Primary and SEND Music Education Conference 2026

Thursday 9 July 2026, 9am - 4pm

Set in the contemporary surroundings of Haywards Heath College, Haywards Heath, we are thrilled to invite all professionals working with children and young people to join us at our Primary and SEND Music Education Conference 2026.

Responding to your requests, we have planned a day that will give you everything you and your schools need to power up music both in and out of the classroom.

The conference will culminate in an inspirational fusion of voices— an easily adaptable musical experience ready for you to share with your pupils and colleagues, and a fitting end to what promises to be a very special day.

We can’t wait to see you there!

  • Expert-led workshops: Learn from nationally acclaimed music education specialists.
  • Diverse inclusive topics: Explore DJing, classroom orchestras, singing (from first steps into learning a song to cultural diversity in the music classroom), new ideas for supporting SEND pupils, and composing sessions designed to leave you confident and ready to inspire others in your educational setting.
  • Hands-on learning: Take part in fun, practical sessions designed to equip you with new skills and resources.
  • Delicious food & networking: Enjoy the opportunity to connect with like-minded colleagues over complimentary food and beverages throughout the day.  

Find out more & book tickets

This conference is FREE to all Sussex Music Hub schools, partners and associates.
All other delegates will be charged just £45 per person.

✅  Please tick the gift aid box if purchasing a ticket, it makes a huge difference and allows us to provide more opportunities for pupils.

Book your ticket

Session 1 Workshops

Drawing on her work with the organisation Music for Life, Shivani will lead you through fun, inclusive workshop songs suitable for children with a wide range of SEND needs.

Alongside practical song ideas, she will also share tips on teaching singing to SEND children and how to support and uplift every learner.

Explore a variety of ways to create music using rhythm.

Aga will introduce games and techniques that inspire instant rhythmic music-making. Using a range of instruments commonly found in classrooms, he will guide you from simple starting rhythms to layering sounds, creating classroom orchestras, writing and recording the music produced.

Suitable for both Primary and SEND pupils, this practical session introduces teachers to classroom DJing -now recognised as an instrument option on the GCSE syllabus and increasingly popular in primary and SEND settings.

Discover pulse, tempo, phrasing, structure and creativity through simple, hands-on activities that are easy to replicate in school and engaging for children and adults alike.

In this session Jo shares her expertise in whole-class instrumental teaching by offering ideas, hints and tips on how to incorporate iPads as an option for pupils within a class ensemble setting.

From the equipment you will need to sound choices, Jo will lead you through some practical activities that demonstrate how this highly accessible piece of technology can enhance any instrumental ensemble, offering a choice that is fun and inclusive.

Session 2 Workshops

Suitable for both Primary and SEND pupils, this practical session introduces teachers to classroom DJing – now recognised as an instrument option on the GCSE syllabus and increasingly popular in primary and SEND settings.

Discover pulse, tempo, phrasing, structure and creativity through simple, hands-on activities that are easy to replicate in school and engaging for children and adults alike.

Using glockenspiels, keyboards, and other instruments commonly found in schools, Alex shares how to include every child as part of a classroom orchestra.

Sharing simple, accessible methods and repertoire, he explores the journey from starting with no experience to building an ensemble where all children can take part and feel valued.

This session explores how to develop a deeper understanding of culture through song.

Shivani will look at diversity in the classroom by introducing Indian layering songs that are fully flexible and can be adapted to any singing setting, regardless of age or ability.

Session 3 Workshops

This workshop celebrates children’s natural musicality.

Aga will introduce fun games and exercises that encourage vocal improvisation and show how these spontaneous, magical moments can be shaped into structured musical pieces.

Through fun and accessible approaches to rhythm, lyrics, and melody, Fiona shares practical ways into learning a song that will empower even the least confident teachers.

This session will help you feel ready to approach new songs and lead singing in your classroom with greater ease. Whether for yourself or your team back at your setting, you will leave with renewed confidence and inspiration.

Designed for experienced choir and singing leaders who are looking for a creative re-boot, this session offers a fresh range of ideas from warm-ups and songs to interactive materials and leadership techniques.

