Resources for schools and students
We are passionate about inspiring the cancer researchers of the future.
We work closely with local secondary schools to highlight the broad range of careers in science, and encourage a diverse and inclusive next generation of researchers.
We engage with local schools in Sutton, Kensington and Chelsea and the surrounding boroughs. Staff and students often visit schools to give talks and we hold a careers open evening at the ICR for local sixth-form students.
If you’re a teacher and you’re interested in hearing more about how we can work with you, please get in touch with our public engagement office [email protected].
Resources for students and schools
We have produced a range of resources for schools and young people, which highlight careers available at the ICR and help students develop their scientific skills and knowledge.
Creating cancer treatments
Our ‘creating cancer treatments’ video and resource pack allows students to explore how our researchers discover new cancer drugs and develop them for patients.
It includes a 10-minute video presented by ICR researchers, a suite of classroom activities to support students’ learning, and a lesson-style presentation containing learning objectives and answers to the activities.
This resource has been designed to support the GCSE science curriculum in the areas of ‘how medicines are made’, ‘clinical trials’, ‘cancer’ and ‘chemical analysis’. It goes beyond the content of the curriculum, introducing new concepts involved in the creation of new treatments to enrich learning and facilitate a deeper understanding of the subject.
The video and resource pack are freely available to watch and download, and this work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence.
More resources for schools
Our world-leading research is conducted by people with a wide range of different skills, backgrounds and viewpoints. Our workforce includes researchers with backgrounds in maths, computer science, chemistry and physics, as well as in medicine and biology.
Our careers booklet for secondary school and sixth-form students provides an overview of the careers available in cancer research. It gives readers an idea of what it’s like to work at the ICR, and provides information about next steps for a career as a cancer researcher.
This booklet was made possible thanks to a donation from Aviva as part of the London Cancer Hub partnership.
Scientists from many different disciplines contribute to the ICR’s world-leading cancer research. While their areas of expertise may differ, they all use the scientific method to test hypotheses and broaden their knowledge.
In our ‘think like a scientist’ challenge, students design and run an experiment based on enzymes and cancer. By leading their own research and showcasing the results in a scientific poster, students learn first-hand about the scientific method.
It is designed for year 7-9 students and can be delivered in class or as part of a science club.
Download the resources for students:
What are enzymes, and enzymes in cancer
Guide to writing up your experiment
Download the resource for teachers:
Our printable poster explains how cancer drugs are made and can be used to support students’ learning about drug discovery and development. It is designed for GCSE and A-level learners and was funded by the Biochemical Society.
The ICR was the first place in the world to show that cancer is caused by damage to DNA. We now know that cancer is a genetic disease caused by faults – mutations – in our DNA.
Our printable DNA and cancer poster describes the role of DNA in cancer and explains how researchers are using this knowledge to defeat cancer.
This poster, funded by the Biochemical Society, is aimed at GCSE and A-level students.
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