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In this discussion, we speak to Professor Helen Walkington and Dr Graham Wood about their work behind the interactive Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) Map.

The EPQ is an independent project, equivalent to half an A-Level, undertaken by approximately 45,000 students annually. Students are required to complete a project on a subject of choice and present this in their chosen way, (i.e. an essay, report, performance or artefact).

It was introduced in 2004 with the objective of supporting students to develop skills that would be useful in their future studies or the workplace - supported by one-to-one teacher mentoring.

The map explores the spatial patterns of EPQ provision, uptake, and attainment in relation to place-based measures of deprivation in England.

What story does this visualisation tell?

"Our work shows a pattern of spatial inequality in EPQ uptake across England, with significant pockets where the EPQ is not available.

"The visualisation explores how a young person’s chances of accessing research‑based learning are shaped not only by regional deprivation but also by the geography of local schooling, educational structures, and even bus routes.

"When EPQ uptake is adjusted in relation to the size of the local population of students taking a Level 3 academic qualification, the map highlights clear variations. In major urban centres such as London, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle, as well as many deprived coastal communities, EPQ uptake is lower.

"By contrast, university‑dominated towns and market towns emerge as hotspots with a comparatively high uptake."

Why was it created?

"With funding from the Nuffield Foundation, we wanted to explore whether the EPQ disproportionately benefits some students, and to understand the regional variations of any inequality.

"A key part of this was visualising the spatial variation in access to the EPQ across England and how it relates to levels of deprivation. By identifying ‘deserts’ and ‘oases’ of provision, we can show both a national and regional view of opportunities available to young people.

"We also used this visualisation to identify and select schools and colleges in deprived areas that were succeeding in EPQ delivery, in order to investigate how they had overcome barriers to participation."

Who was it created for?

"We designed this map for a range of audiences.

"It was intended as a research tool, allowing us to sample a selection of schools and colleges with successful EPQ delivery in deprived areas across England.

"We also wanted to make the data available to senior leadership teams across a range of schools and colleges, as well as exam boards, the Department for Education and local authorities who need to understand patterns of provision.

"We also hope that this work can be used by parents, students and members of the public to see where the EPQ is, and isn’t, available in their area. This would support communities in exercising choice, as the EPQ can be a valuable, life-changing qualification, and greater understanding of local provision can make a meaningful difference."

Tell us about the data 

"We used the Department for Education’s Get Information About Schools which provides school/college locations and identifiers, as well as Compare School and College Performance, which gives data on EPQ entries, take‑up, and attainment. To maximise reach and democratise access to this information, we ensured that all our data was open source.

"We combined this with the Ordnance Survey Open Built Up Areas dataset to focus the visualisation on populated areas within the UK. 

"Lastly, we used the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), to map an area’s relative deprivation. We chose to use the datasets at the Middle Layer Super Output Area (MSOA), which typically has a population of up to about 15,000 people.

"This was because we don’t know exactly where a student lives (due to confidentiality) and using MSOAs allowed us to better estimate a catchment area."

What methods did you use to collect, analyse and visualise the data?

"We have the available data for the number of students who took the EPQ within specific schools and colleges, but we don’t know where these students live.

"We used kernel density estimation (KDE), which allowed us to model how EPQ uptake might be distributed around each school and college. This offered a way to estimate where students might live, providing a proxy for the school or college’s catchment area.

"The process involved:

  • Geolocating every EPQ provider
  • Modelling EPQ uptake densities around a school/college and exploring different modelling assumptions, e.g. urban vs rural areas 
  • Refining the KDE model to adjust for the student population to avoid misleading urban hotspots
  • Clipping the mapped surface to built up areas so that results represent places where people actually live

"To create the map, we used ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online to model, map and overlay the various datasets. We then used ArcGIS Experience Builder, to bring together thematic web maps for sharing online."

Why did you choose to present the data in this way over other approaches?

"We used a web app to make the visualisation as interactive and accessible as possible, adding features like zooming, clickable content, and the ability to create charts. 

"This allows viewers to explore the spatial distribution of the EPQ at a national scale while also examining local areas. It helps people relate the map to their own communities and understand the wider issue of unequal EPQ access. 

"We also used colour in the maps to clearly identify areas as deserts (blue) and oases (red), which can be intuitive and visually impactful.

"Lastly, we added layers such as the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and proportional symbol maps, which can be toggled on and off in the map, and displayed separate tabs for EPQ uptake, attainment, and provision.

"This creates a detailed map which highlights different aspects of the data, increasing its impact and making it useful for a range of audiences."

What impact has the visualisation had in research, policy or other contexts?

"Since the project’s release in October 2025, the work has been shared widely with teachers, schools and colleges, educational charities and foundations (e.g. Edge Foundation), and examination boards. This has allowed a range of educational providers to be informed about the issues in EPQ take up and a consortium of further education colleges have since expressed an interest in offering the EPQ from scratch.   

"Another recent impact is our work with The Bloxham Sustainability Challenge (BSC). This is a collaboration between Bloxham School, Dalcour Maclaren, and Esri UK, which equips young people with geospatial skills, showing how GIS can address social, environmental, and economic challenges. 

"As the BSC expands nationally, the map has been used to build on work commissioned from the School Outreach Company, refining the targeting of support for schools and colleges by identifying areas with lower EPQ uptake and provision, enabling more students to participate in the challenge.

"An extra impact has been the use of spatial mapping to inform sampling strategies in qualitative research more broadly. For example, our approach has already influenced a researcher at Humboldt University in Berlin to revise the methodological approach in their research."

How else might this approach or data be used?

"As more data on the EPQ and Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) become available over time, it will be interesting to update the visualisation using the same approach, but with up-to-date measures of deprivation and EPQ uptake.

"There is huge potential for exam boards and multi-academy trusts to use the data to identify areas with lower EPQ uptake. Or for local authorities to use the map to provide funding to schools and colleges in more deprived areas. Together these measures can support more schools and colleges to increase the EPQ opportunity.  

"Additionally, there’s potential for higher education institutions to raise awareness in how they use the EPQ in their contextual offers, referring to this map to clearly see the variation of EPQ opportunity."

What steps can others take to try this visualisation technique?

"To analyse the data, begin with kernel density estimation, available in any standard GIS software.

"Make sure you have a conceptual understanding of what you’re doing. Try not to be put off by technical details, take steps to understand the variables you want to investigate and how these can influence the outcome.

"There are a variety of tools available online like ArcGIS Online, and ArcGIS Experience Builder, so don’t be afraid to have a go and play around.

"Remember that your data set needs to be something where you can map the intensity of occurrence, so explore the range of open access data available to use."

To finish with, what’s your one top tip for geographers looking to visualise data in this way?

"Really think about your audience and consider how you can make the data work to have an impact.

"Let the data speak for itself, be open to what the pattern of the data shows and ask questions and refine it from there."

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