The English National Opera’s FREE* music making programme is for schools nationwide. It brings a fusion of opera, film and animation into your classroom, and is a creative springboard for collaborative composition work.
*Finish This… is free to state schools. It is charged at £200 per class for independent schools.
“The kids were introduced to opera in the most child friendly way, breaking down the component parts so they understood each bit and felt confident in what they were doing.”
Why sign up?
Pupils will…
- Develop listening and composition skills: learning how to interpret music, record music, and experiment with telling stories through music, using voice, body and instruments
- Increase self-confidence and creativity and be supported to express themselves
- Work as an ensemble to create a new music piece, bringing a sense of achievement and pride in their work
93% of teachers agreed that pupils developed composition skills over the course of the project.
96% of teachers agreed their pupils had developed skills in teamwork and collaboration
Teachers will…
- Access high-quality digital teaching resources and training materials co-designed by primary specialist, artists and teachers
- Develop new skills and increase their confidence in delivering whole-class composition work
- Be inspired and supported to explore and facilitate more child-led approaches to music making
100% of teachers said they were likely to recommend this project to another school.
89% of non-music specialist teachers agreed they felt more confident teaching music in the classroom.
“Finish This… has completely raised the profile of composing in our school… It was the most exciting project, broke down so many barriers and was completely inclusive.”
Timeline
Booking: Booking opens on 5th May 2026 and closes on 10th July 2025.
Toolkits & Online Resource access: Physical toolkits are sent out to arrive at your school for the start of the Autumn term and you will receive the link to the online hub to access digital resources.
Online project briefing: Teachers are invited to access our online ‘Project Briefing session’ and attend a Q&A session in the first or second week of term (dates tbc). This will introduce you to each stage of the project, and run through each lesson and how you can use the resources, whilst providing a flavour of the creative activities, to ultimately support you with a confident delivery for your class.
Submitting your composition: you will be invited to submit your composition by either one of two set submission deadlines. For 2026/27, deadlines are as follows:
Wednesday 16th December 2026 Submission Deadline 1
Wednesday 24th March 2026 Submission Deadline 2
Choose your opera!
You can choose to work with Omar Shahryar’s work Blue, Red, Yellow which will be familiar to schools who have taken part in Finish This… previously. Or you can opt to work with our specially commissioned piece Plant This Seed by composer Elif Karlidag.
We have created a document ‘Choose Your Opera!‘ that compares what each piece has to offer and you can also watch these teaser trailers to help you decide:
Choose your Opera! Download the PDF here
Choose your Opera!
PDF,Sharing & Celebration
Participating classes receive a celebratory package including: ENO Certificates; a video message from the Composer; and a pack full of ideas to share the work within your school. Each music submission will be showcased and available on our ENO SoundCloud and Interactive Map.
In addition, the Composer and Finish This… team will select up to 80 music submissions and bring these to life with a special bespoke animation that responds to the students’ music; showcasing and celebrating the breadth of musical work and talent from across a range of schools
Explore this year’s celebration of Finish This…
Example music piece
The Sorcerer’s Vimto and Dairy Milk” by Y5T, Wood Fold Primary School, Wigan
Take Part
Booking opens on 5th May 2026 and closes on 10th July 2025. Book your space for this 2026/2027 academic year: