I am Stella, one of the Deputy Head Students and I wanted to use this opportunity to give you a little window into my Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). My project focused on helping younger audiences understand current affairs by showing the links between past events and what’s happening in the world today. 

The EPQ is a project-based piece of work that Year 12 can opt to take – we can choose any subject, including ones not related to our studies, and take a really deep dive into it. It is worth half an A-level and also gives us amazing skills in research, independent study and time management. 

After much consideration, I chose to create an educational podcast aimed at helping younger students understand how contemporary affairs are frequently rooted in historical events.  

I embarked on this project because I wanted to help younger audiences understand current affairs in a more holistic way. I noticed that students often perceived major news events as ‘just happening; without historical explanations of their origins, which made it harder to understand why they matter today. For me, studying history is instrumental in making sense of the current world, and navigating challenging times, so I wanted to share this experience and passion. My EPQ gave me the perfect opportunity to do this by creating a podcast – it is accessible, engaging and informative for young people.

The research for my podcast involved two key strands: technical research into podcast production, and academic research into historical case studies. This enabled me both to develop practical research skills and to deepen my historical understanding. For example, one episode examined attitudes towards immigration in the United States. By tracing connections between post-war anxieties about ‘The Other’, McCarthyism, and Donald Trump’s recent immigration policies, I explored how negative perceptions of migrants have reproduced over time. 

My EPQ really strengthened my belief in how mportant it is for young people to engage with the news. Critical engagement allows us to situate ourselves within a wider global context and to contribute to positive change. It also confirmed something I’ve always felt strongly about - that history is essential for understanding current events. By drawing clear links between the past and present, I believe we can enhance our engagement with the world around us and show why history still matters in our everyday lives.  My EPQ has also helped me develop valuable communication skills to engage with a younger audience. Rather than simplifying knowledge, I have recognised the importance of equipping them with the tools to comprehend the world and history independently. By illustrating these connections, I hope that my podcast enables listeners to perceive the world as an ongoing narrative which they can actively participate in shaping. 

In the future, I am hoping to study History at degree level, followed by a law conversion. This project has really allowed me to build upon my skills in this area. 

Written by Stella, Head Student Team, Year 13