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.
Finish This... trailer
Watch the trailer and find out why Finish This... might be a great project for your school...
“It was so liberating to participate in a creative experience that was so tailored for SEND. I really want to applaud the team for planning and resourcing it so well.”SEND teacher
Why sign up?
Finish This… has been adapted for SEND learners by specialist SEND education consultants. There are two strand options you can choose to follow (you may wish to dip in and our of both, activity dependent):
- Sensory – designed for pupils who access learning through exploration and who are motivated by sensory interaction and play. Pupils will be offered sensory activities for each session that provide opportunities for development in intensive interaction, communication and emotional regulation.
- Collaborative Exploration – a gradual and flexible model that allows pupils the space and time for pupils to encounter new concepts. The activities offered in each session allows pupils to practice these concepts and incrementally develop their skills in a time and way that suits them. All sessions are supported with visuals and encourage development of communication and skill building.
Pupils will…
- Develop performance and composition skills
- Develop listening and communication skills
- Increase self-confidence to ‘have a go’ and make creative choices
- 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 SEND specialists, artists and teachers
- Upskill and develop their confidence in delivering whole-class composition work
- Be inspired and supported to explore 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.
Read more about the outcomes of the 2022/23 SEND pilot project
Finish This SEND Executive Summary
PDF, 14mb“It makes such a change to be in training designed fully for SEN young people by people who have obviously worked with SEN young people! It’s a rarity!”SEND teacher
Timeline
Booking: Booking opens on 5th May 2026 and closes on 10th July 2026.
Toolkits & Online Resource access: Physical toolkits are sent out to arrive at your school for the start of the Autumn term. You will receive the link to the online hub to access digital resources at the end of the current summer term.
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.
Online midpoint session: Teachers are invited to join our informal, online ‘midpoint session’ held half way through the Autumn and Spring terms (dates tbc). The session is hosted by our SEND education specialist, Emily Stratford. If you find yourself wanting some more advice on how to deliver aspects of the project, feel daunted by recording your class’s composition or just want to hear from other SEND teachers delivering the project to share and compare tips, this is the session for you.
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:
Submission Deadline 1: Wednesday 16th December 2026
Submission Deadline 2: Wednesday 24th March 2027
Choose your opera!
You can choose to work with Omar Shahryar’s work Blue, Red, Yellow or Elif Karlidag’s work, Plant This Seed. Both pieces were especially commissioned for Finish This… and each offer something different, for different learners.
We have created a document ‘Choose Your Opera!’ document that compares what each piece has to offer and you can also watch our teaser trailers to help you decide:
Sharing & Celebrating
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, ENO will select a shortlist of our favourite compositions, and winning classes will receive prizes:
- Winning Blue, Red, Yellow compositions will have their piece brought to life with a bespoke animation that responds to the students’ music.
- Winning Plant This Seed compositions will have their piece captured in a bespoke illustration, by artist Lena Yokoyama who did the illustrations for the animated sections of Plant This Seed.
Example music piece
Written in response to Blue, Red, Yellow, 'Chameleon Green' by Emergent 3 Class, Ravenscliffe High School, Halifax
Take Part
Booking opens on 5th May 2026 and closes on 10th July 2026. Book your space for this 2026/2027 academic year.
Related content
Finish This... Booking Page
Celebrating Finish This... 2025-26
