With the academic year well underway, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Upper Sixth students are now actively conducting their self-directed piece of research as part of the Extended Essay.  

The Extended Essay gives students the opportunity to explore an academic area of which they are interested in, finishing with a 4,000-word paper.

This week, we are focusing Sara Bhandari’s research where she is looking at the effect of essential oils on the elasticity of chicken skin. Sara is interested in the use of essential oils in the beauty industry and face creams, which propose to improve skin elasticity and is modelling this using chicken skin. Last week she carried out her preliminary experiment and this week she marinated the chicken skin in grapefruit, lavender and tea tree oil then measured the elasticity.

Sara reflected: “The Extended Essay component allows me to broaden my horizons and research in a field of my own interest within the school curriculum. The IB provides great opportunities, which everyone should hold onto.

“Teenagers by nature are experimental learners - There is no real understanding of biology without the lab.”

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