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.
Friendships and Bullying 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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