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.

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):

1. 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.
2. 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

100% of teachers agreed that pupils developed composition skills over the course of the project.

90% of teachers agreed that pupils improved their self-belief, confidence and resilience.

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.

90% of non-music specialist teachers agreed they felt more confident teaching
music in the classroom.

Timeline

Booking: Booking opens on 14th May 2025 and closes on 11th 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 attend our online ‘Project Briefing session’ held 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. This session is recorded so if you can’t make the date or decide to deliver the project in the Spring Term, you can watch this back.

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 2025/26, deadlines are as follows:

For those working on Blue, Red, Yellow: Wednesday 17th December 2025 or Friday 20th March 2026.
For those working on Plant This Seed: Wednesday 21st January 2026 or Wednesday 29th April 2026.

Choose your opera!

For the first time in 2025-26 we are delighted to offer a choice of stimulus works. 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 brand new 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:

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, 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…

Take Part

Booking for 2025/26 is now open!

Please visit our booking page where you will find a link to the booking request form along with other key information.