Researching the Impact of the National Singing Programme ‘Sing Up’ in England: Main Findings from the First Three Years (2007-2010)

The National Singing Programme Sing Up was officially launched in November 2007 and a team from the Institute of Education, University of London were appointed early that academic term to undertake a research evaluation of key elements of the Programme. Across the first three years of the research-based Sing Up impact evaluation, data have been collected from 9,979 children, involving 11,388 individual singing assessments and the completion of 10,245 singing and self focused attitudinal questionnaires. Analyses of the data provide evidence that those children who have participated in the Sing Up programme are approximately two years in advance developmentally in their singing compared to their peers of the same age outside the programme. In addition, Sing Up experienced children have more positive attitudes to singing in school and appear to have a more positive self-image as a result of these experiences.