The Extended Project Qualification: An Opportunity for All? Live webinar and information session
Join researchers from Oxford Brookes University to explore new insights from The Extended Project Qualification: An Opportunity for All?, a two-year study funded by the Nuffield Foundation.
The project investigates who takes the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), what outcomes it leads to, and whether it supports greater equity in education. The EPQ, undertaken by around 45,000 sixth-form students each year, is designed to develop independent learning, research, and critical thinking skills. However, questions remain about access and impact across different school settings.
This webinar will include a panel discussion exploring the report’s findings and the EPQ’s role in promoting opportunity and “levelling up” in post-16 education.
The full report The Extended Project Qualification: An Opportunity for All? will be available from 12 noon, Thursday 30 October 2025 here.
Webinar and Panel Chair: Dr Emily Tanner, Programme Head, Post‑14 Education and Skills, Nuffield Foundation
Oxford Brookes Project Presenters: Dr Carol Brown, Professor Helen Walkington, Dr Graham Wood
Panel:
Olly Newton
Olly spent 12 years in the Department for Education working on policies including 14-19 diplomas, raising the participation age and finally as Head of Apprenticeship Strategy. Olly has been Executive Director of the Edge Foundation for 9 years, where he oversees a programme of research, policy development and leads the Deeper Learning network. Olly was Specialist Adviser to the House of Lords Committee on Youth Unemployment, a Commissioner on the Independent Assessment Commission and the YEUK Level 2 / Level 3 Commission. In his spare time, Olly volunteers in the Scout movement and in mountain rescue.
Professor Mary Richardson
Mary is Professor of Educational Assessment at the Institute of Education, UCL. Prior to her academic career she was a Senior Research Officer for AQA conducting national studies relating to school-based examinations, testing regimes in schools and the impact of testing on children alongside the key role in awarding national examinations. Mary is a member of the Research Advisory Group for Qualification Wales, the Pearson PTE Academic Technical Advisory Group on AI technology and testing, the Quality and Standards Committee for the NCFE, and on AQA's Research Advisory Group. Mary co-convenes the Curriculum Assessment & Pedagogy Special Interest Group (SIG) for BERA and leads the Assessment Research Group at the IOE.
Dr Emma Thompson
Dr Emma Thompson is Associate Director of Widening Participation and Social Mobility (WPSM) at the University of Southampton, with an academic background in Politics, Social Statistics and Learning and Teaching. She leads the strategic delivery of the University's Access and Participation Plan (APP), which sets out Southampton’s commitment to advancing equality of opportunity across the student lifecycle. A key initiative within the APP is the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) Support Package, designed to collaborate with schools and colleges to support EPQ completion, raise attainment at Key Stage 5, and promote inclusive access to Higher Education. With over 12 years of experience, Emma has been a leading advocate for the EPQ, researching its impact and championing its transformative potential in both pre-university and university contexts.
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