Friendship and Respect

Overview

This 60-minute lesson is designed for a Year 9 class of 4 students with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. It focuses on exploring friendships, understanding appropriate conversations, and recognising healthy behaviours within friendships. The lesson aligns closely with the National Curriculum for England’s PSHE framework, particularly addressing key themes of relationships and social skills development.

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National Curriculum Links

• PSHE Association Programme of Study for KS3 (Years 7-9):
  • Relationships: "How to develop and maintain a variety of healthy relationships, within a range of social/cultural contexts."
  • Social skills: "How to recognise and manage emotions within interpersonal relationships, and to develop effective listening, negotiation, and assertiveness skills."
  • Mental health and wellbeing: "How to identify risk and recognise unhealthy behaviours, including bullying, abuse, and inappropriate conversations or contact."

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Define characteristics of a healthy friendship and recognise behaviours that strengthen friendships.
2. Identify examples of appropriate and inappropriate conversations and behaviours within friendships.
3. Demonstrate effective communication skills, including respectful listening and assertiveness, in friendship scenarios.
4. Reflect on the importance of boundaries and respect for personal space in friendships.

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Resources Needed

• Emotion/thought feeling cards (printed from simple descriptors)
• Scenario cards illustrating various friendship situations
• Whiteboard and markers
• "Friendship agreement" template (printed for each student)
• Communication cue cards (with conversation starters, respectful responses, and assertive phrases)
• Comfortable seating arranged in a circle

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Starter Activity: Identifying Good Friendships (10 mins)

• Method: Circle time discussion, facilitated by the teacher
• Activity:
  • Ask students to share what they think makes a good friend. Write keywords on the whiteboard.
  • Use emotion cards to explore feelings associated with good and bad friendships. For example, "supported," "lonely," "respected," "ignored."
• Purpose: Engage emotion recognition and relate feelings to friendships.

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2. Interactive Activity: Friendship Scenarios (20 mins)

• Method: Small group discussion and role-play
• Activity:
  • Distribute scenario cards illustrating different interactions between friends (e.g., sharing secrets, giving compliments, disagreements, unwanted teasing).
  • Each student reads a scenario and discusses:
    • What behaviours are helpful/unhelpful?
    • How would you respond in this situation?
  • Role-play chosen appropriate responses using communication cue cards.
• Purpose: Develop understanding of positive vs. negative behaviours and practice communication skills.

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3. Mini Lesson: Appropriate Conversations and Boundaries (10 mins)

• Method: Teacher-led input with visual aids
• Content:
  • Explain what kinds of conversations are appropriate in friendships (e.g., sharing feelings, hobbies, support).
  • Highlight inappropriate conversations (e.g., gossip, pressure to share secrets, personal questions).
  • Discuss boundaries – personal space, saying "no," and respectful listening.
• Interactive Element: Students identify examples from their lives or from earlier scenarios.

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4. Reflective Task: Creating a Friendship Agreement (15 mins)

• Method: Individual reflective writing and group sharing
• Activity:
  • Provide each student with a "Friendship Agreement" template.
  • Students fill in key promises or behaviours they believe make a good friend (e.g., "I will listen when my friend talks," "I will not share their secrets without permission").
  • Share and discuss the agreements, add others if agreed upon by the group.
• Purpose: Encourage personal commitment and collective understanding of healthy friendship behaviours.

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5. Plenary and Self-Assessment (5 mins)

• Method: Group circle with exit tickets
• Activity:
  • Each student shares one thing they learned about friendships today.
  • Complete a simple self-assessment form:
    • "I know how to tell if a conversation is appropriate" (Yes/No)
    • "I can use respectful words with my friends" (Yes/No)
• Teacher provides positive feedback and sets gentle goals for social interactions moving forward.

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Differentiation and SEMH Considerations

• Use visual aids and emotion cards to support understanding, reducing anxiety around abstract concepts.
• Small numbers allow for personalised support and tailored questioning.
• Allow breaks if students feel overwhelmed.
• Use consistent, calm facilitation to model respectful interaction.

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Assessment for Learning

• Ongoing formative assessment during discussions and role-plays to check understanding and emotional responses.
• Review of "Friendship Agreement" to assess grasp of key behaviours and appropriate boundaries.
• Exit ticket self-assessment to identify confidence and areas needing further support.

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Extension Ideas for Future Lessons

• Explore conflict resolution and repair in friendships.
• Introduce digital friendships and online safety conversations.
• Build emotional literacy through deeper discussion on empathy and respect.

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This lesson plan prioritises emotional understanding, communication skills, and boundary recognition—core elements for SEMH students—while strictly following statutory guidance for PSHE at Key Stage 3 in England. Teachers can adapt language and pace according to class needs to maximise engagement and learning outcomes.