All Lower Sixth students follow the Taught Skills element of the EPQ, with a majority of students going on to complete the qualification. This allows freedom to conduct independent research into an area of personal interest. It goes beyond and outside A Level specifications, fosters independent learning, teaches transferable skills such as time management, research and analytical skills, and gives our students a taste of what awaits at university. A large number of FHS candidates elect to offer an artefact as their EPQ project: recent examples include making a Regency dress, formula 1 car models, putting on a play and running a sustainable fashion show. Essay topics have included how stones were transported to Stonehenge, the potential impact of a shift to biofuels and the partition of India.

The school library is well stocked with relevant material to the A Level courses and there is a system of short loans for the most heavily used texts. The school has subscriptions to numerous scholarly resources available online, such as JSTOR and Massolit. The school Librarian can assist Sixth Formers with their research.

Sixth Formers at Francis Holland are encouraged to develop good study habits that will serve them well at A Level and beyond. Lower Sixth students attend a Sixth Form Induction Course at the start of the Autumn Term and there are regular study skills sessions delivered both in house and with external experts.