Celebrating Relationships

Overview

Unit: Understanding Relationships and Families
Lesson: 8 of 8
Duration: 45 minutes
Class size: 8 students
Age group: KS2 (7-11 years old)
Subject: PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education)

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will:

• Reflect thoughtfully on the importance and diversity of relationships and families.
• Appreciate different family structures and friendships in their community.
• Express their understanding through a creative project celebrating their own family or friendships.
• Demonstrate empathy and respect for others’ backgrounds and relationships.

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Curriculum Links

• PSHE Association Programme of Study (Key Stage 2, Years 3-6):

  • Relationships Education – Recognising different types of family and friendships and valuing the diversity in their social circles.
  • Social and Emotional Wellbeing – Developing self-awareness and respect for others’ feelings and experiences.

• Programme of Study for PSHE (DfE statutory framework):

  • Pupils understand that families and friendships can come in all different forms.
  • Pupils develop communication skills to express themselves about their own experiences.
  • Promote British values: respect, tolerance, and understanding of diversity.

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Resources Required

• A4 sized card or paper for each pupil
• Colouring materials (markers, crayons, coloured pencils)
• Glue sticks, scissors, magazines or printed pictures for collage (optional)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Reflection prompt cards prepared beforehand
• “Celebration Wall” space or board for displaying work

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Lesson Structure

Starter (5 minutes)

Activity: Circle Sharing - “What makes my family or friends special?”

• Sit the class in a circle.
• Each student shares one thing they appreciate about their family or a friend.
• Teacher models by sharing their own example first, highlighting diversity (e.g., “My family is special because we like to play board games together” or “My friend always listens to me”).
• Emphasise that families and friendships can be very different but are all important.

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Main Activity (30 minutes)

Creative Project: "My Relationships Celebration"

• Instructions:

  1. Students create a personalised project celebrating their family or friendships.
  2. Options for expression include:
     • Drawing or collage of their family/friends.
     • Writing a short poem or paragraph about what relationships mean to them.
     • Creating a small ‘family tree’ or ‘friendship web’ showing important people in their lives.
  3. Encourage inclusion of diverse family structures and friendships, highlighting that family can include pets, close friends, carers, etc.
  4. Provide optional magazine pictures for collage or use drawings if preferred.

• Teacher circulates, encouraging thoughtful reflection and asking guiding questions, such as:

  • “How do people in your family show care?”
  • “What makes your friendships strong?”
  • “Can families look different? How does that make them special?”

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Plenary (10 minutes)

Reflection and Sharing

• Pupils pair up and share their creations with one another, explaining their work.
• Regroup as a class to reflect on the diversity and importance of relationships.
• Teacher leads a guided reflection using prompt questions:
  • “What have you learned about families and friendships in this unit?”
  • “Why is it important to respect different kinds of families?”
  • “How can we show kindness to people whose families might be different from ours?”
• Display the projects on the “Celebration Wall” to honour the learning journey.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative assessment through observation of student discussions and participation in sharing.
• Evaluate creative projects for evidence of reflection on family/friendship diversity and personal meaning.
• Oral sharing assesses communication skills and empathy development.

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Differentiation and Inclusion

• Provide sentence starters or templates for pupils who may need writing support.
• Allow pupils to choose their mode of expression (drawing, writing, collage) to suit different learning styles.
• Inclusive language to ensure no family type feels excluded.
• Ensure sensitive handling of pupils who may have complex family situations; emphasise friendships or chosen families.

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Extension Ideas (If Time Permits)

• Introduce a short storytelling or role-play session, acting out scenes of kindness or support in families and friendships.
• Invite pupils to bring a photo or memento that represents their family/friends for the “Celebration Wall” (with parental permission).

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Teacher Reflection Notes

• Did pupils engage and show insight into the diversity of family and friendship structures?
• How did pupils demonstrate empathy and respect?
• Were all pupils able to express their thoughts in a way that suited them?
• Use reflections to inform future planning on themes of relationships and social awareness.

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This lesson concludes the unit by celebrating the uniqueness of relationships and families, fostering respect, empathy, and personal expression aligned with the UK PSHE statutory guidance and best educational practices.