01 · FORCED MARRIAGE
Choice is essential.
Help pupils understand free consent, distinguish forced marriage from consensual arranged marriage, recognise coercion and identify safe ways to ask for help.
PSHE Educational Resources
Freedom Charity · PSHE education · KS3–KS4
Free PSHE lesson plans. Forced marriage & FGM.
Free Key Stage 3 and 4 lesson plans on forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM), developed with the PSHE Association and awarded its Quality Mark. Includes teacher guidance, pupil activities and safeguarding support.
For secondary teachers, designated safeguarding leads, school leaders, colleges and youth educators. Explore the free lesson packs, prepare a safe response to disclosures and find support for your school.
The packs are for Key Stages 3 and 4. The books and the wider education sites offer additional routes; check suitability for your learners.
2 free lesson packsKS3–KS4 secondary educationPSHE Association Quality MarkSee the independent listing ↗
01 · FREE PSHE LESSONSAccess the free lesson packsUse the short Freedom request form to reach the PSHE Association’s resource listing →02 · BOOKS & TEACHING SITESBut It’s Not Fair & Cut FlowersGo straight to the two dedicated book and teacher-resource websites ↓03 · SCHOOL SESSIONSBring Freedom into schoolOnline sessions with Aneeta Prem MBE, plus in-person by arrangement ↓
The established resources
Two free lesson packs.
Freedom Charity and the PSHE Association developed separate Quality Mark lesson packs for forced marriage and FGM. Designed for KS3 and KS4, each includes structured teaching activities, guidance for educators and safe ways for pupils to seek help.
02 · FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION
Protection begins early.
Explain FGM without graphic material, challenge myths, understand the law and enable pupils to identify safe, confidential routes to trusted adults.
What the Quality Mark covers: the two established lesson packs and their accompanying resources. It does not accredit either novel, every school visit or every page of the companion book websites.
Before you teach: These free PSHE Association Quality Mark lesson packs were produced in an earlier edition. Some figures, contact details and references in the original PDFs may have changed. Check them against the current RSHE guidance, Keeping children safe in education 2026 and your school’s safeguarding procedures.
Use the short resource request form to reach the PSHE Association’s current listing of the packs. We ask for brief professional details; signing up for Freedom’s mailing list is optional. No book purchase or paid visit is required.
Practical classroom objectives
What should pupils take away?
The aim is not to frighten children or ask them to share personal experiences. It is to help them understand their rights, recognise unsafe pressure and know where to turn. Teachers can adapt these suggested objectives to their pupils and the established lesson plans.
01 · CHOICE & CONSENT
Know the difference.
Explain why an arranged marriage is not the same as a forced marriage, and why silence or agreement under pressure does not amount to free consent.
02 · FACTS ABOUT FGM
Challenge the myths.
Understand that FGM causes harm, is against the law in the UK and is not a requirement of any religion. Teach this without graphic descriptions or stigmatising communities.
03 · TRUSTED SUPPORT
Make help visible.
Identify trusted adults at school, practise how to ask privately for help and understand that a safeguarding concern cannot always be kept secret.
04 · FRIENDSHIP & ACTION
Know how to respond.
Discuss what a pupil can do if a friend is worried: listen, avoid confrontation, tell a trusted adult and never try to investigate or manage the risk alone.
These are suggested learning aims, not additional PSHE Association-accredited lessons or a substitute for your school’s safeguarding policies.
Books & teaching sites
Choose the book. Go deeper.
A pupil can think about a fictional character before they can find the words for their own concern. Each novel has its own education website, with teaching resources to help schools plan discussions and activities. The books are not substitutes for safeguarding procedures.
Forced marriage · Friendship · Choice
But It’s Not Fair
When Abby goes away for a family wedding and does not return, Vinny and Sofia begin to realise that friendship sometimes means telling a safe adult. Use the story to discuss consent, coercion and seeking help.
FGM · Friendship · Speaking up
Cut Flowers
Katie and Sophia’s summer stories help young readers explore bodily autonomy, family secrets and the importance of safe adult support. The separate Education Hub offers age/depth routes and teacher guidance.
Books for a whole class
Pupils do not need to buy a novel to use the free PSHE lesson packs. Schools that want printed reading sets can order 34-copy class packs of But It’s Not Fair or Cut Flowers, currently £190.13 per pack. You can also enquire about a school session separately.
Safeguarding first
Prepare before teaching.
A good lesson creates understanding. A safe school knows what to do when understanding leads to a disclosure. Teachers can also consult Freedom’s illustrated guide to the four types of FGM when preparing accurate, age-appropriate teaching and safeguarding discussions.
If a child is at immediate risk in the UK, call 999. Do not use family mediation in a suspected forced-marriage case or alert relatives who may be involved. Follow your safeguarding policy and involve the designated safeguarding lead and statutory services when required.
