Unequal access to higher learning: can the EPQ help with levelling up?

This project will investigate access to, and outcomes for, the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).  

Why this research is important

The EPQ is an independent project, equivalent to half an A-Level, undertaken by approximately 36,000 sixth form students annually. It was introduced in 2004 with the intention of supporting students to develop skills that would be useful in their future studies, supported by one-to-one teacher mentoring.

The EPQ has become associated with academic success in A-Level and degree outcomes, which is attributed to the development of learner agency, self-awareness, and academic engagement. However, the extent to which the EPQ has affected the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged learners, for example through access to the qualification in different types of schools and colleges, is less clear. 

The project will investigate inequalities in access, participation, and outcomes and the “levelling-up” potential of the EPQ.

Research questions

The project will address four questions: 

1. What are the interrelationships between EPQ uptake, attainment, and educational disadvantage according to school type, geography, socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, and gender? 

2. In what ways, and for which groups, has COVID-19 impacted engagement in the EPQ across 2019-2021? 

3. What are the barriers to participation in the EPQ? 

4. What practices help deliver good outcomes in schools which provide wide access to the EPQ? 

How the research will be carried out

The project will be completed in two phases:  

• Phase one will involve a literature review to identify what is already known about EPQ implementation, uptake, and attainment with a focus on disadvantaged groups. Quantitative analysis of the National Pupil Database will investigate patterns of EPQ provision, uptake, and attainment in relation to school and student characteristics, including by geospatial analysis to map EPQ provision in relation to measures of deprivation.  

• Phase two will involve qualitative interviews with school staff and student focus groups to explore how schools implement and manage the EQP; practices to recruit, mentor, and retain students; perceptions of barriers to uptake; and factors influencing outcomes for different student groups.  

How this research will make a difference

• Key audiences for the findings include academics, civil servants, awarding bodies, practitioners, and student representatives.
• The findings will inform policy debates on attainment gaps, widening participation, and equalising opportunities for 16-19 year olds.
• They will also provide evidence-based recommendations for schools on using the EPQ to support the employability skills and progression of students from different backgrounds.