Ethical Decision-Making Toolkit – Complete Lesson for Senior Phase (S4–S6) This resource provides a ready-to-use lesson designed to help senior secondary pupils develop ethical thinking skills through realistic scenarios, discussion, and reflection. It supports pupils to explore fairness, responsibility, pressure, and difficult choices in school, work, and everyday life, and is suitable for a range of curricular areas. Suitable for Senior Phase (S4–S6) PSE / Health & Wellbeing RMPS / Ethics Employability / Work-related learning Tutor time or wider achievement What’s included A complete 50–60 minute lesson plan Clear learning intentions and success criteria Step-by-step lesson structure A simple ethical decision-making framework Five realistic ethical dilemmas relevant to school, work experience, and everyday life Individual reflection prompts Small-group and whole-class discussion questions Differentiation and assessment suggestions Key learning focus Pupils will: recognise when situations involve ethical issues understand that ethical dilemmas often involve competing values practise explaining and justifying decisions clearly develop confidence discussing sensitive or complex issues respectfully The emphasis is on reasoned judgement, not finding “right” or “wrong” answers. Why teachers find this useful Minimal preparation required Encourages thoughtful discussion and pupil voice Adaptable for different abilities and class contexts Supports skills development linked to citizenship, employability, and personal development Format PDF Printable or suitable for digital display This resource is an independent educational product produced by McLean HR Resources and is not affiliated with any school, local authority, or awarding body.

Young people regularly face situations where decisions are not straightforward — involving fairness, pressure from others, rules, trust, and responsibility. However, many pupils struggle to explain why a choice feels right or wrong, or to consider different perspectives clearly. This toolkit is designed to support senior secondary pupils (S4–S6) in developing ethical thinking skills through realistic scenarios, structured discussion, and guided reflection. Includes lesson plan! Rather than providing “right answers”, the resource encourages pupils to think critically, consider the impact of decisions on others, and explain their reasoning in a thoughtful and respectful way. Guidance on why ethics matters in school, work experience, and everyday life Exploration of ethical cultures in schools, groups, and communities A simple step-by-step ethical decision-making framework Five age-appropriate ethical dilemmas relevant to: school life peer relationships work experience or part-time work shared resources rules and boundaries Individual reflection prompts suitable for written or personal reflection Group discussion prompts for classroom, tutor time, or PSE use