HPQ & EPQ: Independent Scholarship

At Carshalton Boys Sports College, we believe that academic excellence is not simply the accumulation of subject content, but the capacity to identify a question worth asking, pursue it rigorously, and communicate the findings with confidence and integrity. To build these core academic habits, we provide two flagship, externally accredited opportunities for independent scholarship: the Higher Project Qualification (HPQ) as an option in Year 9, and the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in Year 12.

 

Our Curriculum Vision: "We want our students to prove to themselves — not just to a mark scheme — that they are capable of independent, university-style scholarship."

 

The Curriculum Journey: A Spiral of Independence

EPQ & HPQ Curriculum Map

Our independent project qualifications are not isolated activities; they represent a carefully designed spiral curriculum that runs across a student's journey at Carshalton Boys Sports College. This continuous loop of learning builds increasingly complex academic skills as students progress through the school:

• Key Stage 3 Subject Inquiry: Students build foundational independent learning habits, including research tasks, homework projects, and presentation opportunities embedded across our core subject curricula.
• Year 9 — HPQ: Pupils formally apply these skills to a self-selected project, establishing rigorous habits in project planning, referencing, and public speaking.
• Key Stage 4 (GCSEs): These habits are formalised and maintained through GCSE coursework, non-exam assessment (NEA) components, and independent study.
• Year 12 — EPQ (AQA Level 3): Students bring together and formally accredit their scholarship in a flagship, subject-free piece of independent research at A-level standard, preparing them directly for undergraduate study.
• University and Career Success: The ultimate destination of this journey, where self-directed project management, academic writing, and independent research are the norm.

 

Year 9 Option: 2 Higher Project Qualification (HPQ)

The HPQ is an exciting option offered specifically to our cohort in Year 9. Equivalent to half a GCSE, it gives boys the unique chance to step outside the standard curriculum constraints and direct their own learning. Your son will choose his own research topic, manage his own time, conduct primary and secondary research, write a major report or build an artefact, and deliver a live presentation defending his findings.

The HPQ is structured into five carefully sequenced phases, designed to secure each of the AQA assessment objectives (Planning, Research, Evaluation, and Presentation) incrementally:

• Phase 1: Introduction & Orientation: Before starting, students analyse exemplars against the mark scheme to understand what 'good' looks like. They then pitch topic ideas and submit a formal, staff-reviewed Project Proposal Form to ensure viability.
• Phase 2: Planning & Project Management: Students are taught real-world project management tools, creating Gantt charts and risk registers to map their timelines and anticipate setbacks before any research begins.
• Phase 3: Research Skills: This phase explicitly teaches source evaluation using the academic CRAAP test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose), note-taking systems like the Cornell method, referencing conventions to ensure academic integrity, and ethical primary research design.
• Phase 4: Producing the Project: With their evidence base secure, students draft their reports using formal academic structures and tone. Artefact-makers execute their builds while logging their design decisions. Dedicated peer-editing workshops ensure redrafting is treated as a distinct, taught skill.
• Phase 5: Evaluation & Presentation: Students write a critical self-evaluation of their journey before preparing their presentations. They practice delivery formats and undergo rigorous "hot-seat" Q&A drills to build resilience under unscripted questioning.

Year 9 

• Year 9 HPQ Curriculum Map
• Year 9 HPQ Vocabulary Tier 2 & 3

 

Sixth Form: AQA Level 3 Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

The EPQ is our flagship stretch-and-challenge opportunity for Year 12 students, carrying up to 28 UCAS points (equivalent to half an A-level). Highly valued by university admissions tutors, the EPQ gives students complete ownership of their academic interests. It serves as a direct, authentic preview of undergraduate study, where students work independently under the guidance of a staff supervisor.

