Ten of our Upper Sixth Formers who have completed their Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) early, have received outstanding results, with seven boys achieving A* grades and three gaining A grades.
The EPQ is a demanding independent research programme in which each successful candidate must produce a fully-referenced dissertation of more than 5,000 words, deliver a presentation and complete a detailed research log.
Benedict Giles, who won the BSIP Essay Prize last year, was highly commended by the examiners and scored 49/50 for his literature review on the cellular ageing process. Other projects to celebrate are Oliver Burridge-Dean’s account of blockchain technology and the future of a distributed economy; Ewan Gordon’s argument on the extent to which systemic flaws in the financial sector made the 2008 financial crash inevitable; Oghenovo Ukiri’s literature review on climate and extinction events from the Ordovician Period to the present day; Daniel Smith’s dissertation on how far the impact of lab-grown meat might be limited by regulation, consumer acceptance and technology; Harry McPhail’s expert use of archival and interview-based evidence to produce a wonderful local First World War study of the Bedford Highlanders and their social, economic and cultural impact on the Bedford Community between August 1914 and May 1915; Alex Wilkins (on political correctness); Tom Chambers (on surveillance technologies); Aaron Hall (on the politics and economics of Venezuela) and Barney Davis (on the relationship between the law, medicine and ethics). Congratulations to all boys for their efforts.
Deputy Head (Academic), Mr Baldock, commented, “This is the third successive year that our EPQ candidates have achieved a clean sweep of A*/A grades – a terrific achievement and testament to the curiosity and endeavour of the boys, as well as the sage guidance of the teachers supervising their projects. All these boys have exercised real academic passion and perseverance in researching and writing these projects – skills they will unquestionably carry with them for their future studies.”