The Primary Singing Programme is a fun and exciting singing initiative from Lambeth Music Service designed to embed high-quality singing across your whole school. The programme provides your school with songs packs and easy to use resources, CPD training for staff and culminates in a professional performance opportunity at the Royal Festival Hall.

All state-maintained Lambeth primary schools can apply to take part in the Primary Singing Programme. Schools can choose to participate in either the key stage 1 options, the key stage 2 options, or both. The programme is suitable for whole classes or choirs in either key stage, your regular music teachers or your class teachers.

The programme runs from October 2025 to the end of March 2026.

Each Key stage 1 or Key stage 2 place includes up to 30 pupils and costs £400. Additional places are charged accordingly. For example; your school chooses 1 KS1 space and 1 Key stage 2 place, this costs £800 in total.

We will do our best to offer places to schools as soon as possible after the application form closes. Places on the programme are limited and are subject to availability, so we offer places on a first come first serve basis. If your school is not successful at first, you may be offered a space on our waiting list in case another school decides to defer their offer of a place.

Lambeth Music Service will provide you with the tools for your school staff to successfully teach the children the songs via CPD events. No previous experience of teaching singing is required or expected of your school staff.

Your school will need to learn all the songs that you receive in the resource pack. This is usually around 10 pieces for each key stage. We recommend that your singing teachers also attend our fun and friendly in-person and online training sessions and of course you will need school staff to be present with your pupils on the singing concert day.

Schools usually spend between 30mins – 1hour a week and between 10-15 weeks learning the songs with their choirs or classes. Once you have received your singing resource packs at the end of October, you can begin learning the songs straight after the autumn half term. The young singers will be expected to know the songs without lyric sheets on the concert day, so most schools send materials home to learn once introduced.

Lambeth Music Service does not provide singing teachers to specifically teach the programme, however, if your school already employs a Lambeth Music Service singing teacher, then arrangements can be made for them to also teach these songs to your pupils.

The training sessions are not compulsory to attend, but we do highly recommend that singing teachers attend these sessions. The training sessions are especially useful for staff who may not have lots of experience teaching singing or for schools who are new to the programme. Lots of teachers love to come to these sessions as they have the chance to meet up with colleagues, learn new games and warm up activities, sing together and find out more about the singing concerts.

Each place on the singing concert ensures that 30 children (max) and your singing teachers can take part in the singing concerts. For example; your school chooses 1 KS1 space and 1 Key stage 2 place - you will be provided with space for 30 (max) KS1 children and 30 KS2 children plus their singing teachers.

Absolutely! We make sure our resources are accessible, and we provide social stories and cue cards for your school to share with children coming to the singing concerts. We also work with Southbank Centre to ensure additional support is in place for children and staff with access needs on the concert day. We recommend that schools alert us to any additional needs as soon as possible, and that schools provide pupils who have sensory needs with their usual supportive accessories such as ear defenders, fidget toys etc.

Yes! Parents, carers and family members are invited to attend the concerts, and tickets will go on sale from mid-January 2026. We recommend that you let your families know about the singing concerts as early as possible in good time as the tickets sell very quickly.

Yes, we allow families to photo/video their children at the singing event, but we request that they do not use flash photography, do not take pictures from the aisles, and do not post any content on social media.

Yes, schools who take part in the singing programme can keep using the singing resources and song packs for as long as they wish.

Schools will be billed in the new financial year. Non-Academies are billed via cash summary and Academies will be sent an invoice.