Understanding Relationships

Lesson Overview

Unit: Navigating Healthy Relationships
Lesson: 1 of 4
Year Group: Year 9
Subject: PSHE
Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 3 students
Curriculum Area: PSHE Association Programme of Study – Health and Wellbeing, Relationships
Level: KS3

Learning Objectives

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

• Identify different types of relationships (family, friendships, romantic, and professional).
• Describe the key characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships.
• Reflect on personal experiences and discuss how relationships shape wellbeing.

Lesson Structure

Starter Activity – Relationship Icebreaker (10 mins)

Objective: Encourage students to think about the variety of relationships in their lives.

• Activity: Give each student a set of relationship scenarios (e.g. friendship with a classmate, sibling relationship, a teacher-student dynamic). They must categorise them into "Personal," "Family," or "Social" relationships.
• Ask: What do all these relationships have in common? What makes them different?
• Reinforce that relationships exist in many forms, all of which can impact wellbeing.

Discussion – What Makes Relationships Healthy or Unhealthy? (15 mins)

Objective: Help students distinguish positive and negative relationship traits.

• Introduce the concept: Display two columns—one labelled ‘Healthy Relationships’ and the other ‘Unhealthy Relationships’.
• Prompt students: Ask them to give characteristics for each category (e.g., trust, mutual respect vs. manipulation, lack of communication).
• Use real-world examples: Pose anonymised fictional scenarios and discuss whether each represents a healthy or unhealthy relationship.
• Key question: Have you ever seen or experienced signs of a healthy or unhealthy relationship? (Encourage general reflection rather than personal disclosure.)

Group Activity – The Relationship Spectrum (15 mins)

Objective: Develop critical thinking about the complexity of relationships.

• On a large sheet of paper, draw a line from "Very Healthy" to "Very Unhealthy."
• Read out relationship behaviours (e.g. “disagreeing respectfully” or “constant checking of phone messages”) and ask students to place them on the spectrum.
• Discussion point: How do power, respect, and communication influence where behaviours sit on the spectrum?

Independent Reflection – My Relationship Values (10 mins)

Objective: Encourage personal reflection on values in relationships.

• Provide students with a worksheet asking:
  • What are three things you value in a friendship?
  • What behaviours do you not tolerate in any relationship?
  • How can you promote healthy relationships in your daily life?
• Students write their responses privately and can share selectively if comfortable.

Plenary – Exit Tickets (5 mins)

Objective: Assess student understanding and consolidate learning.

• Each student writes a response to:
  • One thing I learned today…
  • One question I still have is…
• Discuss responses briefly if time allows.

Assessment Opportunities

• Observing participation in the spectrum activity and discussions.
• Reviewing students’ reflections to gauge understanding.
• Exit ticket responses provide insight into comprehension and areas needing reinforcement.

Resources Needed

• Pre-prepared relationship scenario cards
• Flipchart paper and markers
• Printed relationship spectrum worksheet
• Exit ticket slips

Differentiation Strategies

• For students needing more support: Provide sentence starters for discussions (e.g., "A healthy relationship should always have...").
• For students ready to deepen their thinking: Challenge them to evaluate media/social media depictions of relationships.

Next Lesson Preview:

In Lesson 2, students will explore communication and boundaries in relationships, focusing on assertiveness and conflict resolution.

This lesson fosters an engaging, thoughtful approach to understanding relationships while aligning with UK PSHE education standards. 🚀