Workshop Leaders

Aga Serugo-Lugo

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Aga Serugo-Lugo is a vocalist, clarinettist, pianist, composer and workshop leader. He has sung with the nine-piece funk band Gefunkt and composed for, as well as performed with, the jazz-fusion group Eclectiv.

Aga delivers community workshops for Sing Up, the Royal Opera House, Create, ENO Engage, Music in Detention, Britten Pears Arts and Turtle Key Arts. He also works in educational settings with SEND schools, Trinity Laban, Pegasus Opera, the London Sinfonietta and the BBC Proms.

Aga specialises in collaborative musical storytelling and believes that music-making should be a shared, immersive experience.

Alex Bondonno

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Alex is the Music Lead at Handcross and Cottesmore St Mary Primary Schools, both of which are Lead Music Schools within the Sussex Music Hub.

He previously worked for many years as Primary Music Lead and Head of Woodwind with Surrey Arts. He has decades of experience teaching music both in and out of the classroom, conducting ensembles, and delivering music workshops in mainstream and specialist schools, as well as providing CPD for teachers and music leaders.

Alex is also an outdoor learning specialist, bringing together his musical expertise and Forest School leadership to develop approaches to outdoor musical learning.

Deen Nauthoa

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Deen is the founder and lead instructor at NextGen Music. Over the past 14 years, his passion for DJing has taken him to venues and festivals across the UK and Europe, giving him a wealth of experience that he is eager to share with the next generation of music enthusiasts.

In addition to his live performances, Deen has spent the last five years inspiring young musicians in schools, working in primary, SEND and secondary settings, including supporting pupils studying for their GCSEs.

When he’s not performing or recording, his goal is to inspire and nurture the talents of young people, helping them to find their unique voices in the world of music.

Fiona Bull

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Fiona is the Music Lead at Storrington Primary, one of Sussex Music Hub’s Lead Schools for Music, known for its outstanding singing.

Through her work with the Hub’s Development Group, she is committed to supporting other schools to raise the standard of singing, and brings extensive experience to this role.

Singing is her passion, both in school and in the wider community. Fiona has completed the Royal Opera House and Royal Ballet Cultural Champions middle leadership development programme, regularly takes part in her local community choir, attends sitzprobes for musicals, performs frequently as a featured soloist, and when she gets the chance enjoys a bit of karaoke.

Jo Eames

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Jo is a multi-instrumentalist who specialises in whole-class instrumental teaching.

After graduating from the University of Reading Jo spent several years working as a primary school teacher before joining West Sussex Music, where she quickly established a reputation as an outstanding whole-class practitioner.

Jo works across the county teaching ukulele, djembe and recorder, and leads a wide range of workshops from samba to songwriting and composition, as well as bespoke sessions linked to themes, cultures or class texts.

She is also a workshop leader for Orchestras Inc. WSM’s accessible SEND ensemble and believes passionately that music should be fun, inclusive and that every child can achieve and feel successful.

Shivani Rattan

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Shivani Rattan is an engaging choral conductor, mezzo-soprano, and workshop leader based in London. She performs with the acclaimed all-female vocal quintet Papagena and is a sought-after session singer.

Shivani features in the BBC Bitesize Get Singing campaign, which reflects her commitment to inclusive practice and to ensuring high-quality music-making opportunities for all young people.

Her Three Indian Celebration Songs, published by Sing for Pleasure, were written in response to the lack of diverse repertoire available in musical settings. She has since been commissioned by Hal Leonard to write further works for the same purpose. Shivani also conducts with the National Children’s Choir of Great Britain and the National Youth Choir, where she was a Fellow in 2021.

What people are saying

“Fantastic CPD training with lots of new games, ideas and songs to take away.”

“Such valuable material from all the workshop leaders- I’ll be transforming my KS2 curriculum.”

I feel really inspired to get music ‘alive’ in our school.

“It was a privilege to spend the day with so many talented people and learn from them.”

“Today will dramatically impact what I teach next academic year. I’ll plan the units of work incorporating some of the ideas from today.”

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