PSHE-Accredited Forced Marriage and FGM Lesson Plans: Why Prevention Starts in the Classroom
By Aneeta Prem, Founder of Freedom Charity
Published: 25 April 2026
PSHE-accredited forced marriage lesson plans help schools teach safeguarding before a child is in crisis.
Forced marriage and female genital mutilation are difficult subjects. However, that is exactly why they need careful teaching.
Silence does not protect children. Clear, age-appropriate education can.
Schools need resources that are accurate, safe and practical. Teachers should not be left to improvise around complex safeguarding issues. Instead, they need structured materials, clear language and confidence about what to do if a child discloses risk.
Freedom Charity’s work in schools is built on a simple belief: children should understand their rights before they are in danger, and adults should know how to respond before harm occurs.
Why PSHE-accredited forced marriage lesson plans matter
PSHE-accredited forced marriage lesson plans matter because safeguarding education should be taught properly, not vaguely.
Freedom Charity’s PSHE Educational Resources page says that teaching about forced marriage and FGM is an important part of a school’s approach to safeguarding and child protection. It also states that, in liaison with Freedom Charity, the PSHE Association produced separate accredited lesson plans, with teachers’ notes and accompanying resources, on forced marriage and FGM.
That matters for schools, designated safeguarding leads and trustees because it gives the subject credibility, structure and purpose.
Good PSHE education does not frighten children. Instead, it gives them language. It helps pupils understand risk, consent, pressure and safe routes to help.
Forced marriage is a safeguarding issue
Forced marriage is illegal in the UK. GOV.UK defines forced marriage as a marriage where one or both people do not or cannot consent, and pressure or abuse is used. It also says forced marriage includes doing anything to make someone marry before they turn 18, even if there is no pressure or abuse.
This distinction is vital for schools.
A child may not say, “I am at risk of forced marriage.” They may say:
“My family says I have to get married.”
“I am going abroad and I do not know why.”
“I do not want to upset them.”
“They say I will shame the family.”
“I do not think I have a choice.”
Those are not casual comments. They may be safeguarding warning signs.
The law is clearer now
Since 27 February 2023, 16 and 17-year-olds can no longer marry or enter a civil partnership in England and Wales, even with parental consent.
The Government also said it is now a criminal offence to exploit vulnerable children by arranging for them to marry, whether or not force is used.
However, the law only protects children if adults recognise risk early enough.
FGM must be taught clearly and safely
Female genital mutilation is also a safeguarding issue.
The NHS describes FGM as a procedure where the female genitals are deliberately cut, injured or changed without medical reason. It says FGM is usually carried out on young girls between infancy and the age of 15, most commonly before puberty starts.
The NHS is also clear that FGM has no health benefits and is a harmful practice.
For that reason, schools should not treat FGM as too difficult to discuss. Avoiding the subject can leave children without the words they need.
Education helps children speak sooner
The right education can help a girl understand that harm is not her fault.
It can also help a friend know when to tell a trusted adult. In practice, it may help a teacher notice fear before a holiday, a comment about cutting, or anxiety about being taken abroad.
Children do not always disclose danger in adult language. Some children hint. Others ask a question. A few may mention a friend.
Often, a child will test whether an adult is safe enough to hear more.
That is why prevention must start before a child is in crisis.
What pupils need to understand
Strong safeguarding education helps pupils understand:
what forced marriage is
why consent matters
why FGM is harmful and illegal
how family pressure and coercion can work
how to seek help safely
how to support a friend without taking unsafe risks
This is not about alarming children. It is about giving them knowledge, confidence and safe routes to help.
Freedom Charity’s education resources
Freedom Charity’s PSHE resources are designed to support schools with difficult safeguarding topics in a careful and structured way.
The PSHE Association page on Freedom Charity’s resources describes teaching about forced marriage and FGM as an important part of safeguarding and child protection.
Freedom’s own PSHE page also says its Key Stage 3 and 4 resources received the PSHE Association Quality Mark and complement Cut Flowers and But It’s Not Fair, the novels for young people written by Freedom Charity’s founder, Aneeta Prem.
That combination is important. Children need more than one route into a difficult subject. Some will learn through a lesson. Others may connect through a story.
Meanwhile, a child at risk may recognise danger in a character before they can describe it in their own life.
Why stories support safeguarding
Freedom Charity’s books, But It’s Not Fair and Cut Flowers, help young people approach forced marriage and FGM through story.
A story can make a difficult subject easier to understand. It can show pressure, fear, loyalty, confusion and courage in a way that a legal definition cannot do on its own.
However, stories do not replace safeguarding procedures. They support them.
Books and PSHE resources can help children say:
“I think this is happening to me.”
“I am worried about my friend.”
“I did not know I could ask for help.”
“I thought I had no choice.”
Those sentences can change what happens next.
Why schools should use PSHE-accredited forced marriage lesson plans
Schools have a central role in prevention.
Teachers, tutors and safeguarding leads may be the first safe adults to notice a warning sign. A child may disclose to a teacher before anyone else. A friend may also raise concerns before the child at risk is ready to speak.
Therefore, resources matter. They help schools move from good intentions to practical safeguarding education.
PSHE-accredited forced marriage lesson plans give schools a clearer way to teach complex issues. They also support teachers who want to do the right thing but need safe, structured materials.
Why funding classroom prevention matters
Grant-givers and donors often ask what prevention looks like in practice.
This is what it looks like:
lesson plans that schools can use
books that help young people understand risk
resources that support teachers
training that improves professional confidence
safeguarding messages that reach children before crisis
Funding this work is not vague awareness. It is practical prevention.
When donors support Freedom Charity, they help place safeguarding language into classrooms. As a result, more children can understand that forced marriage and FGM are not their fault.
More professionals can act earlier. More schools can teach prevention before harm occurs.
Prevention is cheaper, kinder and safer than crisis.
Help Freedom bring safeguarding education to more schools
Freedom Charity works to protect children and young people from forced marriage, FGM and dishonour abuse through education, books, PSHE-accredited resources, public awareness and practical support.
Your support can help more schools access clear, careful and credible safeguarding education.
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Sources
Freedom Charity: PSHE Educational Resources
PSHE Association: Freedom Charity forced marriage and FGM lesson plans
GOV.UK: Forced marriage guidance
GOV.UK: Legal age of marriage in England and Wales rises to 18
NHS: Female genital mutilation
Author box
By Aneeta Prem, Founder of Freedom Charity
Published: 25 April 2026
Freedom Charity works to protect children and young people from forced marriage, FGM and dishonour abuse through education, safeguarding resources, books, public awareness and practical support.