Building Positive Friendships

Lesson Overview

Subject: PSHE
Year Group: Year 1
Class Size: 11 students
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Curriculum Area: Relationships Education (part of PSHE under the UK National Curriculum)
Focus: Understanding friendships, recognising positive behaviours, and learning how to be a good friend

This lesson is designed specifically for special needs children. It incorporates multi-sensory teaching techniques, structured activities, and visual supports to engage and support all learners.

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Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Understand what a friendship is and why it is important.
2. Recognise qualities of a good friend (e.g., kindness, sharing, listening).
3. Learn simple strategies to build and maintain friendships.
4. Practise using positive friendship behaviours through an interactive activity.

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Resources Needed

• Large emoji emotion cards (happy, sad, excited, shy, upset, etc.)
• Friendship scenario cards with simple pictures and short sentences
• Soft toy(s) to demonstrate sharing and kindness
• Visual timetable to support structure
• Small mirrors for self-expression activity
• Stickers or reward system for encouragement

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction – "What is a Friend?" (10 minutes)

• Begin the lesson with a welcome song or greeting activity to help students feel comfortable.
• Show an image of two children holding hands or playing together and ask, "What do you think they are doing?"
• Facilitate a discussion, using visual prompts and simplified language to define a friend (e.g., "A friend is someone who is kind and spends time with us").
• Use call-and-response to reinforce concepts (e.g., "A friend helps us when we feel…" – pause for student responses).

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2. Activity 1 – How Do Friends Make Us Feel? (10 minutes)

• Display large emoji emotion cards (happy, sad, excited, frustrated). Point to one and say, “How do we feel when a friend is kind to us?”
• Let students take turns holding up the emoji that matches how they would feel in certain friendship situations.
• Pass around small mirrors and encourage students to practise making happy and sad faces while discussing friendly and unfriendly behaviours.

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3. Activity 2 – Friendship Scenarios Role-Play (15 minutes)

• Introduce simple friendship scenarios using illustrated cards (e.g., "Your friend shares a toy with you – how do you feel?" or "Your friend says unkind words – how do you feel?").
• Use role-play with soft toys to act out the scenarios—demonstrate kindness (e.g., sharing, inviting someone to play).
• Encourage students to take turns acting out the positive behaviours they would use in that situation.
• Reinforce positive responses with praise and small stickers/rewards.

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4. Activity 3 – ‘Friendship Chain’ Craft (8 minutes)

• Each student receives a strip of coloured paper to write/draw ONE quality of a good friend (e.g., kind, helpful, listens).
• With support, link the strips together to create a friendship paper chain to display in the classroom.
• Reinforce the message: “We are all connected, just like this chain!”

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5. Plenary – "What Have We Learned?" (2 minutes)

• Recap the key learning points:
  • "Good friends are…" (Encourage students to name positive friendship qualities).
  • "We can show we are a good friend by…" (Encourage examples from students).
• End with a high-five or round of applause to celebrate learning.

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Assessment & Differentiation

• Observation: Monitor student engagement, emotional responses, and participation.
• Visual cues and prompts: Adjust language for students who need additional support.
• Alternative communication methods: Allow non-verbal students to use symbols or gestures to participate.
• Positive reinforcement: Use verbal praise, stickers, or a special achievement board.

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Extension/Home Connection

• Encourage students to practise friendship behaviours at home and share their experiences in the next lesson.
• Send a simple visual-friendly handout for parents/carers with conversation starters about friendships.

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Teacher Reflection Questions

• Did students engage with the activities?
• Were the visual prompts effective?
• How did individual students respond to role-play and discussion?
• What could be adapted or enhanced for next time?

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End of Lesson Plan