Agree the response.
Brief the DSL; check known risks and local referral arrangements; review the lesson for age, maturity, SEND and EAL needs. Plan a quiet, private way for pupils to seek help.
Keep the boundary.
Use fictional scenarios, clear ground rules and the right to pass. Never ask for family disclosures in front of classmates, demand proof or make a child recount traumatic details.
Listen and refer.
Listen calmly, record the child’s words accurately and explain confidentiality honestly. Follow the school’s safeguarding procedure. Do not investigate or contact a family where doing so may raise the danger.
Curriculum and legal context · September 2026
Use current guidance.
ENGLAND · EDUCATION
RSE and health education
The Department for Education’s revised Relationships Education, RSE and Health Education statutory guidance took effect on 1 September 2026. Schools in England must have regard to it. Plan these lessons within the school’s actual curriculum, policies and pupil needs.
ENGLAND · SAFEGUARDING
KCSIE 2026
Keeping children safe in education 2026 applies to English schools and colleges. Staff must read Part One in full and follow local safeguarding procedures. The Freedom lesson packs support education; they do not replace these duties.
ENGLAND AND WALES · FGM
Know the reporting duty
A specified teacher’s personal duty to report to police applies to a known case of FGM identified in the course of their professional work involving a girl under 18. Suspected or future risk still requires safeguarding action, but is not itself the same mandatory-reporting trigger. No child should be examined by a teacher.
ALL FOUR UK NATIONS
Know your jurisdiction
Curriculum and safeguarding requirements differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. These KS3–KS4 packs are established teaching resources, not a statement that England’s statutory guidance applies unchanged elsewhere. Overseas schools should use the laws and referral routes where they operate.
The work in schools · Freedom’s archive
Real pupils. Real conversations.
Freedom’s books and education work have a record beyond the page. These are existing school and book photographs from Freedom’s published archive, shown without altering the people or the book covers.
Schools and image contributors should continue to follow the consent and safeguarding arrangements for any identifiable pupils. These images are from Freedom’s existing media library.
Bring Freedom to your school
Make learning count.
Freedom can discuss age-appropriate assemblies, workshops, staff awareness and book-led learning. Send your school’s year groups, location, proposed date and safeguarding contact so we can consider the right format.
Enquire about a visit ↗Schools and safeguarding ↗Professional training ↗Books and teaching resources ↗
Requesting the lesson packs is separate from booking a session or buying books. Schools can use the resources without making a purchase.
Questions schools ask
Before you begin.
Clear answers for teachers and safeguarding leads, from accessing the free lesson packs to responding if a pupil needs help.
Where can teachers find free FGM and forced marriage PSHE lesson plans?
Freedom Charity provides free Key Stage 3 and 4 PSHE lesson packs on female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage, developed with the PSHE Association and awarded its Quality Mark. The packs include teacher guidance and activities for pupils. Request the free PSHE lesson plans here or check the PSHE Association’s official listing.
What does the FGM PSHE lesson teach?
It helps KS3 and KS4 pupils understand what FGM is, recognise misconceptions and legal protections, and identify safe ways to seek help for themselves or another person. It must be taught sensitively, without graphic material, and with school safeguarding arrangements already in place.
Are the novels PSHE accredited?
No. The PSHE Association Quality Mark applies to Freedom’s established forced-marriage and FGM lesson packs and accompanying resources. But It’s Not Fair and Cut Flowers are separate novels that can support teaching.
Which key stages are the packs for?
The independently listed lesson packs are for KS3 and KS4. Teachers should not describe them as independently approved for other key stages. Any adaptation for younger pupils needs careful review and an age-appropriate safeguarding plan.
Do pupils need to buy a book?
No. The established PSHE lesson packs are separate resources, and the books’ digital teaching areas provide core learning without requiring each pupil to buy the novel. Books can extend reading, conversation and library access.
What if a pupil raises a concern?
Follow the school’s safeguarding policy and contact the DSL. Listen without investigating, explain confidentiality honestly and act on any immediate danger. Do not contact potentially involved family members or initiate family mediation in suspected forced-marriage cases.
Can a school outside England use these resources?
The education materials can inform lessons where suitable, but your curriculum, mandatory reporting, referral pathways and safeguarding law depend on jurisdiction. Check the rules where your school operates; do not treat English statutory guidance as universal.
Primary sources
PSHE Association: Freedom lesson packs ↗ · DfE RSE guidance 2026 ↗ · KCSIE 2026 ↗ · FGM mandatory-reporting guidance ↗ · Forced-marriage guidance ↗
Page reviewed 24 October 2026. Links to statutory guidance apply to the jurisdiction specified above. Freedom’s own school photos and reach claims are distinct from independent approval of the lesson packs.