Respectful Relationships (Secondary)

Curriculum content:

1. The characteristics of positive relationships of all kinds, online and offline, including
romantic relationships. For example, pupils should understand the role of consent, trust,
mutual respect, honesty, kindness, loyalty, shared interests and outlooks, generosity,
boundaries, tolerance, privacy, and the management of conflict, reconciliation and
ending relationships.
2. How to evaluate their impact on other people and treat others with kindness and
respect, including in public spaces and including strangers. Pupils should understand
the legal rights and responsibilities regarding equality, and that everyone is unique and
equal.
3. The importance of self-esteem, independence and having a positive relationship with
oneself, and how these characteristics support healthy relationships with others. This
includes developing one’s own interests, hobbies, friendship groups, and skills. Pupils
should understand what it means to be treated with respect by others.
4. What tolerance requires, including the importance of tolerance of other people’s beliefs.
5. The practical steps pupils can take and skills they can develop to support respectful and
kind relationships. This includes skills for communicating respectfully within
relationships and with strangers, including in situations of conflict.
6. The different types of bullying (including online bullying), the impact of bullying, the
responsibilities of bystanders to report bullying and how and where to get help.
7. Skills for ending relationships or friendships with kindness and managing the difficult
feelings that endings might bring, including disappointment, hurt or frustration.
8. The role of consent, including in romantic and sexual relationships. Pupils should
understand that ethical behaviour goes beyond consent and involves kindness, care,
attention to the needs and vulnerabilities of the other person, as well as an awareness
of power dynamics. Pupils should understand that just because someone says yes to
doing something, that doesn’t automatically make it ethically ok.
9. How stereotypes, in particular stereotypes based on sex, gender reassignment, race,
religion, sexual orientation or disability, can cause damage (e.g. how they might
normalise non-consensual behaviour or encourage prejudice). Pupils should be
equipped to recognise misogyny and other forms of prejudice.
10. How inequalities of power can impact behaviour within relationships, including sexual
relationships. For example, how people who are disempowered can feel they are not
entitled to be treated with respect by others or how those who enjoy an unequal amount
of power might, with or without realising it, impose their preferences on others.
11. How pornography can negatively influence sexual attitudes and behaviours, including
by normalising harmful sexual behaviours and by disempowering some people,
especially women, to feel a sense of autonomy over their own body and providing some
people with a sense of sexual entitlement to the bodies of others.
12. Pupils should have an opportunity to discuss how some sub-cultures might influence
our understanding of sexual ethics, including the sexual norms endorsed by so-called
“involuntary celibates” (incels) or online influencers.

• Healthy relationships and sexual health PSHE Association lessons on healthy/unhealthy relationships (membership required)
• Challenging the narrative: Thinking critically about misogyny Four free PSHE Association lessons for KS3-4 on the impact of misogyny and ways to limit the spread of harmful misconceptions, beliefs and attitudes
• Belonging and community: addressing discrimination and extremism Five KS3 lessons on fostering a sense of belonging, thinking patterns, protected characteristics, values and allyship. Three KS4 lessons on choices, cohesion and radicalisation.
• Friendship and bullying PSHE Association lessons: KS3-four lessons on maintaining positive friendships and challenges, empathy and preventing/challenging bullying. KS4-two lessons on recognising and challenging bullying in a range of contexts (membership required).
• CEOP Exploited lessons on healthy and respectful relationships Three free lessons: Healthy and unhealthy relationships; Power and control; Setting boundaries and getting help
• NCA-CEOP Education: Connect Free lessons plans for Y5-7 pupils on developing online independence and safer connections.
• Respecting me, you, us – RSE lessons Designed for young people aged 12-14 by CEOP, ‘Respecting me, you, us’ is a set of eight lesson plans and five short situational films. The resource aims to help young people develop a better understanding of healthy relationships, and how to challenge unhealthy behaviours and social norms, to better protect them from harm through child on child abuse, both off and online.
• University of Essex: Communication matters Two lessons for Y9-11 students on communication strategies to increase or decrease the risk of conflict. Free resource.
• A World of Difference Resources Teaching Visible Difference Two free lessons for Y7-8 to support young people to recognise and challenge stereotypes of visible difference
• One-to-one relationships – School Zone | Mental wellbeing | Campaign Resource Centre KS3 and KS4 lessons on positive relationship behaviours and how to identify the features of unhealthy, unsafe or abusive relationships.
• Positive friendships – KS3 and KS4 lesson plan pack | Positive friendships |  Campaign Resource Centre Focused on the qualities of positive friendships, different ways of being a good friend and identifying sources of support.
• Bullying and cyberbullying — KS3 and KS4 lesson plan — School Zone | Bullying and cyberbullying | Campaign Resource Centre Focused on the meaning of bullying/ cyberbullying, dealing with bullying incidents and where to seek advice and support.
• Self-care – KS3 and KS4 form time activities | Self-care activities | Campaign Resource Centre Focused on what self-care means, identifying and trying out self-care strategies and completing a self-care bullet journal.