Brighton Beach Primary School

Respectful Relationships @BBPS

Respectful Relationships at Brighton Beach Primary School

 

In term 3 we are covering topics 7 and 8 from the Rights Resilience and Respectful Relationships. Here is a snapshot of what we are covering in each of the year levels. 

 

Prep to Year 2

Topic 7: Gender Norms and Stereotypes (Gender and Identity)

What students learn:

  • They explore who they are—their likes, dislikes, strengths—and reflect on how that contributes to their identity. 

  • They begin to notice and question gender stereotypes, such as beliefs about what boys or girls “should” like or how they should behave. 

  • Lessons foster respect for diversity, reinforcing that all genders deserve inclusion, fairness, and respect. 

Why it's important:

Understanding that people are unique and challenging fixed ideas about gender supports empathy, inclusion, and respect.

 

Topic 8: Positive Gender Relationships

What students learn:

  • They begin to understand that all forms of violence—verbal, physical, emotional—can be harmful and gendered.

  • They learn about safe and unsafe behaviours, the concept of consent, and their right to bodily autonomy—meaning no one should touch you or make decisions over your body without permission. 

  • They practice asserting boundaries, and develop strategies around self-care, peer support, and asking for help if they or someone they know is in an unsafe situation

Why it's important:

These lessons lay the foundations for understanding personal safety, consent, and respectful behaviour, helping children recognise unsafe situations and seek help when needed.

 

Alfie and Layla "We have been talking about how girls don't have to do things different to what boys do. Boys and girls can do anything they want to. "

 

 

Year 3 and 4

Topic 7: Gender and Identity and Topic 8: Positive Gender Relationships.

These lessons are designed to help children understand that everyone is unique and that it's okay to express who you are. We talk about how people might like different things or act in different ways, and that these differences should be respected. Students are learning to recognise and challenge gender stereotypes—for example, the idea that certain toys, jobs, or activities are only for boys or only for girls.

They’re also learning about fairness, inclusion, and how to build respectful friendships with everyone, regardless of gender. These lessons help children feel confident in themselves and support others to do the same.

Teaching respectful relationships at this age helps lay the foundation for positive behaviours, empathy, and equality—at school, at home, and in the wider community. We encourage you to continue these conversations at home by celebrating differences and encouraging respectful and kind behaviour in everyday life.

 

Charlotte " We have been talking about how to treat your friends and family with respect, how to respond rather than react. We use respectful words and always treat other people how we want to be treated."

 

Ibbi "We don't want to be fighting out in the yard, and we need to include people and we don't want to be bullies, we want to be upstanders."

 

Nik "We shouldn't be racist or sexist or mean to someone because of how they look or where they are from."

 

 

 

Grade 5 and 6: Respectful Relationships – Topics 7 and 8

This term, our Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program follows the Victorian Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) curriculum, focusing on Topics 7 and 8. These units build students’ understanding of gender norms and positive gender relationships, with practical strategies for respectful, safe and inclusive interactions.

 

In Topic 7, Year 5 students take part in Talking About Gender, where they discuss the similarities and differences between boys and girls and challenge stereotypes, and Born or Made?, which explores whether behaviours and traits are influenced more by biology or social expectations. Year 6 students participate in Facts About Gender and Equality of Opportunity, learning about fairness and equal rights, and Media Messages, Gender Policing and Peer Pressure, where they analyse advertising and social influences that can reinforce stereotypes. These lessons encourage critical thinking, the challenging of stereotypes and the recognition of the importance of fairness and equality for all genders.

 

Seb (Grade 5) "We got into groups and each group had a kind of gender stereotype and then we had to discuss and agree on. Some of the things we talked about were toys, clothes, and gender roles."

 

Zoe (Grade 5) "We drew a person and in groups we recorded the different types of violence.  Inside the person we wrote the words to describe their feelings if they were subjected to violence and on the words on the outside were what people were doing to them."

 

 

In Topic 8, Year 5 students begin with What is Violence?, examining the different types of violence and the impact it can have on individuals and communities. They then move to Understanding Positive and Negative Uses of Power in Relationships, exploring how influence can be used to help or harm others, and Active Respect in Peer Relationships, where they practise showing kindness, empathy and support to peers. Year 6 students take part in What is Consent?, learning how to recognise and respect personal boundaries, followed by Upstanders, which focuses on standing up to disrespect and supporting others in safe ways. They finish with Help Seeking in Response to Gender Based Violence, identifying trusted people and services to turn to for support.

 

By engaging with these topics and activities, students develop stronger empathy, respectful communication and a clearer understanding of their rights and responsibilities in relationships. They also gain practical skills to help create a safe and inclusive environment in their school, community and online interactions.