Earlier this year the culture secretary expressed a wish for “every child and young person to have equal opportunities to access high-quality arts and music education”.

As a music teacher, I couldn’t agree more and I am always delighted to see young people learning an instrument. But music is not just about learning a skill; it’s also about developing character through attributes like practice, persistence and overcoming self-doubt.

Sadly, with screen time increasingly dominating our children’s lives, it’s becoming harder to nurture time for these skills, and so it is up to schools to find ways to instil them in our pupils and provide opportunities to use them in real-world situations.

Cue United Learning’s The Magic Flute project.

In an effort to ensure that as many students as possible across United Learning have a chance to get involved in music and put these skills and attributes to the test, we spent the past academic year working in partnership with the Royal Ballet and Opera to introduce young people to the world of opera.

At the heart of this project was the opportunity for children to learn to perform The Magic Flute in classroom music lessons, as part of choirs and in instrumental ensembles.

Its delivery was supported by CPD training for music teachers from artists in the Royal Opera House as well as regular online “Big Sing” assemblies for massed groups of students in classrooms and halls across United Learning.

The programme will come to its climax over the next week with our students performing in prestigious venues such as the Royal Festival Hall in London, The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and Cambridge Corn Exchange. In all, more than 2,200 students and staff will perform to packed audiences.

While students have greatly enjoyed being a part of this project and have found real joy in the music, the impact has been far wider and deeper than just musical appreciation.

For example, for several students at The Regis School in West Sussex, involvement in singing and opera has been transformative.

Previously, these students struggled with significant anxiety, particularly around performance and group participation.

The idea of standing in front of an audience or contributing to a large-scale project once felt overwhelming and unattainable. Through attending choir they have gained enough confidence to stand up in front of an audience and sing.

Likewise, a group of students from The Elms Academy in inner-city London initially refused to audition because they were so overcome by stage fright and self-doubt. But after encouragement from teachers and peers, they have slowly found the confidence to take the spotlight.

Testimony from their teacher shows that the transformation of these students has been “remarkable”; not only have they found the strength to face their fears but they have also inspired others by showing that ambition and courage can overcome fear.

The structured nature of the opera sessions has allowed the students to gain strength and resilience through tackling the previously unfamiliar genre of opera. Anchored in a clear, ambitious and positive end goal, opera has provided a powerful framework for change.

Breaking the musical material into manageable, incremental steps, the students have been able to build confidence gradually. Each rehearsal, each small success, has contributed to a growing sense of self-efficacy. Most importantly, the material is fun; packed with warm-up games, character development and great musical content: all of this helps to develop belonging.

The impact has extended well beyond the music department, with staff across the schools observing a marked difference in the students’ demeanour and engagement. They are more willing to contribute in class, more confident in social settings and more resilient when faced with challenges.

The sense of purpose and achievement that has grown from being part of a collaborative, creative endeavour is beginning to reframe their relationship with anxiety as well as their ability to deal with difficult and unfamiliar situations.

Every teacher who has helped us to deliver this project has stories of pupils who have shown strong character development and gained skills to help them as they progress through school and enter adult life. As the music teacher from The Elms Academy told me: “Music doesn’t just build skills - it builds people.”

Catherine Barker is head of music and performing arts at United Learning