ENO are delighted to once again be partnering with South Coast Music Partnership for the 2026-27 academic year to offer schools in the South Coast area an enhanced version of our national schools’ project Finish This…

Finish This… is English National Opera’s FREE* music making programme for schools nationwide; bringing a fusion of opera, film and animation into your classroom, as a creative springboard for collaborative composition work.

*Finish This… is free to state schools. Independent schools are welcome to apply to take part at a charge of £200 per class.

Adapted for KS2 and SEND learners, in two distinct pathways, Finish This… invites students to step into the role of an ENO Composer and respond to, and resolve, purposefully unfinished operatic works. Immersing themselves into the composer role, students will embrace their imaginations and experiment with music written around themes that include colours and the environment, to create their own uniquely composed endings – all through the lens of opera.

Find out more about the project via the Finish This... website.

As well as the core programme, schools in the South Coast area will be offered:

An in-person teacher CPD session, run by local Finish This... teacher champions, Anna Thompsett (KS2) and Sarah Coolbear and Paul Barnes (SEND):

These sessions are designed to enhance the training you receive via our pre-recorded online project briefings. You will have aspects of the project modelled for you, you will take part in a micro version of the project and meet other teachers in your area working on the project.

These will take place on:

-For those working with Blue, Red, Yellow: Wednesday 9th September; 4:15 – 5:45pm, Great Oaks School, Southampton

-For those working with Plant This Seed: Wednesday 16th September; 4:15 – 5:45pm, Great Oaks School, Southampton

An in-person celebration events in the spring/summer term in 2027. These events are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the work of your amazing young composers in person. Events will be led by South Coast Music Partnership with support from ENO. More information will be communicated regarding the event in due course.

To secure your FREE place for 2026-27, please visit the booking page and complete the booking request form.

KS3 Finish This… Returns!

We are delighted to be welcoming KS3 classes back onto the programme after taking a pause in 2025-26 to run our pilot project testing out a brand new scheme of work using a brand new composition, Plant This Seed by Elif Karlidag! Following the success of this pilot we are rolling out our new scheme of work nationally for 2026-27.

SIOW Music, Turner Sims, Orchestra’s Live and Aurora Orchestra collaborated to deliver a full day of interactive music-making sessions at Springwell School, creating an exceptional impact on pupils with a range of SEND needs.

Springwell provides specialist support for pupils with diverse SEND needs. This was a particularly important opportunity, as prior to this visit, Springwell had not experienced external practitioners who were able to establish such deep, immediate connections with their learners. This created a unique opportunity for us to demonstrate inclusive practice at its best.

The Aurora Team facilitated a series of hands-on music workshops designed to:

• Encourage creative exploration

• Promote communication through sound and rhythm

• Build confidence through active participation

• Support personal expression in a safe, sensory-friendly environment

Throughout the sessions, practitioners adapted responsively to pupil needs, ensuring each child could engage at their own level and pace.

The sessions created a “buzz” around the school, with pupils continuing to talk about the experience throughout the day, with staff describing the atmosphere as energised and joyful.

‘We were blown away by the session and the amazing interactions the team had with the children. Their response to the music and musicians was incredible and we hope to have them back again soon!’

“Seeing the children engage and interact with both the team and the music they were creating was very special. We have never had people in school who have built interactions with pupils in the way the Aurora team did.” - Springwell

Both the school, SIOW Music Hub and Turner Sims are exploring opportunities for further collaborative SEND-focused music provision. There will be a further two days of workshops led by Aurora Orchestra, funded by Orchestras Live and support by SIOW Music taking place at the school later this year.

The visit clearly demonstrated the impact that highquality, inclusive music-making can have on pupils with SEND. The Aurora Team provided an exceptional experience—one that was both meaningful and memorable for the children involved. SIOW Music Hub is proud to support such transformative work and looks forward to deepening this partnership with Springwell School. Springwell School.

"Imagine and Create" is a brand new resource by SIOW Music to encourage creativity and different ways of responding to sights and sounds.

What is Imagine & Create?

Imagine & Create is a brand-new digital music education resource developed by our hub, acting on feedback from schools and SEND settings to inspire creativity in young musicians. The idea came from conversations with SEND settings who wanted ideas for composing and creating musical ideas, but it can be used in all kinds of environments from Early Years to older children.

Each "Imagine and Create"  includes a 5 minute video based on a theme, with different sections matched to different pieces of music that combine engaging soundscapes with striking visuals, each themed around familiar classroom topics. Designed to spark imagination, these videos invite children the chance to improvise, move, explore and compose music in a playful, accessible way.

How to use Imagine & Create:

Each video has an accompanying teacher’s resource pack which features different starting points to explore the video with children, from drawing and moving, to oracy and language work, to composing and improvising sounds. The resources offer practical guidance, ideas, and activities on how to make use of the resources and help embed music-making into everyday classroom learning. These resources are linked in the description of each video.

The music in the video can be faded to be in the background, with the children putting in their own sounds, or it can be used as a focus for physical response or for playing along (the tracks are in C).

The resource document is just a starting point and we would love to know how you have used the videos and to see or hear any of the responses that your children have made.

What Imagine & Create themes would you like to see?

We are planning two "Imagine and Create" videos each term. So far we have "Train Journeys" and "Fireworks" available. "Space" and "Ocean" are in the planning stages for the Spring Term. Are there any themes that you would like us to explore? Do get in touch via music@siowmusic.org

Imagine & Create

Access the Imagine & Create videos on our YouTube playlist

Playlist