Building Strong Friendships

Curriculum Area

PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education)
Key Stage 2 – Year 5
Topic: Relationships

This lesson aligns with the PSHE Association Programme of Study under the 'Relationships' core theme, specifically:

• R10 – Recognising what makes a healthy friendship and how to maintain positive relationships
• R11 – Understanding strategies to resolve disputes and reconciling differences
• R13 – Recognising when a friendship is unhealthy and knowing how to seek support

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Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Identify key qualities of a strong friendship.
2. Recognise positive and negative behaviours in friendships.
3. Practise strategies to respond to tricky friendship scenarios.

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Lesson Structure (60 Minutes)

1. Starter Activity – Friendship Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Activity: Friendship Snap!

• Display friendship-related words on the board (e.g. trust, kindness, respect, support).
• Ask students to quickly pair up and discuss what each word means in a friendship.
• Invite a few pairs to share their thoughts.
• Emphasise that friendships should make us feel valued and safe.

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2. Main Activity – Friendship Scenarios (30 minutes)

Step 1: Identifying What Makes a Good Friend (10 minutes)

• Prepare a large sheet of paper and label it “The Recipe for a Great Friendship”.
• As a class, brainstorm key ingredients (e.g. listening, honesty, kindness, fairness).
• Write their ideas on the sheet and display it in the classroom for future reflection.

Step 2: Handling Friendship Dilemmas (20 minutes)

• Small Group Discussions (4–5 students per group):
  • Each group receives a friendship dilemma card (see examples below).
  • They discuss how they would respond and role-play their solution.
  • Groups share their scenarios and responses with the class.

Example Dilemmas:

1. Your friend keeps interrupting you when you speak. How do you handle this respectfully?
2. A friend wants you to join in teasing someone. What do you do?
3. You and your friend both want to be team leader, but only one can be chosen. How do you decide?
4. Your friend is ignoring you today without explaining why. What should you do?

• Teacher facilitates discussion, reinforcing positive friendship behaviours like communication, compromise, and respecting personal boundaries.

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3. Reflection & Plenary (15 minutes)

Reflection Activity: Personal Friendship Pledge

• Students think about ways they can be a better friend.
• They write a 'Friendship Pledge' on an index card (e.g. “I promise to listen carefully when my friends speak.”).
• These pledges can be displayed or kept in their journals to revisit.

Final Discussion (5 minutes)

• Ask students:
  • What will you do differently in your friendships after today?
  • What is one thing you can do to support a friend this week?
• Reinforce where to go for help if they face friendship problems (trusted adults, school staff, peer support).

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observing group discussions and role-plays.
• Reviewing ‘Friendship Pledges’ for understanding.
• Student self-reflection during the final discussion.

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Resources Needed

✅ Large sheet of paper for the ‘Recipe for a Great Friendship’
✅ Pre-prepared Friendship Dilemma Cards
✅ Index cards for ‘Friendship Pledge’
✅ Markers and pens

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Teacher’s Notes & Extension Ideas

🔹 For additional engagement, students could create Friendship Advice Posters for display.
🔹 Some students may find friendship dilemmas tricky—offer additional support as needed.
🔹 Encourage students to practise their pledges and revisit the topic in future discussions.

This lesson provides a creative, interactive approach to understanding friendships, helping students build positive social skills they will use throughout life. 🌟