A Journey Through Wales – Pirates and Wellbeing

This term, our class will set sail on an exciting adventure across the Welsh coast with the legendary pirate Barti Ddu (Black Bart)! While we explore his daring voyages and life at sea, we’ll also be learning about Health and Wellbeing, focusing on relationships as part of the Curriculum for Wales 2022.

Our crew will work together to navigate stormy seas and treasure hunts, but just like real pirates, they’ll face challenges such as jealousy, conflict, and changing friendships. Through these adventures, children will learn important life skills disguised in fun, creative activities.

What will we be learning?

• How to spot situations that cause jealousy and find ways to resolve conflict – just like a pirate crew keeping peace on board!
• Understanding gender and individuality, and respecting everyone’s uniqueness.
• Exploring different types of adult relationships, including same-sex relationships, to promote inclusion and respect.
• Recognising people (and pets!) we love, and learning how to show appreciation.
• Discovering our own qualities and strengths, just like a pirate finding hidden treasure within themselves.
• Learning how friendships change, how to make new friends, and how to manage fallouts.
• Understanding what special relationships like boyfriend/girlfriend mean, and that these are for when we are older.
• Exploring grief and loss, and the different stages people go through when they lose someone or something important.

How will we bring this to life? Children will take on the role of Barti Ddu’s crew, working as a team to complete challenges and keep the ship sailing smoothly. They’ll write diary entries as if they were pirates, describing a day when jealousy and conflict rocked the boat—and how they solved it together. Through these creative tasks, pupils will learn empathy, resilience, and teamwork while having lots of fun.

Why is this important? Developing these skills helps children build strong, healthy relationships throughout life. Understanding emotions, respecting differences, and learning how to manage conflict are essential for wellbeing and social development. By teaching these concepts in an engaging, imaginative way, we aim to give children the confidence and strategies they need to thrive both now and in the future.

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