Respectful Relationships - Week 1

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Year 7–8 Introduction

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Building skills for thriving, safe, and respectful connections

Students in Years 7 and 8 are growing rapidly in independence, identity, and social awareness. These are the years when friendships shift, emotions deepen, and young people begin to navigate more complex social worlds, both in person and online. This curriculum supports them in developing the essential relationship skills they need to feel safe, valued, and confident in a wide range of settings.

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Core Learning Objectives

Active Listening & Communication

• Practise listening with focus, respect, and curiosity.
• Learn to express needs, boundaries, and concerns calmly and clearly.
• Build confidence in having difficult conversations in safe, supportive ways.

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Understanding Diverse Perspectives

• Explore how gender, sexuality, culture, and disability shape people's experiences.
• Learn to respect identities different from their own and challenge discrimination.
• Strengthen the ability to consider multiple viewpoints with openness and empathy.

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Emotional Management & Self-Regulation

• Recognise and manage strong feelings such as frustration, embarrassment, jealousy, or disappointment.
• Understand how thoughts, emotions, and behaviours influence relationships.
• Build strategies for staying calm, grounded, and respectful under pressure.

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Empathy, Cooperation & Being an Ally

• Develop skills to notice how others might feel and respond with kindness.
• Practise cooperation, teamwork, and shared problem-solving.
• Learn what it means to be a good ally, supporting peers who feel excluded, unsafe, or unheard.

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Boundaries, Privacy & Personal Space

• Understand why boundaries matter in friendships, classrooms, online spaces, and early dating.
• Practise setting boundaries respectfully and recognising the boundaries of others.
• Learn how privacy, consent, and comfort levels help relationships stay healthy.

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Building Healthy Relationships

• Explore what respectful friendships look, sound, and feel like.
• Identify early signs of unhealthy dynamics such as exclusion, pressure, or imbalance.
• Develop confidence in seeking help when situations feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

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Help-Seeking & Knowing Their Rights

• Recognise their right to feel safe, respected, and included at all times.
• Identify trusted adults, peers, and support networks.
• Practise asking for help for themselves or supporting a friend safely and appropriately.

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Years 7–8 is all about:

• Strengthening emotional intelligence and communication
• Understanding diversity and challenging stereotypes
• Developing empathy, cooperation, and allyship
• Setting and respecting boundaries
• Building healthy, safe peer and family relationships
• Knowing their right to be valued, protected, and respected