Listening and Engagement

Session overview

Students will participate in a collaborative clue-solving game designed to develop and practise good listening and communication skills in an outdoor forest environment. The activity promotes focus, respect in conversation, and responding to others, supporting social interaction for SEND and SEMH pupils in line with the National Curriculum’s emphasis on personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE).

Learning objectives (WALT)

• WALT demonstrate good listening skills with support, including focusing attention on a speaker (GLS1).
• WALT listen carefully when others speak and follow spoken instructions (GLS2).
• WALT respond to questions or prompts using verbal or physical gestures (GLS3).
• WALT acknowledge others in conversation appropriately with verbal/physical cues (GLS4).

Success Criteria

• I look at the person speaking at least once during the activity.
• I listen to the clues and in my response show I have understood.
• I respond using words or gestures when asked a question.
• I acknowledge my teammates when they speak to me.

Transferable skills

• Teamwork: Collaborating with peers to solve clues.
• Active listening: Concentrating on spoken information to find answers.
• Problem-solving: Using clues logically in sequence.
• Communication: Using verbal and non-verbal cues to interact.
• Confidence building: Speaking up and acknowledging others in a safe environment.

Starter (10 minutes)

• Circle time in the forest to introduce the activity and WALT.
• Brief group discussion: What makes a good listener? Teacher models looking at the speaker and responding politely.
• Quick paired activity: Each pair shares a short fact about something they like; partner practices looking and listening carefully, then gives a thumbs up or nod to acknowledge.

Input/modelling (10 minutes)

• Teacher explains the clue game rules and demonstrates one round: the teacher reads a clue aloud while making eye contact, then models acknowledging the listener’s gesture and asking a follow-up question, encouraging a verbal or physical response.
• Highlight importance of listening carefully and looking at the speaker once per turn.
• Emphasise that everyone will get turns asking and answering to practise all four GLS objectives.

Independent practice (15 minutes)

• Students split into pairs or small groups (depending on abilities) and begin solving a series of clues hidden around a designated forest area or garden space.
• Each clue requires listening carefully to the spoken instructions or questions and responding appropriately to receive the next clue.
• Teacher and TA support to prompt and encourage eye contact and responses as necessary, especially for SEND/SEMH needs.
• Dyslexia-friendly print clues available with simple fonts, colour-coded steps for clarity.

Mini plenary (5 minutes)

• Regroup at a safe spot to discuss:
• Who managed to look at the speaker?
• What gestures or words helped communication?
• What clues were tricky and why?
• Teacher restates WALT and praises effort on listening and acknowledgement.

Independent practice (10 minutes)

• Continue with the game adding a challenge for higher ability learners to create their own simple clue with a question for a peer to solve using good listening and acknowledgement skills.

Plenary (5 minutes)

• Circle time reflection: Students share one thing they did well using listening or communication skills today.
• Group feedback on how teamwork helped and what they found difficult.
• Reinforce how these skills support positive relationships and learning.

Exit ticket

• Each student states one way they showed a listening behaviour today (e.g., “I looked at my friend when they spoke” or “I said thank you when I got a clue”).
• Teacher notes responses to assess individual achievement of GLS objectives.

Lower ability

• Provide visual prompts on laminated cards (e.g., pictures of eyes for ‘look’, ear for ‘listen’, thumbs up for ‘respond’).
• Reduce number of clues to prevent overwhelm and allow more time per turn.
• Teacher or TA to give additional verbal encouragement and model gestures frequently.

Higher ability

• Challenge to formulate their own clues that require more complex listening and multi-step instructions.
• Encourage using complete sentences and descriptive vocabulary during response.
• Include peer assessment on active listening and response behaviours using simple criteria.

Extension activities

• Role-play scenarios in pairs where one student practices being a good listener to a personal story, incorporating empathy and appropriate acknowledgement.
• Create a simple ‘Listening Certificate’ recognising specific achievements in this skill for each student.
• Journaling opportunity: draw or write about a time when listening helped solve a problem.

Cross curricular links

• PSHE: Developing communication and interpersonal skills, mutual respect.
• English: Speaking and listening elements of the KS3 curriculum.
• Forest education: Experiential outdoor learning aligns with personal development and social skills.
• SEN support: Therapeutic learning approaches tailored for SEMH and SEND pupils.

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This lesson plan integrates National Curriculum PSHE personal and social skills with practical outdoor learning, supporting engagement and development for all abilities in a therapeutic forest setting.