🧠 Statutory PSHE Provision🤝 Anti-Bullying Alliance partner

Mental Health & Anti-Bullying Workshops for Primary Schools

1 in 6 children aged 5-16 has a probable mental health condition (NHS England). Mental wellbeing and bullying are deeply linked — and both are part of statutory PSHE Health Education since 2020. Spark2 is an Anti-Bullying Alliance partner delivering hands-on, age-appropriate workshops for EYFS to Year 6. Perfect for Children's Mental Health Week (February) and Anti-Bullying Week (November).

1,800+
UK schools booked
9.3/10
Average rating
1 in 6
Children affected
This workshop is part of our PSHE hub — see all PSHE strand coverage →
📅 Anti-Bullying Week 2026 runs 16-20 November — see our dedicated landing page →

Why mental health and anti-bullying education matter in primary schools

The 2023 NHS England survey found 1 in 6 children aged 5-16 has a probable mental health condition — up from 1 in 9 in 2017. Bullying is one of the strongest predictors of poor mental health in children. Mental wellbeing and anti-bullying education are connected — both protect resilience, both build the language children need to ask for help. Spark2 workshops cover them together because that's how they work in real classrooms.

⚖️

Statutory since 2020

Mental wellbeing has been part of statutory Health Education for primary schools since September 2020. The DfE requires every pupil to learn about emotions, the link between physical and mental health, and when to seek help. A workshop is the cleanest evidence of provision.

💭

Hands-on emotional literacy

Children need to physically practise naming feelings, trying coping strategies (breathing, body movement, talking it out), and role-playing asking for help. A 50-minute workshop creates the language and habits a worksheet can't.

📅

Two big awareness weeks

Anti-Bullying Week (mid-November, Anti-Bullying Alliance) and Children's Mental Health Week (first full week of February, Place2Be). November and February are our two busiest workshop windows. Book early.

🤝 Anti-Bullying Alliance partner

A trusted partner in the national anti-bullying movement

Spark2 is a partner of the Anti-Bullying Alliance — the national coalition of organisations working together to stop bullying and create safer environments for children. Every Anti-Bullying Week (mid-November), schools across the UK build their PSHE provision around the ABA's annual theme.

Anti-Bullying Week 2026 theme: "Break the Silence" — challenging the culture of bystanders staying quiet when bullying happens.

Our mental health & anti-bullying workshops align with the ABA's "Make a Noise" framework — giving every child the vocabulary, confidence and emotional regulation skills to speak up, support friends, and ask for help.

Book for Anti-Bullying Week →

What's covered, by year group

Every mental health workshop is differentiated by the year group in front of us. EYFS focuses on naming basic feelings and recognising safe grown-ups. KS1 layers in simple coping strategies. KS2 covers the emotion-body-thought connection, friendship skills, and the difference between everyday worries and when to ask for adult help.

EYFS & KS1

Naming feelings and being a kind friend

  • Naming feelings (happy, sad, cross, worried, excited)
  • What kindness and unkindness look like
  • The "feeling-then-doing" loop
  • Safe grown-ups — at home and at school
  • Simple breathing and asking for help
Lower KS2

Coping, friendships and standing up

  • The body-emotion connection
  • Coping strategies (breath, movement, talk)
  • Friendship vs unkindness vs bullying
  • Being an upstander, not a bystander
  • Who to ask for help (school + home + childline)
Upper KS2

Resilience, online life and bystanders

  • The thought-feeling-action triangle
  • Resilience: bouncing back from setbacks
  • Online bullying and digital wellbeing
  • Being an upstander — when and how
  • When everyday upset is something more

What the statutory Health Education framework requires

Since September 2020, Health Education is a statutory part of primary RSHE. The Department for Education's guidance explicitly names "mental wellbeing" as required content for all pupils by the end of primary school — emotions, the link between physical and mental health, and how to ask for help.

From the statutory guidance (England, 2020 onwards)

Pupils should know that mental wellbeing is a normal part of daily life, in the same way as physical health … there is a normal range of emotions … that bullying (including cyberbullying) has a negative and often lasting impact on mental wellbeing … and where and how to seek support.

— Department for Education, "Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) Statutory Guidance" (Sept 2020).

Book a workshop to demonstrate provision →

What's included in a Spark2 mental health workshop

  • An expert Spark2 facilitator trained in primary mental wellbeing
  • All visual aids, props and printed materials provided
  • Differentiated activity packs for EYFS, KS1, LKS2, UKS2
  • Optional whole-school assembly to kick off the day
  • Pre-visit briefing call with your Senior Mental Health Lead or PSHE lead
  • Printed take-home for every pupil ("My calm-down toolkit")
  • Parent letter and at-home extension activities
  • Post-visit follow-up activity pack for teachers

Pair with our Look After Their Mind resources

Every school that books a mental health workshop also gets free access to our Look After Their Mind at-home activity pack — parent and child conversations, family mood check-ins, and simple coping tools children can use at home.

