Primary schools across the UK are set to get moving for Mental Health Awareness Week as renowned fitness coach Joe Wicks leads The Big School Workout – a nationwide live event hosted by Katie Harrison from Picture News.
Taking place on 14 May 2026 from 2:15pm to 2:45pm, the session will be broadcast live from a primary school in Surrey, bringing pupils together for a fun, energetic and inclusive workout designed to boost physical activity, mental wellbeing and whole-school engagement.
Thousands of schools across the country are expected to take part simultaneously, highlighting the powerful link between movement and mental health, from improving mood to building resilience in children.
The event is suitable for all primary pupils, and participation is simple. Schools can register for free access to the live workout and accompanying teaching resources via Picture News
Katie Harrison, education expert and co-founder of Picture News, said:
“I’m incredibly excited about our live workout! It combines two of my favourite things – exercise and creating positive, shared experiences for children. Having taken part in almost all of PE with Joe with my family, I can’t wait to relive the experience with thousands of schools across the UK!.”
About Picture News
Picture News is an award-winning education platform which provides schools with resources to create engaging and exciting lessons about current affairs, providing opportunities for children to learn about the world and unlock their own drive and passion for learning.
About Katie Harrison
Katie Harrison is a qualified teacher with a specialism in RE and PHSE and an MA in Education. Based in North Yorkshire, she became an education consultant and quickly realised that teachers were spending precious time creating news-based resources on their own, that were unlikely to be used again, and that’s when Picture News was launched.
She’s an expert in helping schools and teachers bring current affairs into the classroom, in an inspiring, age-appropriate way. She believes learning about the news is critical to children’s critical thinking skills, emotional intelligence, resilience and wellbeing.
