Respectful, Kind Relationships

Curriculum content:

1. How to pay attention to the needs and preferences of others, including in families
and friendships. Pupils should be encouraged to discuss how we balance the needs
and wishes of different people in relationships and why this can be complicated.
2. The importance of setting and respecting healthy boundaries in relationships with
friends, family, peers and adults.
3. How to communicate effectively and manage conflict with kindness and respect;
how to be assertive and express needs and boundaries; how to manage feelings,
including disappointment and frustration.
4. Pupils should have opportunities to discuss the difference between being assertive
and being controlling, and conversely the difference between being kind to other
people and neglecting your own needs.
5. That they can expect to be treated with respect by others, and the importance of
respecting others, including those who are different (for example, physically, in
character, personality or backgrounds), or make different choices, or have different
preferences or beliefs.
6. Practical steps they can take and skills they can develop in a range of different
contexts to improve or support their relationships.
7. The conventions of courtesy and manners.
8. The importance of self-respect and how this links to their own happiness. Pupils
should have opportunities to think about how they foster their own self-esteem and
build a strong sense of their own identity, including through developing skills and
interests.
9. The different types of bullying (including online bullying), the impact of bullying,
responsibilities of bystanders (primarily reporting bullying to an adult), and how to
get help.
10. What a stereotype is, how stereotypes can be unfair, negative, destructive or lead to
bullying and how to challenge a stereotype.
11. How to seek help when needed, including when they are concerned about violence,
harm, or when they are unsure who to trust.