The EPQ curriculum mirrors the graduate research cycle, demanding a sophisticated level of self-regulation and disciplinary knowledge:

• Phase 1: Launch & Orientation: Students dissect the four Level 3 assessment objectives (Manage, Use Resources, Develop and Realise, Review). They refine their research questions through a "So What?" peer knockout challenge using SMART criteria, confirming their project type with a clear academic rationale.
• Phase 2: Planning & Project: Students establish professional project workflows, documenting their decisions in the Production Log, building Gantt charts, and learning how to lead structured, professional meetings with their supervisors.
• Phase 3: Advanced Research Skills: Students master high-level academic research. They locate and synthesise peer-reviewed academic journals, evaluate bias, implement Harvard Referencing, and navigate the research ethics of surveys and interviews.
• Phase 4: Synthesis & Production: Students draft a substantial, formal academic report (up to 5,000 words) or an artefact with a supporting report. Focus is placed on maintaining an academic register, building logical transitions, and editing against professional standards.
• Phase 5: Critical Review & Defence: Students complete a candid evaluation of their research process. They then design visually effective presentations and practice defending their methodology during a live Q&A session before a non-specialist audience.

Sixth Form

• Sixth Form EPQ Curriculum Map
• Sixth Form EPQ Vocabulary Tier 2 & 3

 

Inclusive Practices: Excellence for All Students

We design both the HPQ and EPQ curricula so that academic independence is structured and scaffolded, not merely assumed, ensuring equitable access and high success rates for all cohorts:

• Scaffolding & Exemplars: We use pre-built templates, structured proposal forms, sentence starters, and worked exemplars in almost every lesson to manage cognitive load.
• Flexible Presentation Formats: Students can choose to present via a talk with slides, a research poster, a pre-recorded video, or a practical demonstration, ensuring they are assessed on their ideas rather than performance anxiety.
• Regular 1:1 Check-Ins: Multi-stage, built-in supervisor surgery and triage lessons provide regular, individualised support.
• Equitable Access: Timetabled research workshops are conducted in school computer rooms and the library to ensure every student has dedicated, quiet study space and internet access, regardless of home circumstances.
• Staff-Led Mentorship: Mentor matching is proactively brokered by school staff, removing any hidden networking advantages.
• Material Funding: The school provides full access to physical workshops, software, and presentation printing so that financial limits never restrict a student's project ambitions.
• Direct Vocabulary Instruction: We pre-teach core academic and Tier 2/3 vocabulary (such as synthesis, methodology, mitigation, bibliography, and evaluation). (Be sure to check our uploaded Tier 2 and Tier 3 Vocabulary Booklets on the resources page!)
• Collaborative Talk: Frequent peer-review swaps, speed-pitching, and "hot-seat" Q&A drills allow students to develop and refine their academic register orally before putting pen to paper.

 

Beyond the Classroom: Character, Cultural Capital & Careers

Our project-based qualifications are built to cultivate benefits that prepare students for success in life, academic study, and their future careers:

• Character Development: Students build deep personal resilience by encountering and navigating real-world project setbacks. They learn to manage a professional supervisor relationship and maintain an ongoing reflective log with absolute honesty and self-awareness. Completing a major, self-directed project from proposal to presentation builds self-belief, perseverance, and personal accountability.
• Cultural Capital: By learning formal referencing systems, participating in academic peer-reviews, and engaging in structured tutorial supervision, our students gain vital "insider knowledge" of higher education norms. This explicitly teaches and scaffolds the conventions of academic scholarship, making these university-level practices accessible to all our students regardless of their family background.
• Direct Careers Links: Both qualifications develop transferable skills heavily sought after by top employers. This includes project management using industry-standard tools (like Gantt charts and risk registers), independent data collection, critical source evaluation, formal academic writing, and confident public speaking under unscripted questioning.
• Higher Education Readiness: Universities highly value these qualifications. Completing the HPQ or EPQ provides stellar evidence for UCAS personal statements, and some universities offer reduced entrance grade requirements for students who complete the EPQ. Ultimately, it ensures our students arrive at university already fluent in the skills required to write undergraduate-level dissertations and direct their own research.