Year 5 PSHE L1 Summer: Healthy Friendships
Healthy Friendships
Items in this lesson
Healthy Friendships
This lesson is framed for KS2 PSHE. A sensible first summer lesson focus is friendship, belonging, and respectful behaviour.
Our learning goal
I can explain what makes a healthy friendship and how to show respect in my relationships.
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What words make you think of a good friend?
Use this to surface prior ideas such as kind, fun, honest, helpful, fair, and respectful. Pick a few responses to connect to the lesson goal about healthy friendships.
What is a friendship?
A friendship is a relationship between people who:
enjoy spending time together
care about each other
try to be kind and fair
make each other feel included
Open with the idea that friendships can look different. Some are very close, while others are quieter but still positive.
Friends do not have to be the same
Healthy friends may like different games, foods, or hobbies.
You do not have to agree on everything to be friends.
What matters more is how people treat each other.
A common misconception is that a 'best friend' must like all the same things. Emphasise respect over sameness.
Friendship helps us feel we belong
Good friendships can help us feel:
safe
happy
listened to
part of a group
Link friendship to emotional wellbeing, which keeps the lesson securely in PSHE.
Friendship can change
Friendships can grow, change, or sometimes end.
This can happen when people change classes, interests, or how they behave.
A healthy friendship should still include kindness and respect.
This helps children avoid an all-or-nothing view of friendship and prepares them for later slides about managing difficulties.
Signs of a healthy friendship
Healthy friendships usually include:
kindness
honesty
sharing and taking turns
listening
trust
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What matters most in a healthy friendship?
Same hobbies
Being popular
Kind treatment
Matching clothes
Checks the idea from slides 2 to 6 that friendship is about how people treat each other, not being the same.
Healthy friendship check
A friendship is a relationship where people care about each other and help each other feel . Friends do not need to like all the same things. What matters is showing and being fair. Good friendships can change over time, but they should still include and trust.
Correct answers in order: included, respect, kindness.
Respect matters
Respect means treating someone as important.
In a friendship, respect means using polite words, listening to feelings, and caring about boundaries.
Introduce 'boundaries' simply as limits that help people feel comfortable and safe.
How respect looks
speaking kindly
telling the truth
saying sorry when needed
Words
Actions
including others
taking turns
giving space when someone asks
Keep examples concrete and familiar to Year 5 pupils.
Good friends support each other
Support can mean:
helping when someone is stuck
cheering each other on
noticing when someone seems upset
You can mention that support does not mean solving every problem alone; trusted adults can help too.
Which action shows respect for a friend's boundary?
Telling their secret
Giving them space
Choosing for them
Ignoring their feelings
Tests understanding of respect and boundaries from slides 7 to 9.
Which word is part of respect in friendship?
Listening
Winning
Copying
Boasting
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Problems can happen in friendships
Even good friendships sometimes have disagreements.
People may feel left out, cross, or misunderstood.
A problem does not always mean the friendship is unhealthy.
Important distinction: conflict can happen in healthy relationships; the key issue is how it is handled.
How to deal with a disagreement
Useful steps:
stay calm if you can
explain how you feel
listen to the other person
look for a fair solution
Model simple 'I feel… when…' language if helpful, but keep the slide uncluttered.
What should you do first in a disagreement?
Stay calm
Walk away forever
Blame loudly
Pick a side
Based on slides 10 and 11. Distractors reflect common unhelpful reactions to conflict.
Sorting out a disagreement
Even good friendships can have . If a problem happens, try to stay calm and explain how you . Then listen to the other person and look for a fair .
Correct answers in order: disagreements, feel, solution.
When something does not feel right
Some behaviour is not respectful.
Examples include unkind teasing, leaving someone out on purpose, pressuring someone, or sharing private things without permission.
Avoid overloading with safeguarding detail, but be clear that repeated or deliberate unkindness is not healthy friendship behaviour.
Getting help is a strong choice
If a friendship problem feels too big, you can talk to:
a parent or carer
a teacher
another trusted adult
Stress that asking for help is sensible and brave, not telling tales.
Being a good friend
You help build healthy friendships when you:
show kindness
keep promises when you can
include others
respect feelings and boundaries
Bring the lesson back to agency: pupils cannot control others, but they can choose their own behaviour.
Which behaviour is not respectful in a friendship?
Taking turns
Cheering them on
Leaving them out
Keeping promises
Checks recognition of unhealthy behaviour from slides 12 to 14.
Who can help if a friendship problem feels too big?
Expected ideas: talk to a trusted adult such as a teacher, parent, carer, or another trusted adult; asking for help is a strong choice when a friendship problem feels too big.
What is one thing you learned today?
Reflection only. Invite pupils to name one clear idea, such as respect, kindness, boundaries, solving disagreements calmly, or getting help.
What helped you understand this lesson best?
Reflection only. Encourage pupils to think about which activity or idea helped them most, such as examples, class talk, or the steps for solving disagreements.
Glossary
friendship - a positive relationship between people who care about each other
healthy friendship - a friendship with kindness, respect, trust, and fairness
respect - treating someone as important through your words and actions
trust - feeling you can rely on someone
boundary - a limit that helps a person feel safe and comfortable
disagreement - a time when people do not agree
trusted adult - a grown-up you can go to for help
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