Oxbridge and EPQ

Term started with a flourish on the academic front. Earlier this week, three pupils received offers for Oxford University; and today, outstanding results were announced in the Extended Project Qualification.

Armela Lasku received an offer to study Law at Corpus Christi College; Jamie Curtis, to study Geography at Keble College; and Jamie Chen, to study Law and German Law at Somerville College. Congratulations to them and best of luck to all Sixth Form pupils in the all-important next few months as they work towards meeting the offers required by the universities of their choice.

In the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), over 80% of candidates achieved grades A*-B, and an impressive 24%, A*. The EPQ is highly regarded by universities who see it as evidence of a pupil’s genuine engagement with their academic work, and a clear indication that they are self-motivated and capable of tackling a subject with real intellectual rigour. St Edward’s is unusual in that most A Level candidates take the EPQ, making these stellar results across the board particularly impressive.

As ever, the topics covered in the EPQ were many and varied. Nickolos Hunt considered: To what extent can the Russian annexation of the Crimea in 2014 be justified?; Max Thompson, To what extent does success in elite rowing depend upon a genetic predisposition?; Georgia Heath, Changes in how women are portrayed; Benjamin Wan, How should we tackle the problem of the increasing incidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria?; and Emily Smart created a set design for a surrealist theatre production. All those listed, plus Joe Courtier, Jamie Curtis, Huda Khalaf, Harvey Elvidge, Luke Valentine and Jamie Chen, achieved A*.