Student life

Level 3 Certificate in Sustainability

How will you help shape a more sustainable future?

The Level 3 Certificate in Sustainability is a new offering for Year 12 students at Hills Road who want to understand one of the defining challenges of our time.

Combining academic study with practical research, the course explores how environmental, economic and social systems connect.

Students examine the choices made by governments, organisations and individuals, investigate how industries are responding to climate change and develop informed recommendations for a more sustainable future.

An alternative to the EPQ

From September 2026, the Level 3 Certificate in Sustainability will be offered as an alternative to the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). Students selected for the course will complete the Sustainability Certificate instead of following the EPQ pathway.

The programme will begin during the first week of Year 12 and will be taught through two dedicated tutor groups who will have Sustainability-focused sessions, rather than EPQ, as part of the wider Future Ready programme at Hills Road.

Unlike the EPQ, where students choose and refine an individual project topic, the Sustainability Certificate provides a defined area of investigation.

See a side-by-side comparison below:

Area of comparison	Does the programme give me room to explore new areas?
Level 3 Certificate in Sustainability (this course)	Somewhat. The 2026 cohort will investigate sustainability within an industry of their choice; exploring challenges, current practices and potential opportunities for improvement.
vs. Extended Project Qualification	Completely. Students choose and refine their own individual project topic

Area of comparison	What is the time commitment?
Level 3 Certificate in Sustainability (this course)	1 x lesson a week plus independent research time outside of lessons
vs. Extended Project Qualification	1 x lesson a week plus independent research time outside of lessons

Area of comparison	Equivalent to half an A level?
Level 3 Certificate in Sustainability (this course)	Yes
vs. Extended Project Qualification	Yes

Area of comparison	Are there any entry requirements?
Level 3 Certificate in Sustainability (this course)	No, but places are limited. Students wishing to follow the course at Hills Road will have to express interest in a form upon enrolment. The course may be particularly relevant to students interested in geography, economics, business, sociology, psychology, science or design, but students do not need to be studying any particular combination of subjects to apply.
vs. Extended Project Qualification	No. As a long standing part of the curriculum at Hills Road, the EPQ is an embedded part of the Year 12 programme of study, meaning all students are automatically enrolled (unless they take up this new Level 3 Certificate in Sustainability as an alternative).

Programme of study

The Level 3 Certificate in Sustainability is equivalent in size to half an A level and is designed to complement your main study programme.

The qualification is assessed through an exam and a coursework project, each worth 50%.

The examined unit explores the fundamentals of sustainability, including its environmental, social and economic dimensions, global approaches to sustainability, how organisations communicate and report their progress, and issues such as greenwashing.
For the coursework (Non-Examined Assessment or NEA) unit, you will apply your learning to a sustainability challenge within an industry of your choice. You'll develop skills in research planning, data collection and analysis before drawing conclusions, making recommendations and presenting your findings.

Like the EPQ, the programme develops independent learning, research and other transferable skills that are valuable for university, employment and life beyond Hills Road.

If you have any questions about the qualification's programme of study, contact the email address below:

Sustainability Certificate queries

Prior to being introduced as an in-curriculum alternative to the EPQ, the programme ran in the 2025 academic year as an Enrichment activity. Below, course participants from the Hills Road 2025 cohort share their experiences:

The course helped to show what sustainability would really look like within jobs by going into legal and economic aspects as well as having the NEA (coursework) to provide experience of a sustainability project.
2025 course participant

I really enjoyed the exam proportion of the course as I found the lessons interesting and engaging and I felt that I was learning something useful and relevant rather than just learning things to help me pass the exam.
2025 course participant

I enjoyed having the freedom to choose my own industry for the NEA (coursework). Having the opportunity to research through interviews and questionnaires was also a really interesting way to make connections and collect information. Learning about social and economic sustainability was also very interesting.
2025 course participant

Level 3 Certificate in Sustainability: FAQs

The course may be suitable for incoming Year 12s who:

are curious about climate change and sustainability
want to understand how businesses, governments and communities respond to complex challenges
enjoy investigating evidence and considering different perspectives
would like to conduct a structured research project
want a recognised qualification that complements your A levels
are prepared to work independently and contribute actively in lessons.

Where could this course take me?

Sustainability is increasingly relevant across higher education and employment. It is no longer limited to environmental careers: organisations need people who can understand how environmental, economic and social decisions affect one another. The qualification could support progression towards a whole range of courses and careers. Examples include:

business and economics
geography and sustainable development
climate policy
engineering and manufacturing
sustainable design and fashion
communications and reporting
environmental auditing
carbon accounting.

What Future Ready Skills could I build?

Throughout the course, you will build skills that are relevant across a wide range of university courses and careers, including:

independent research
critical and systems thinking
data collection and analysis
problem-solving
written and verbal communication
presentation
project planning
time management
evaluating the reliability and limitations of evidence.

More about Sustainability at Hills Road

Sustainability at Hills Road is not limited to the Level 3 Certificate, as we aim to embed sustainable ways of working and thinking in all areas of College life.

Equally, students who pursue the EPQ pathway are also able to consider sustainability as a strand of research and interest that they may like to pursue as part of their EPQ studies.