Building Trust Skills

Overview

This 45-minute lesson supports Year 7 students in understanding the vital role of trust in friendships and wider community relationships. Through interactive role-play and guided discussions, students will explore how trust contributes to resilience, aligning with the National Curriculum expectations for Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education. This is Lesson 2 of 7 in the "Building Resilient Relationships" unit.

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National Curriculum Links

PSHE Association Programme of Study (England) - Key Stage 3 (Years 7–9)

• Core Theme 1: Health and Wellbeing
  • Learning Outcome: Recognise and manage emotions within a range of relationships, including friendships and family.
• Core Theme 2: Relationships
  • Learning Outcome: Understand how to develop and maintain a variety of healthy relationships within a range of social and cultural contexts.
  • Learning Outcome: Understand how trust is built and maintained in friendships and community settings.
• Statutory Duties:
  • Developing students' self-confidence and self-esteem responses within relationships (PSHE Association).
  • Enhancing social skills needed for respectful and resilient relationships.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Understand the concept of trust and its importance in friendships and broader community relationships.
2. Identify behaviours that build or damage trust in relationships.
3. Demonstrate through role-play practical ways to establish and maintain trust.
4. Reflect on their role in creating resilient relationships through trust.

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Resources Needed

• Role-play scenario cards (8 sets, personalised for peer interaction)
• Whiteboard and marker
• Sticky notes
• “Trust Scale” visual aid (a simple spectrum from Low to High Trust)
• Reflection worksheet (printed for each student)
• Timer or stopwatch

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Activity: “Trust Circle”

• Students sit in a circle. Ask each student to share one word or short phrase they associate with ‘trust’.
• Write responses on the whiteboard.
• Briefly discuss: What do these words suggest about why trust is important?

2. Introduction & Explanation (7 minutes)

• Provide a clear definition of trust in the context of friendships and communities.
• Highlight different types of trust: reliability, honesty, confidentiality, and respect.
• Introduce the concept of resilience in relationships—how trust helps friendships survive challenges.

3. Role-Playing Activity (20 minutes)

Activity Setup:

• Divide students into pairs (or groups of four if preferred for complex scenarios).
• Distribute role-play scenario cards covering real-life contexts relevant to Year 7 students (e.g. a friend sharing a secret, resolving a misunderstanding, keeping promises).
• Each group rehearses their scenario, focusing on ways to build trust.

Role-play Execution:

• Each pair/group presents their role-play to the class (~3 minutes each).
• After each, conduct a short class discussion guided by questions:
  • Which trusted behaviours did you notice?
  • How did the characters build or restore trust?
  • What could be done better?
• Use the "Trust Scale" visual aid to rate the level of trust shown and build awareness of trust-building behaviours.

4. Reflective Discussion (8 minutes)

• Hand out reflection worksheets prompting students to write:
  • One new thing they learned about trust.
  • How they can contribute to making their friendships more trusting.
  • How trust helps people bounce back from difficulties.
• Invite volunteers to share reflections.

5. Plenary & Assessment (5 minutes)

Quiz-style Quickfire:

• Verbal questions on trust concepts (e.g. “Name one behaviour that builds trust.” “What happens when trust is broken?”)
• Students respond using thumbs up/thumbs down or by raising hands for multiple choice.
• Collect worksheets for informal assessment of understanding.

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Differentiation & Inclusion

• Support students with SEN by providing script prompts during role-play and allowing additional preparation time.
• Challenge more able students with follow-up questions: “How might cultural backgrounds affect how people build trust?”
• Ensure all students feel safe and respect confidentiality during discussions of sensitive scenarios.

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Assessment of Learning

• Observation during role-play for demonstration of trust behaviours.
• Contributions to discussions for understanding resilience and trust.
• Completed reflection worksheet as evidence of individual comprehension.
• Quickfire questions to check retention.

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Extension Ideas

• Students can keep a “Trust Diary” through the unit, noting moments of trust-building in their own lives.
• Collaborate on a class “Trust Charter” for ways to maintain trust within the classroom community.

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Teacher Notes

• Emphasise that trust is a two-way process requiring time and mutual effort.
• Be mindful of any disclosures students may make during trust-related discussions; respect confidentiality but follow safeguarding protocols if required.
• This lesson builds foundational skills for later lessons on conflict resolution and communication.

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This lesson plan ensures students develop essential social competencies that meet the national curriculum’s PSHE framework, helping them become emotionally intelligent and resilient in their relationships.