We All Deserve To Be Safe wellbeing lesson plan
A primary wellbeing lesson for Foundation students that helps Australian teachers introduce how actions can make others feel safe or unsafe through a structured, ready-to-teach lesson. Students learn to recognise safe and unsafe feelings in different environments and practise simple ways to respond and ask for help.
Healthy Relationships & Communication
Snapshot
We All Deserve To Be Safe
The lesson gives teachers a structured way to introduce feelings of safety using simple, age-appropriate language.
Prep time:
5 to 10 minutes
Lesson length:
45 to 50 minutes
Key Focus
Recognising how actions affect feelings of safety in different environments
Lesson Format
Teacher-led discussion and structured activities
What students will learn
By the end of the lesson, students will be supported to:
Recognise
recognise the difference between feeling safe and feeling unsafe
identify examples of actions that help others feel safe, such as sharing, including and speaking kindly
recognise that different environments, such as school and home, can feel different
Understand
understand that their own actions can affect how safe someone else feels
understand that everyone deserves to feel safe wherever they are
Practise
practise simple language for describing feeling safe or unsafe
practise identifying a trusted adult they could speak to in different environments
practise responding safely when something does not feel right
Who this lesson is for?
This lesson is designed for Foundation students who are beginning to learn about safety, respect and their own actions towards others.
It is suitable for:
primary wellbeing lessons
Health or PDHPE teaching
pastoral care, circle time or advisory sessions
early protective behaviours learning
class culture and respectful behaviour work
Suitability should be based on more than age alone. Teachers should consider the lesson focus, student 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 protective behaviours Use when students are learning early language for safety, feelings and help-seeking for the first time.
Building classroom culture Use when reinforcing that everyone in the class deserves to feel safe and included.
Supporting inclusion Use when helping students understand how their actions affect how others feel.
Practising safe responses Use when students are learning what to do if something feels unsafe, without needing to confront anyone directly.
Building help-seeking confidence Use when students need to understand who they can speak to if they feel unsafe at school or at home.
Creating a structured wellbeing discussion Use when you want a calm, teacher-led way to introduce the idea of safety across different settings.
The lesson can be used proactively with the whole class. It does not need to follow a specific incident.
Why this lesson matters
Young students benefit from early, concrete language for describing how they feel and understanding how their own actions affect others. Learning to name safe and unsafe feelings gives students a foundation they can build on as they move through school. This lesson supports a safer classroom culture by helping students see that safety is something everyone contributes to, not something that only happens to them. Students learn that small actions, such as including someone or speaking kindly, can help others feel safe in different environments. The lesson also introduces the idea that trusted adults are there to help, giving students an early, low-pressure understanding of who they can go to if something does not feel right.
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
Self awareness Students learn to notice and name their own feelings of safety and unsafety.
Social awareness Students consider how their actions might make someone else feel.
Empathy Students think about how it feels when someone helps or does not help them feel included.
Protective behaviours Students learn early language for recognising unsafe situations across different settings.
Help-seeking Students identify a trusted adult they could speak to in different environments.
Belonging Students reinforce that everyone deserves to feel safe wherever they are.
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 students not to name classmates or share stories about other people
frame the discussion around general examples and scenarios, not personal disclosures
identify trusted adults students can speak to at school
be prepared to follow your school's child safety, wellbeing or child protection procedures if a student discloses harm or says they feel unsafe
During delivery
use simple, concrete examples of safe and unsafe feelings
give students time to practise describing feelings aloud
reinforce that students do not need to handle unsafe situations alone
allow students to respond through discussion or drawing depending on confidence
Supporting safe discussion
reinforce that asking for help is a safe and sensible choice
explain that unsafe feelings or situations should be shared with a trusted adult
keep language calm and non-alarmist when discussing different environments
Adaptation options
use drawing or partner reflection for quieter groups
spend more time identifying trusted adults if students need support with this
revisit the lesson in smaller sessions if attention or maturity levels vary
When discussing home environments, keep the message clear and calm: if someone says scary things or makes them feel unsafe, students can tell a teacher or trusted adult at school.
