Pupils in Year 11 or 12 attending state schools in the London boroughs of:
Westminster, Ealing, Kensington & Chelsea, Harrow, Camden, Hammersmith & Fulham, Barnet and Brent. No qualifications or prior experience of art or photography is necessary.
To apply, please complete an application form and send it to EPQ@tpg.org.uk
If you’re a teacher and want to put your pupils forward, please send an email with an expression of interest to Rawanne.koumaira@tpg.org.uk
Sessions take place at The Photographers’ Gallery, a public gallery that's a five-minute walk from Oxford Circus.
To achieve your EPQ, you’ll get:
- 50 hours of taught sessions – including talks and workshops – led by a qualified secondary school teacher
- support from a teaching assistant, a mentor and gallery staff
- visits to exciting photography exhibitions
What else is included:
- all travel costs
- ticket cost to visits at other galleries
- materials, equipment and use of the gallery’s studio space
- your exam entry fee
What you’ll gain:
- knowledge of a range of techniques for making photographs
- an overview of photography’s histories and theories
- independent research skills
At the end of the year, all pupils will have completed an artefact or essay based EPQ in Photography on a topic of their choice, which is exhibited at The Photographers’ Gallery
If your school already runs an EPQ, they will be asked to monitor your 70 hours of independent work.
The application portal for the 2025/26 programme will open on 7 July 2025.
All pupils are required to attend the programme dates. As an example, for 2024/2025 the programme dates are:
28 September - Online introduction session
12-13 October - First weekend session at TPG
30 October to 1 November 2024 - October half term talks, workshops and planning
6 December 2024 - weekend catch up session (tbc)
19 – 21 February 2025 - February half term talks, workshops and mentoring
15 & 16 March 2025 - weekend catch up session (tbc)
Saturday 5 April 2025 - exhibition preparation day
Sunday 6 April 2025 - exhibition day
*These sessions will run in person at The Photographers’ Gallery.
There is more information and dates for the programme on the application form (coming to this web page soon!). If you are a pupil, teacher or parent/guardian with any questions, feel free to email us at epq@tpg.org.uk
What is an EPQ?
An Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a stand-alone qualification enabling pupils studying in Years 12 and 13 to independently undertake an in-depth investigation on a specific subject of their choice. The outcome of this work can be a 5,000-word report or dissertation, or an artwork/artefact with a shorter piece of writing.
An EPQ is highly valued qualification for employment and/or progression to higher education, worth half the UCAS points of an A-Level.
Launched in July 2021, The Photographers' Gallery’s EPQ in Photography is a free programme that supports a group of pupils to attain an EPQ. The programme offers a structured grounding in photography history, theory and techniques through taught lessons, exhibition visits and one-to-one mentoring. Pupils are supported to select a topic and independently develop practical or essay-based work for presentation and assessment.
The programme includes 50 hours of taught sessions. Pupils are required to undertake a further 70 hours of independent research and work within their own time. Taught sessions take place from Monday through Friday, in half day sessions, outside of the school term with occasional weekend sessions. Once pupils have attended their taught sessions and produced their final, independent writing /artwork, they present their work for assessment in order to gain their qualification. The results of their qualification is announced alongside A-Level results, in August.
A short film with more information about the EPQ in Photography at The Photographers' Gallery
It teaches you to be independent and how to use a camera.
EPQ student
This programme is supported by John Lyon's Charity.
