What is Sing For Wellbeing?
Sing For Wellbeing is a continuing professional development (CPD) opportunity for primary teachers in Scotland to develop skills and confidence to deliver inclusive singing in their classrooms.
The programme is designed with and for primary teachers who feel a lack of confidence or skill in leading singing activities with their pupils. Ultimately, it aims to increase the wellbeing of children through more regular singing, positively impacting their learning, emotional self-regulation, and wider lives. We want all primary school children in Scotland to be supported in feeling happy, healthy and joyful through singing.
In our 2026-27 cohort, we welcome qualified teachers working with upper primary classes (P4-P7) for 8 CPD sessions at our central Edinburgh venue. To sign up, please fill in the form below or contact Cathy Phillips Brady on cathy@lovemusic.org.uk with any questions. We are happy to call you if you provide us with a phone number.
Not in Edinburgh? You can still take part! We had teachers from 6 local authorities taking part in 2025-26. Tell us how we can help you access our Edinburgh based CPD sessions on your sign up form.
Benefits
- 10 x more music training than offered in typical Initial Teacher Training programmes;
- Teacher-led community network to aid ongoing practice, support and ideas;
- Growth in wellbeing and confidence of teachers and their pupils;
- FREE to participate, supported by Creative Scotland and The William Syson Foundation.
Why does it matter?
This programme responds to:
- the inequity of access to music making in primary schools;
- the pressing challenge of post-pandemic recovery for our children and teachers;
- the evidenced increase in anxiety and poor mental health in children;
- the systematic decline of the music specialist from the primary school workforce, and the consequent burden of music delivery that falls on generalist teachers.
This programme works as a booster for teacher skills across the Curriculum for Excellence, and develops deeper outcomes in the Expressive Arts curriculum. We work within Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC), responding to SHANNARI indicators, and the Scottish Attainment Challenge.
In 2025-26 we successfully piloted our Sing for Wellbeing Community of Practice. Teachers worked with our team to understand and develop the best ways to transfer knowledge, skills and build confidence as a cohort. Our year-long programme promotes reflection and responsiveness to the needs of the teachers in the group as we move through the sessions, and allows time for change and innovation.
Year 2: 2026-27 Cohort
Who can take part?
- The CPD programme is aimed at qualified upper primary teachers P4-P7. If you are teaching another primary year group or are a supply teacher, you are welcome to sign up but be aware that the material and strategies are tailored for those teaching upper primary.
- This programme is particularly beneficial to non-music specialists and those who feel less confident about using music and singing in their classrooms.
- No prior experience in music or singing is necessary.
Teachers will:
- Take part in regular workshops throughout the academic year.
- Receive training from music inclusion and education specialists.
- Develop skills and confidence to use singing inclusively in their teaching practice.
- Develop a deeper understanding of the impact of inclusive group singing on their own and their pupils’ health and wellbeing.
- Become part of a ‘Community of Practice’ where teachers will meet others taking part, support their peers, share learning, resources, and ideas.
Dates & venue
There will be 8 sessions across the academic year at Greyfriars Charteris Centre which is around 15 mins walk from Edinburgh Waverley Train Station. All sessions include breaks and refreshments including aeropress coffee, a selection of teas, fruit and biscuits!
Friday afternoons, 2pm-4.30pm – arrive from 1.45pm for a cuppa and a chat.
These dates are subject to change, but will be confirmed at the start of the academic year:
2026: 18th September; 20th November
2027: 15th January; 26th February; 19th March; 23rd April; 21st May; 11th June
We are able to support access to the workshops, whether this is for help with travel or other access needs. Please note your requirements on your sign-up form and we will be in touch with you to discuss.
FAQs
- How many teachers can sign up from my school?
– As many as you like. We have space for around 40 teachers. - How many sessions do my teachers need to attend?
– All CPD sessions are mandatory to gain the full benefit of the programme. - What happens after this CPD year?
– This is a multi-year programme – we will provide support sessions at key points in the year following the CPD and teachers will share resources and support each other as their practice develops. We will be on hand to help. We also plan to repeat the training for a new cohort of teachers each year. - Can I sign up if I am not a qualified primary teacher?
– We are specifically working with qualified primary teachers working in P4-P7. We are not able to work with support staff, secondary teachers, music specialists or people not actively working in a classroom teaching role. - Can I attend online?
– No, as our programme is building a Community of Practice, and is a collaborative effort, we ask that you come in person to sessions. This allows for the development of a support network of like-minded teachers, and enables us to try out approaches which authentically respond to your needs, rather than traditional top-down CPD approaches.
Sign up to take part
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Project background
The voice is our most accessible musical instrument. We believe that everyone can sing and that singing together can help build healthier, happier, creatively engaged learning communities for both pupils and teachers alike.
We know from feedback with teachers that without musical training, planning and delivering inclusive music activities with their classes can feel like an impossible task. Singing in front of others can feel like a very personal expression that exposes vulnerability, and without training, teachers can lack the confidence in their skills to embed this practice into their teaching.
This programme is focused on skilling up generalist primary teachers and is designed for teachers without prior musical experience or training. It uses singing as the most democratic, inclusive and embodied way to bring music into children’s lives and in the process, to increase both their wellbeing and the wellbeing of the teachers who lead the singing.
Sing For Wellbeing teachers will connect through a peer-network, where they will continue to grow in confidence and competence in singing leadership, and can share and develop resources for use in the classroom. This network will be supported by the Love Music team and subsequent training, discussion and mentorship will be provided for those who would like to continue their development.
The teacher training is part of a partnership project between Love Music and Queen Margaret University, who have been working together since 2021 to develop an ambitious research project connected to this CPD programme which aims to evidence the effects of group singing on children’s wellbeing. Queen Margaret University are seeking funding to run the research side of the programme. We’ll update any teachers who sign up with their plans and there will opportunities to opt in or out at every stage.
In partnership with
