Friendships and Bullying — Year 3 Lesson Plan
National Curriculum: PSHE — Relationships: what makes a good friend; resolving conflict; bullying including cyberbullying
Overview
Pupils explore what makes a positive friendship, how to resolve disagreements respectfully, and how to distinguish between falling out and bullying. They develop strategies for responding to unkind behaviour and for supporting others.
Learning Objectives
- Identify the qualities of a good friend and what makes friendships positive.
- Distinguish between a one-off falling out and bullying (repeated, intentional, power imbalance).
- Describe strategies for resolving disagreements without conflict.
- Know how and when to ask a trusted adult for help.
Key Vocabulary
Suggested Lesson Structure
Hot-seat a fictional character who has just had a friendship problem (teacher or puppet). The class asks questions to understand what happened. Establish: was this a one-off argument or something that kept happening? Begin to build the distinction between falling out and bullying.
Clarify the three-part definition of bullying: repeated, intentional, and involving a power imbalance. Work through three scenarios together — pupils hold up cards marked 'falling out', 'bullying', or 'need more information'. Discuss: what makes it hard to be sure? Introduce the role of the bystander and the upstander. Explore strategies: walking away, using assertive 'I feel...' language, seeking help from an adult, including others.
In pairs, pupils read two scenarios and identify whether each is bullying or a disagreement, giving reasons. They then suggest one strategy the person could use and one way a bystander could become an upstander.
Pupils write a short advice note to a fictional child who is being left out at playtime, offering two practical strategies and reminding them who they could talk to.
Return to the hot-seated character from the starter. Based on the lesson, what advice would we now give? Who could they talk to? Reinforce: it is never the victim's fault and asking for help is brave, not weak.
Common Misconceptions
- All unkind behaviour is bullying — this underweights real bullying; distinguish carefully by returning to the definition.
- You should sort it out yourself without telling an adult — persistent bullying requires adult involvement; encourage reporting.
Prior Knowledge
Pupils should already be able to:
- KS1 PSHE: feelings and emotions; basic understanding of kindness.
- Experience of disagreements and friendships in school life.
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