Workshop progress is also tracked inside the Future Skills Passport — mental wellbeing is one of the 12 future-ready skills your school can show progression on year-on-year.

Mission-Led Pricing for Future Skills

Every child deserves these skills. We’ve kept Future Skills workshops accessible to every school’s PSHE budget — including Pupil Premium — so price is never the reason a class misses out.

Half Day

Up to 4 sessions

£599 Future Skills accessible price
£499
+VAT
Up to 128 students · £3.87 per student
  • ✓  45–50 min per session
  • ✓  Up to 32 students per session
  • ✓  EYFS–Year 6 adaptable
  • ✓  Hands-on kit & resources included
  • ✓  Dedicated facilitator
✨ After your workshop

Make it stick — add the Future Skills Passport

Workshops are how schools meet the Future Skills Passport. The Passport is the year-long journey — pupils carry their progress from one workshop to the next, and teachers get the statutory PSHE evidence built in.

  • Year-long progression tracking across all 12 Future Skills strands
  • Pupil badges & certificates they can show parents and take to Year 7
  • Statutory PSHE auto-mapped to the DfE framework — no spreadsheets
  • One-click inspection PDF — per pupil, per class, whole-school
  • Members’ discount on every additional Spark2 workshop
  • Free staff training session included with every subscription
Explore the Future Skills Passport →

From £249/year for a single class · whole-school options available

Connected mental health resources

A workshop is the headline event. Spark2's primary mental wellbeing programme also includes free downloads for teachers, parent activities for home learning, and progress tracking through the Future Skills Passport.

Mental health workshop FAQs

The questions teachers, PSHE leads, Senior Mental Health Leads and Heads ask most when booking a primary mental health workshop.

Is mental health teaching statutory in primary schools?

Yes. Since September 2020, Health Education has been statutory in all English primary schools as part of the RSHE framework. The statutory content includes mental wellbeing — emotions, the link between physical and mental health, and when to seek help — across KS1 and KS2.

When is Children's Mental Health Week?

The first full week of February each year, run by the charity Place2Be. February is our busiest mental health workshop window — book early to secure a date around Children's Mental Health Week.

What does a primary mental health workshop cover?

Emotional literacy (naming feelings), simple coping strategies (breathing, body movement, talking), friendship and conflict skills, the link between physical and mental health, and — crucially — when and who to ask for help. Adapted by year group, never clinical.

How much does a primary mental health workshop cost?

Half-day workshops start at £499; full days £499_TEMP. Most schools book a full day to reach every year group. Pupil Premium, mental health lead budgets and the DfE Senior Mental Health Lead training grants routinely cover the cost.

Are workshops suitable for EYFS pupils?

Yes. EYFS sessions focus on naming basic feelings, recognising emotions in self and others, and knowing safe grown-ups to talk to. Delivered through stories, characters and movement — not clinical content.

Do these workshops replace a Senior Mental Health Lead?

No — they complement it. The DfE recommends every school has a trained Senior Mental Health Lead. A workshop is one part of a whole-school approach: the SMHL sets strategy, the workshop delivers age-appropriate teaching to pupils.

Is there sensitive content parents might object to?

No. Workshops focus on everyday emotions, resilience and asking for help — exactly the statutory content. We do not cover suicide, self-harm or specific mental illnesses. Parents can opt out via your school's RSHE policy if they prefer.

Do you cover anti-bullying alongside mental health?

Yes. Mental wellbeing and anti-bullying are inseparable in real classrooms. Our workshops cover both — emotional literacy, friendship skills, recognising bullying vs unkindness, being an upstander rather than a bystander, and where to get help. Spark2 is an Anti-Bullying Alliance partner.

When is Anti-Bullying Week?

Mid-November each year — run by the Anti-Bullying Alliance. The 2026 theme is "Break the Silence". November is our busiest anti-bullying workshop window — book early to secure a date during ABA week.

What's the link to the Future Skills Passport?

Mental wellbeing (delivered as "Look After Their Mind") is one of the 12 future-ready skills tracked in the Future Skills Passport. Every workshop unlocks progress tracking, so mental wellbeing becomes a year-on-year measure, not a one-off event.

Build pupil resilience that lasts beyond primary

Trusted by 1,800+ UK primary schools, rated 9.3/10 by teachers. Anti-Bullying Alliance partner. Whether you book for Anti-Bullying Week (November), Children's Mental Health Week (February) or any time — your pupils will leave with a vocabulary for their feelings, the courage to be an upstander, and a toolkit they can use.

Book a Workshop →