Maintaining Strong Friendships

Lesson Details

Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 10 students
Age Range: 16-25 (Post-16 SEND)
Subject Area: Employability and Life Skills
Curriculum Alignment: National Curriculum for England – Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education – Core Theme: Relationships and Health & Wellbeing

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Learning Objectives

WALT:

• We Are Learning To understand and demonstrate key skills needed to maintain friendships, including effective communication, empathy, and conflict resolution.
• We Are Learning To recognise the importance of these skills in both personal and professional life.

This directly supports the PSHE programme of study for Post-16 learners, emphasising the development of interpersonal skills and emotional literacy needed for positive relationships and employability.

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Success Criteria

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

• Explain what communication, empathy, and conflict resolution mean in the context of friendships.
• Demonstrate at least one active listening strategy during a paired activity.
• Identify and discuss ways to resolve a simple conflict respectfully.
• Reflect on how maintaining friendships supports personal wellbeing and employability.

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National Curriculum References

• PSHE Education (Key Stage 5 & Post-16):
  • Relationships: developing positive relationships, communication, and conflict resolution (DfE, Personal Finance Education and PSHE Guidance)
  • Health & Wellbeing: emotional health and wellbeing, empathy development, and resilience building
• Employability skills: interpersonal skills, communication, teamwork and problem-solving

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Resources Needed

• Whiteboard/flipchart and markers
• Scenario cards with conflict situations
• Role-play cue cards
• Visual aids (friendship skills posters)
• Worksheets for reflection

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Lesson Structure

Starter (10 minutes)

Activity: Group Brainstorm & Discussion

• Teacher writes WALT and success criteria on the board.
• Icebreaker question: “What do you like best about being a friend to someone?”
• Prompt students to share ideas, then list responses under three headings on the board: Communication, Empathy, Conflict Resolution.
• Use simple language and visual aids to reinforce understanding.

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Main Activity 1 (15 minutes)

Activity: Understanding Key Skills through Video & Discussion

• Show a short pre-prepared video/animation (3-4 mins) demonstrating a friendship scenario where communication, empathy, and conflict resolution are key. (If no AV, read aloud a story.)
• Paired discussion prompts:
  1. How did the friends show good communication?
  2. What showed empathy in the story?
  3. How did they handle the problem?
• Teacher circulates, scaffolding language and supporting those with communication difficulties.

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Main Activity 2 (20 minutes)

Activity: Role-play and Problem-solving

• Divide students into pairs or trios. Provide each group with a conflict scenario card; examples:
  • A friend forgets an important event.
  • Two friends disagree about plans.
  • Misunderstanding caused by a message.
• Task: Role-play the scenario twice: first showing how conflict escalates, second how it can be resolved using communication and empathy.
• Encourage use of “I” statements, active listening, and calming strategies.

Teacher Support / Differentiation:

• Provide sentence starters or visual cue cards for those with language difficulty.
• Use simplified scenarios or allow drawing to express feelings for non-verbal learners.

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Plenary (10 minutes)

Activity: Reflect & Share

• Each student completes a short worksheet:
  • Write or draw one thing they learned about keeping friends.
  • Circle the skill they think is most important and say why.
• Group shares responses if comfortable; teacher summarises key points on the board.
• Reinforce link between friendship skills and employability: good friendships build teamwork and communication skills vital for work.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For learners with communication or cognitive difficulties: Use visuals, simplified language, one-step instructions, and allow non-verbal responses (drawing, gestures).
• For learners with social anxiety: Provide options to observe role-plays before participating, or role-play with the teacher.
• For learners with advanced skills: Challenge them to design their own conflict scenario or facilitate a small group discussion.

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Extension Activities for Advanced Learners

• Create a short video or comic strip demonstrating conflict resolution strategies in friendship.
• Write a personal action plan for how to improve their friendship skills over the next month.
• Research and present on how friendship skills transfer to workplace relationships and teamwork challenges.

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Assessment

• Formative assessment through observation of role-play and group discussions.
• Use student reflections on worksheets to assess understanding of friendship skills and their importance.
• Provide verbal feedback emphasising strengths and areas to develop interpersonal skills further.

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Teacher Notes / Tips

• Keep language clear, patient, and encourage inclusivity.
• Celebrate small successes to build confidence and social motivation.
• Link lesson content to real-life examples and students’ personal experiences.
• Use the WALT and success criteria as visual reminders throughout the session.
• Reinforce that friendship skills are lifelong and important for independence and wellbeing.

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This lesson plan ensures that learners with SEND aged 16-25 gain practical, relevant skills aligned with the National Curriculum’s PSHE outcomes, supporting their social and employability development in an engaging, accessible way.