World Voice Legacy

Outcomes for children:

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• Wellbeing: in every country, improved wellbeing was the most profound and celebrated outcome for children. 100% of teachers thought children’s wellbeing increased and 99% of children said that they feel “the best I ever feel” or “better than normal when singing.

• Awareness of other cultures and global issues: celebrating songs from different countries and heritages is at the heart of the World Voice ethos. Through the experience of sharing songs from all corners of the globe, children became more connected to other countries and cultures, and many became more curious about how other children live in different parts of the world. 96% of teachers reported that children have greater awareness of other cultures and global issues, 59% of children said they have learnt about other cultures, and 51% of children said they have learnt about global issues.

• Sense of achievement: there was strong consensus that World Voice has increased children’s sense of achievement and pride in what they are capable of. 98% of teachers reported that children have a greater sense of achievement, and 99% of children felt that they achieve more through singing.

• Language skills: survey data suggests increases in language skills and acquisition are slightly lower than with other outcomes for children. Nonetheless World Voice has enabled children to develop their English language skills and become familiar with other languages through learning songs in a variety of languages from different World Voice countries. 90% of teachers reported that children understood a new language because of World Voice, 46% of teachers reported that children speak a new language, 93% of children said they learnt about English language, and 67% said they have learnt about another language different to their own.

• Musical skills: World Voice is first and foremost an inclusive programme giving children the opportunity to sing regardless of musical experience, skill, or ability. Nonetheless tracking and evidencing musical skill development was an important indicator that the programme was of high quality and effectively delivered. 90% of teachers reported that children have increased musical skills, and 75% of children said they found new talent as singers.

• Additional outcomes for children: we also found evidence of positive changes in school engagement and behaviour (greater motivation, enthusiasm, interest, and more positive attitudes towards learning), and positive developments in children’s social skills and relationship building.

 

Outcomes for teachers:

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• Leading singing as a generalist teacher: World Voice was designed as a teacher development programme so that it could have global impact: equipping teachers across the world with the understanding, knowledge, and skills to incorporate singing in their everyday teaching practice. Through World Voice teachers learnt about and understood the power of singing as an educational tool, and they gained confidence and self-belief that they could lead singing activities. 99% of teachers reported that their confidence and belief in themselves to lead singing activities increased, 51% of teachers believe they are a singing leader now, and 49% of teachers believe they can lead some activities but aren’t a singing leader yet.

• Knowledge and skills to deliver singing activities: Teachers described how their knowledge increased through accessing a new toolkit: they learnt new skills, exercises, songs, activities, and games to make their lessons more dynamic. 100% of teachers reported that their knowledge and skills to deliver singing activities increased.

• Singing is normalised: for World Voice to achieve long-term impact, singing becoming normalised, embedded, and regularly used in schools was paramount. 99% of teachers said they were using singing in the classroom, 55% said singing became very normal and they now “use it every day”, and 44% said it is quite normal and “I use it sometimes”.

• Singing in support of other curriculum areas: in addition to supporting English language learning, teachers have learnt to use singing in support of a wide range of subjects and curriculum areas. 98% said that they now use singing in other curriculum areas: this breaks down into 63% of teachers sometimes using singing to support other areas of the curriculum, and 35% regularly using singing to support other areas of the curriculum.

• Teacher wellbeing: as much as World Voice had a positive impact on children’s wellbeing, it has helped teachers deal with challenges, find joy in their classrooms, and improve their own mental health. 100% of teachers said World Voice made them feel better.

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