By Mrs Yeomans (English Teacher and EPQ Coordinator)

This week marked a pivotal moment in the EPQ journey for our Upper Sixth students as they presented their findings and reflected on their research. The EPQ presentation is a requirement for all students to convey their research and findings to a non-specialist audience. The topics covered were diverse and encompassed a wide range of subjects, from assessing the affordability of sustainable housing to questioning whether the Maldives will be able to withstand the threat of climate change, and even recreating a costume for a film set in the Regency era.

Throughout the taught course, students have received valuable sessions from The University of Sheffield and FutureLearn. They've also benefited from sessions on referencing and research techniques provided by Mrs. Rodgers in the Learning Resources Centre. However, it's worth noting that a significant portion of the project is self-directed, which serves as a testament to the girls' own project planning and organisational skills.

We were delighted to welcome back alumna Rachel Tisi (BGS 2015) on Tuesday, who shared her experiences as a researcher in Forensic Psychology with our students. Her talk provided insights into defining a research question, the types of primary and secondary research she utilised and the ethical considerations involved in working with vulnerable individuals.

I was particularly impressed by the level of engagement and the thoughtful questions posed by the students, which were directly related to higher-level studies and academia. Of particular interest was the discussion on the balance between quantitative and qualitative data, as well as the comparison between independent and collaborative research approaches.

The cohort will be finalising their reports between now and the end of the term to fully focus on their other A Level studies and exams. We eagerly anticipate reading their reports!