Who Helps Me? PSHE lesson plan
A Reception PSHE lesson that helps UK teachers introduce the people in a child's life who help keep them safe, through a structured, ready-to-teach lesson. Pupils learn to recognise family members and other trusted people who care for them, and begin to understand who they can turn to when they need help or feel unsafe.
Keeping Safe & First Aid
Snapshot
Who Helps Me?
This lesson gives teachers a structured way to introduce the people who help keep pupils safe, using simple, age-appropriate language.
Prep time:
5 to 10 minutes
Lesson length:
45 to 50 minutes
Key Focus
Recognising trusted people who help keep us safe
Lesson Format
Teacher-led discussion and structured activities
What pupils will learn
By the end of the lesson, students will be supported to:
Recognise
recognise family members and other trusted adults who help keep them safe
recognise that different families can look different while still providing care
recognise simple signs that a situation feels unsafe or unfair
Understand
understand that everyone has people in their life who can help them
understand that asking for help is a safe and sensible choice
Practise
practise naming a trusted adult they could go to for help
practise simple ways to ask an adult for help
practise talking about their family or carers with respect for others' differences
Who this lesson is for?
This lesson is designed for Reception pupils who are beginning to learn about family, care and safety in everyday school life.
It is suitable for:
early years PSHE lessons
relationships education
pastoral care and form time discussions
class routines around trusted adults and safety
introductory safeguarding and help-seeking activities
Suitability should be based on more than age alone. Teachers should consider the lesson focus, pupil maturity, cohort needs, classroom culture, existing discussion norms and available support pathways.
Best used when
Use this lesson when students need clear, practical language for recognising unkind behaviour and knowing what to do next.
Introducing safety and trusted adults Use when pupils are learning who they can go to for help at home and school.
Building early years class routines Use when establishing classroom routines around safety, care and asking for help.
Exploring family and carer relationships Use when introducing discussion about families and the people who look after pupils.
Reinforcing help-seeking skills Use when pupils need practise identifying a trusted adult and asking for help.
Preparing for transition Use when pupils are moving into a new class or setting and need to identify new trusted adults.
Creating a structured PSHE discussion Use when you want a calm, teacher-led discussion about safety and support at home and school.
The lesson can be used proactively with the whole class. It does not need to follow a specific incident.
Why this lesson matters
Young pupils need simple, reliable language for identifying the people who help keep them safe, long before they face a situation where they need to ask for help. Understanding who to turn to is a foundational safety skill. It helps pupils feel confident that families, carers and other trusted adults are there to support them, and that asking for help is always a safe choice. This lesson supports a calm, structured introduction to safety and trust, helping pupils build confidence in recognising care and knowing what to do when they need support.
How this lesson supports wellbeing
This lesson supports student wellbeing by building practical social and emotional skills students can use in everyday school life. It helps students develop:
Capability How the lesson supports it
Safety awareness Pupils learn to recognise people who help keep them safe at home and school.
Trust and security Pupils explore how family members and carers show care and support.
Help-seeking Pupils practise identifying who to ask for help when they need it.
Respect for difference Pupils recognise that families and carers can look different while still providing care.
Communication Pupils practise simple language for talking about trusted adults and asking for help.
Belonging Pupils reinforce that they are cared for and supported by people around them.
For teachers and school leaders, the lesson contributes to broader wellbeing, respectful relationships, child safety and pastoral care goals in Australian primary schools.
Teaching notes & Delivery Considerations
This lesson includes content about unkind behaviour, exclusion and asking adults for help. It should be taught with calm, clear discussion norms.
Before teaching
Remind pupils not to share private family details or name people outside general examples
Frame discussion around trusted adults in general rather than personal disclosures
Identify the trusted adults pupils can speak to at school
Be prepared to follow your school's safeguarding procedures and speak with the designated safeguarding lead if a pupil discloses harm or says they feel unsafe.
During delivery
Use simple, familiar examples such as parents, carers, teachers and family members
Keep language calm and reassuring rather than focused on danger
Give pupils time to name a trusted adult they could go to for help
Allow pupils to respond through discussion, drawing or talking with a partner depending on confidence
Supporting safe discussion
Use general examples rather than personal family stories
Reinforce that every family looks different and that is okay
Remind pupils that asking for help is always a sensible choice
Adaptation options
Use visual prompts or pictures for pupils who are still developing spoken language
Use partner talk or small groups for pupils who need more support
Spend extra time identifying trusted adults at school for pupils who need it
Keep any discussion of unsafe situations calm and simple, focusing on knowing who to tell rather than describing risk in detail.
