depth research. They gather, collate, and analyze information from a range of sources, then plan and create something that shows off their understanding. This could be an essay or a report; they could even make something, or plan an event. They also present their findings to an audience, as well as writing an academic journal, which outlines key learning experiences of their journey through the project. The EPQ is an extra half-A Level, on top of their regular choices, and represents a different type of challenge. It really allows students to stretch their legs and research something they wouldn’t be able to in regular lessons, and develop and craft a piece of work over a long time period. It allows them to become an expert in something. Students have individual teacher-mentors, matched to their area of interest, and are coached through the process from beginning to end.