Love Music has been awarded major UK funding from Paul Hamlyn Foundation Teacher Development Fund
Love Music has been awarded major funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Teacher Development Fund for a 2-year active learning partnership project: Sing for Wellbeing Schools. The programme is a partnership between Love Music and 8 City of Edinburgh Council primary schools, supported by experts from Queen Margaret University and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
About Sing for Wellbeing Schools
Sing for Wellbeing Schools will empower upper primary school teachers to use inclusive play-based singing confidently in their classrooms to foster equity, belonging and wellbeing for children. Love Music will work in 8 Edinburgh primary schools for 2 years, with classes from P4-P7, working with both teachers and their pupils through a regular supported workshop programme, mentoring and professional development sessions. Every child in each school will benefit through additional whole school strategic development and curriculum planning, resources, and specialist support.
The partnership aims to deepen understanding of how sustained, classroom-embedded singing can reduce barriers to learning, build equity, and support wellbeing for pupils and teachers in schools experiencing systemic disadvantage. It aims to learn what conditions, approaches, and support structures enable primary teachers to become confident in using singing as a sustainable part of everyday school and classroom practice. Through active listening and reflective practice, the project hopes to learn how to enable teachers to combat any singing fears and inspire motivation for self-guided musical exploration, bringing their own authentic musical identity to their classroom practice. The project partners will develop, evaluate and reflect together through its local Community of Practice Thinktank, alongside other UK projects that are part of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Teacher Development Fund 2026-2028 cohort.
Neil Millar, Senior Education Officer at Education Scotland said:
I am delighted that this programme has received funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Teacher Development Fund. For many teachers and children, singing is one aspect of Scotland’s Music curriculum they identify with, however the notion of how that supports their wellbeing is perhaps not as widely understood. This programme, conducted by Love Music, Queen Margaret University, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and City of Edinburgh Council, will provide important learning and begin to build an evidence base that we will be able to share more widely; not-to-mention, how timely it is as Scotland’s Expressive Arts and Music curriculum evolves as part of the Curriculum Improvement Cycle.
The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Councillor Robert Aldridge said:
Singing plays a vital role in supporting children’s wellbeing across Scotland. It helps build confidence, encourages self-expression, and brings young people together through creativity and community. Every child should have the opportunity to experience the joy and benefits that singing can bring. I am proud to see the Sing for Wellbeing Schools teacher development programme taking place in Edinburgh, bringing new possibilities for children and their wider communities, and our primary teacher workforce.
About Paul Hamlyn Foundation Teacher Development Fund
The Teacher Development Fund supports teachers to build the skills, knowledge and confidence to use arts-based approaches in the primary classroom. Primary schools and arts organisations team up to create arts-rich and equitable classrooms where all children can learn and thrive.
Catherine Sutton, Head of Programme – Education, said:
Learning through the arts can engage and inspire young people, support key educational outcomes, and develop skills that prepare them for the next phase of their lives. Bringing arts into schools can help children to overcome barriers to learning and make a real and lasting difference to school communities.
About Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Paul Hamlyn Foundation was established by Paul Hamlyn in 1987. He died in 2001 and left most of his estate to the Foundation, creating one of the largest independent grant-making foundations in the UK. We use our resources to support social change, working towards a just and equitable society in which everyone, especially young people, can realise their full potential and enjoy fulfilling and creative lives. https://www.phf.org.uk
About Love Music
Love Music is a music inclusion and education charity which increases its participants’ wellbeing, confidence, and musical skills through an exciting range of open-access projects. Its vision is life enhancing music making for everyone. Its mission is to create and enhance opportunities for people to enjoy the social and personal benefits of inspirational music making in their own community. It offers inclusive music participation opportunities for people of any level of ability or experience. It creates and delivers strategic work which helps to grow the wider community music sector, especially community singing, and supports those who deliver this work across Scotland. This includes providing training, commissioning resources and collaborative opportunities, and facilitating the sharing of best practice for music leaders and teachers. Love Music is supported by Creative Scotland through multi-year funding.
Project title is Sing for Wellbeing Schools
Project is directed by Scottish charity Love Music Productions Ltd: https://lovemusic.org.uk
Project partners are City of Edinburgh Council, Queen Margaret University, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Project funders are Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Creative Scotland
Hashtags: #SingforWellbeingSchools #LoveMusic
ENDS
Press Enquiries
Paul Hamlyn Foundation: Communications Team – communications@phf.org.uk
City of Edinburgh Council: Victoria Fuller, Marketing & Communications, Cultural Venues – Victoria.Fuller@edinburgh.gov.uk / +44 7791 251238
Love Music: Cathy Phillips Brady, National Programmes Manager – cathy@lovemusic.org.uk / +44 7742 977600
