Sex and relationships

This GCSE scheme of work was inspired by a recent campaign showing abuse in young people’s relationships. There was a focus on the idea that abusive relationships are not just those where overt violence is used, but relationships where people are intimidated, threatened, pressurised, belittled and isolated from their friends.

Young people often know a great deal about the physical aspects of a relationship, but are less informed about acceptable behaviour within a relationship. This scheme uses one of the more high-profile television adverts as a stimulus to create devised and improvised work based on the key issues. The scheme offers students opportunities for group, paired and individual work and the activities can be used as stand-alone lessons or fit into units on devising or Theatre in Education.

There are no strict timings for the sessions as there is scope for each activity to run for a single lesson or a few lessons, depending on how students react to the work.