Information for schools
The Illicit Project UK is available free of charge for eligible schools. We will provide you with more information if you are interested in taking part in the research, but brief details are below.
Click on the sections below to find out more.
What would participation involve?
The TIP-UK programme is described here.
TIP-UK is being delivered as part of a randomised control trial (RCT). You can read more about this on the Research page.
We would like you to deliver 3 pre-planned sessions + 2 data collection sessions during your RSHE/Health and Wellbeing lessons in the Autumn/Winter Term 2026. These sessions are classroom based, but online and involve self-directed learning. Training materials are provided to support delivery.
The programme is intended for all students in years 11, 12, and 13 (if your school has a sixth form), or S4–S6 in Scotland.
Participating schools will also be asked to co-ordinate the scheduling of a short online pre and post intervention questionnaire to all students involved. If you would like more information about the questionnaire, please visit the Research section of the website.
What does my school have to do?
- Commit to participation for the full study period.
- Allow replacement of your current alcohol and drug education provision with TIP-UK.
- Nominate a school lead (e.g. Safeguarding or RSHE/Health and Wellbeing lead) to co-ordinate scheduling and data collection.
- Support pupil participation in surveys and (where selected) interviews. The survey questionnaire is included on the Research page.
- If asked, provide feedback on topics such as acceptability, and curriculum fit.
Will I get access to TIP-UK after the research project?
Yes, you will be able to use TIP-UK after the research project has ended. TIP-UK is free of charge.
Is my school eligible?
To be eligible, schools should be:
- Located in NW England or in participating areas of Scotland.
- Be able to commit to delivery across whole classes across different year groups (not necessarily whole year groups), with a minimum total of 100 students.
- Due to the nature of the programme, SEND-only schools; alternative educational provision; and further education colleges are not eligible.
- Be able to commit to the activities described above.
What happens if my school is randomised to the ‘control’ group?
As TIP-UK is being delivered as part of a RCT, there is a random chance that your school might be allocated to the control group, which means that you will be asked to deliver your drugs education as normal, but participate in data collection. RCTs are the most rigorous method for evaluating whether an intervention is truly effective and will have benefits for young people. Random assignment ensures that outcomes can be compared fairly and without bias between schools that receive the programme and those that do not.
This research is important in drugs education and prevention, as unfortunately, a lot of what is offered in UK schools, sometimes by well meaning external providers, is ineffective.
By serving as a control school, you play a vital role in helping researchers determine whether TIP-UK has a meaningful impact. This contribution is essential for building reliable evidence that can inform future policy and practice, ultimately benefiting young people more widely.
If you are allocated to the control group then you will have access and be able to use TIP-UK after the research project has ended.