Abingdon private school celebrates record-breaking success

The results have now been announced for upper sixth form pupils at St Helen and St Katharine school taking Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) exams.

One hundred per cent of the grades awarded were A* or A, with 69 per cent of students receiving the highest grade.

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Students at the school gathered in Benedict Hall to celebrate their success.

The EPQ is equivalent to half an A Level, and provides an opportunity for pupils to research diverse areas of personal interest complementing their A Level studies.

Students covered a wide range of topics this year, including ‘to what extent has Buddhism practise engaged with social change’; and ‘when does art stop being considered to be ‘art’?’

According to the school, the EPQ helps students to develop research skills – good preparation for higher education.

And it provides Oxbridge applicants with a piece of research to discuss during the application process.

The EPQ also carries UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) points, and is valued by a number of competitive universities who can use it as part of a more generous conditional offer to applicants.

Pupils at St Helen and St Katharine school celebrate exam success (Image: St Helen and St Katharine school)

Friederike Shannon, the school’s head of EPQ, said: “As a year group, upper sixth have exceeded my expectations and broken our record again.

“The project titles were incredibly varied and clearly reflected each student’s individual interests and passions.

“The EPQ continues to be just as educational for our supervisor team as it is for the students – in the best possible way – as every year we’re introduced to new topics and perspectives through their work. We are very proud of what this cohort has achieved.”

At the end of last year, the girls’ day school in Faringdon Road was ranked just outside the top 50 nationally as well as the ‘top school in Abingdon’ in The Times Parent Power 2026 guide, which assesses schools nationwide based on academic performance.