IPO Education - Cracking Ideas

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IPO Education - Cracking Ideas

Official Facebook account for the UK Intellectual Property Office Education hub

We've developed some cracking downloadable lesson plans for KS1-KS4 that can be found on Tes under http://crackingideas.com. Our website is packed with full and free activities to help children understand IP better. You can learn more about IP with Wallace and Gromit as well as our very own radio stars Nancy and her band the Meerkats.

Click the following link to head over to our

other social media channels - https://flow.page/crackingideas

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25/05/2026

The Intellectual Property Office UK Innovation Award at this year's The Big Bang Competition has officially been judged!

Our judges were genuinely impressed by the quality and originality of entries from young people across the UK. Every single entrant demonstrated exactly what we believe: that the inventors and creators of tomorrow are already in our classrooms today.

Congratulations to all who entered. The ideas you brought to this competition — inventions, improvements, and solutions to real-world problems — are exactly the kind of thinking that drives innovation and economic growth in this country.

If you inspired or supported a student who took part: thank you. You helped give young people the tools and confidence to think like innovators!

22/05/2026

Think back to the teacher who changed how you thought about the world.

Maybe they encouraged you to ask "why?" when others just accepted the answer. Maybe they set you a problem with no obvious solution — and trusted you to find one.

That moment? That's where innovation begins.

The UK is home to some of the world's most exciting companies and research institutions. Behind almost every founder, every scientist, every inventor — there's a teacher who helped them believe that ideas matter.

We're championing the educators who are building the next generation of UK innovators.

26/04/2026

When you watch a match, a race or a final, you're watching more than sport. You're watching years of innovation, design and creative effort — and there's intellectual property (IP) protection behind more of it than you might think.

The patent behind a lighter, stronger carbon fibre frame. The registered trade mark on a team crest that fans have worn for generations. The copyright in the broadcast bringing it all into your living room.

IP is what helps great ideas leave the drawing board and make it onto the track, pitch or podium. In sport, as everywhere else, that matters.

On , we're celebrating the ideas that power sport — and the rights that help those ideas reach the world.

02/04/2026

Engineering education builds strong technical foundations — and IP knowledge helps complete that picture.

Whether it fits into an existing lesson or goes home with students as a guide, understanding patents, copyright and design protection gives them a fuller sense of the professional world they're entering. It's not a legal add-on; it's a genuinely useful part of preparing students for real engineering careers.

We have free resources ready to slot into your teaching. ⚙️

31/03/2026

From original illustrations to brand guidelines, graphic designers work with copyright every single day.

Students who understand this before they enter the profession are better placed to protect their work, structure professional relationships, and navigate the realities of a creative career.

Start your students' journey with our free 'Protecting your Creativity' guide, available in English and Welsh language.

Download free copies at https://www.ipo.gov.uk/ip-support/welcome or request physical copies by messaging us directly.

16/03/2026

Copyright protects artistic work from the moment it's made — and knowing how to make the most of it is a skill worth teaching.

When educators bring copyright, licensing, and other intellectual property basics into arts teaching, students could gain the confidence to share, licence, and protect their work throughout their careers.

12/03/2026

Educators do a great job of encouraging students to be curious and inventive. Teaching them how to protect what they create takes that a step further.

Understanding the patent system gives aspiring inventors the knowledge to explore commercialisation and take their ideas seriously — skills that are genuinely useful long before they enter the workplace.

09/03/2026

Intellectual property is woven through advertising in ways students might not immediately recognise. Trade mark knowledge helps them understand brand identity, navigate real-world campaigns, and approach their careers with greater confidence.

Introducing intellectual property early is one of the most practical things educators can do for students heading into the creative industries.

Hand young learners the key to their future — discover our free resources at https://www.ipo.gov.uk/ip-support/welcome

07/03/2026

This week we've shared the stories of young inventors. What they all had in common wasn't luck or accident — it was curiosity, and at least one adult who helped them believe their idea was worth something.

You don't need to be an IP expert to be that person for a young inventor. You just need the right tools.

The IPO has free, ready-to-use classroom resources that need no specialist knowledge and minimal preparation. Designed to help educators open up the conversation about creativity, ideas, and why they matter.

Because the next great inventor really might be sitting in your classroom.

👉 Find your free resources at https://www.ipo.gov.uk/ip-support/welcome

06/03/2026

At 11, Max Palfrey had an idea. He wanted to design a garment with a built-in fidget device sewn into the seam, giving neurodiverse people a way to self-regulate discreetly without drawing attention to themselves.

His family searched thoroughly and couldn't find anything like it. So they began the patent process. Max was granted a patent and went on to pitch his invention on Dragons' Den, all before finishing secondary school.

What made the difference? People around him who took his idea seriously, did the research, and said "let's do something about it."

Teachers, you are uniquely placed to spot that kind of thinking in your classroom. The curious ones, the problem-solvers, the "wouldn't it be cool if..." thinkers.

Our free student guide, "Protecting Your Creativity", gives young people the language and understanding to take their ideas further. Download it at https://www.ipo.gov.uk/ip-support/welcome

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