The end of the school year is always full of mixed emotions, but for children who are leaving their school behind, it feels even bigger. A leavers assembly or leaver’s performance is a chance to celebrate everything the children have achieved, look back at their favourite memories and send them off into their next adventure feeling excited about what is ahead.
Choosing the right songs for a leavers assembly can make the whole event feel extra special. You might want something emotional that brings a tear to the parents’ eyes, a big feel-good anthem that the whole year group can sing together, or an upbeat song to finish the assembly on a high.
Whether you are planning a Year 6 leavers assembly, a primary school graduation, an end of school slideshow or simply looking for a song to play as the children leave the hall for the final time, we have gathered together some of the best school leavers songs.
What Makes a Good Leavers Assembly Song?
The best leavers songs tend to focus on friendship, memories, growing up, believing in yourself and looking forward to the future. A good song should feel meaningful to the children, but it also helps if the lyrics are easy enough for a whole group to learn and sing together.
Some schools choose one main song for the children to perform, while others use several songs throughout the assembly.
You could have a happy opening song, an emotional song alongside a photo slideshow and then finish with something fun and uplifting.
Best Song for Year 6 Leaver’s Assembly
Here are some of our favourite ideas.
Long Live by Taylor Swift
Long Live is almost made for a school leavers assembly. It is all about looking back on the incredible things you have experienced together, celebrating the people who shared those moments with you and hoping the memories will never be forgotten.
It would be perfect for a Year 6 photo slideshow or as one of the final songs of the assembly, especially for a year group that has been through a lot together. The message of remembering the magic, the friendships and everything they achieved makes this one of the best Taylor Swift songs for saying goodbye.
Related: Color Your Own Taylor Swift Bookmarks (Free Printable)
Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey
This is a brilliant choice if you want to send children off with a message about believing in themselves and never giving up. It has a huge, memorable chorus that sounds fantastic when sung by a whole year group.
It works especially well as a final song because it leaves everyone feeling positive and ready for whatever comes next.
A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman
A Million Dreams has become a popular choice for school performances, and it is easy to see why. The song is all about imagination, hopes for the future and believing that the world can become something wonderful.
For children leaving primary school and beginning a brand new chapter, the message feels particularly fitting. It is also a beautiful song to use alongside photos showing how much the children have grown over the years.
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day
Despite the title, this is one of the classic songs for saying goodbye and looking back on an important time in your life.
The line about having the time of your life makes it perfect for a slideshow of school memories, class trips, sports days, Christmas plays and all those ordinary little moments that end up meaning so much.
Reach by S Club 7
If you want a song that instantly makes everyone smile, Reach is a fantastic choice. It is cheerful, energetic and full of encouragement.
The message about reaching for the stars and following your dreams is exactly the kind of positive send-off children need. You could even add simple actions or a dance routine and get the whole audience involved.
Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield
Unwritten is a brilliant song for children who are about to begin a completely new chapter. Its message is all about the future still waiting to be written, which makes it especially fitting for Year 6 leavers heading off to secondary school. It is upbeat and positive enough for a celebration, while still having that meaningful message that makes a great leavers song.
Forever Young by Rod Stewart
Forever Young is a beautiful choice for a leavers assembly because it feels almost like a message from the adults to the children. The lyrics are full of hopes for the future, encouraging children to be brave, kind and true to themselves as they grow. It would work especially well towards the end of the assembly or alongside photos showing how the children have changed throughout their school years.
Best Day of My Life by American Authors
This upbeat song is perfect for a celebration. It works particularly well as children enter the assembly, during a video montage or as a fun final song.
It is a great choice if you want your leavers assembly to focus on happy memories rather than becoming too emotional from beginning to end.
I’ll Be There for You by The Rembrandts
The Friends theme tune is all about friendship and being there for one another, making it a lovely choice for children who have grown up together.
It could work particularly well for a section of the assembly where children talk about their friendships, share memories or thank the classmates who have supported them.
Never Forget by Take That
If your goal is to make every parent and teacher in the room cry, this might be the one!
Never Forget is a big, emotional anthem about remembering where you came from and the people who were part of your journey. The huge ending also makes it a brilliant group performance.
Related: The best photo montage songs
We Go Together from Grease
For something more theatrical and fun, We Go Together is a brilliant leavers assembly song. It celebrates friendship and togetherness, and children can have a lot of fun performing it.
This is a particularly good option for a lively year group who love drama, dancing and putting on a show.
Lean on Me by Bill Withers
Lean on Me is a timeless song about friendship, kindness and supporting each other through difficult times.
The message is simple enough for children to understand, and the chorus sounds lovely when sung as a group. It can also be a meaningful way to acknowledge that moving on can feel exciting and a little scary at the same time.
A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay
A Sky Full of Stars is a beautiful choice for celebrating the unique potential of every child.
It can work wonderfully towards the end of an assembly, especially if you want something that starts emotionally and builds into a huge, uplifting finish. Imagine this playing over a slideshow of every child in the year group and their favourite school memories.
Count on Me by Bruno Mars
Count on Me is another lovely friendship song with a positive message that children can easily understand.
It is gentle, warm and easy to sing, making it particularly suitable for primary school leavers. It could be performed by the whole class or by a smaller group of children.
Kindness in Our Hearts by Peety Paws
Kindness in Our Hearts by Peety Paws is a lovely addition to a leavers assembly, particularly for schools that want to focus on the values children will take with them as they move on.
Academic achievements matter, but so does the kind of person a child is becoming. A song about carrying kindness in our hearts sends children into their next chapter with a beautiful message about compassion, friendship and treating others well.
This would work especially well alongside a section of the assembly celebrating acts of kindness, special friendships or the ways children have helped and supported one another during their time at school.
We’re All in This Together from High School Musical
This one is almost made for a school leavers assembly. It is energetic, familiar and all about teamwork and supporting each other.
Children can sing it, dance to it or use it as a big finale involving the entire year group. It is an especially fun choice if you want to finish with smiles rather than tears.
Hall of Fame by The Script featuring will.i.am
Hall of Fame is a powerful song about ambition and believing that you can achieve great things.
For a leavers assembly, it can be used to celebrate how far the children have come while encouraging them to keep working towards their dreams. It is particularly effective over photos showing achievements from throughout the school year.
Try Everything by Shakira
Try Everything from Zootopia has such a positive message for children moving on to something new.
The song reminds us that mistakes are part of learning and that we should keep trying even when things do not go perfectly. That is a wonderful lesson for children to carry with them as they move to secondary school.
Firework by Katy Perry
Firework is all about recognising your own worth and allowing yourself to shine.
It is a big, confident song that works well for a whole-group performance and gives children a powerful message about being proud of who they are.
The Climb by Miley Cyrus
The Climb is a more emotional choice for a reflective part of the assembly. Its message is that life is not only about reaching a destination, but also about everything we learn along the way.
This could work beautifully with memories of the children’s journey through school, from their very first days to the confident young people they have become.
Somewhere Only We Know by Keane
For a quieter and more emotional moment, Somewhere Only We Know can be a beautiful choice.
The song has a nostalgic feeling that works particularly well with photographs of familiar classrooms, playgrounds and school trips. It is one for the slideshow section if you want to guarantee a few tears.
You’ve Got a Friend in Me by Randy Newman
This Toy Story favourite is ideal for younger children or any year group with a special connection to the films.
It is warm, familiar and celebrates the friendships children have made at school. It also works beautifully as background music for photos of friends together.
Related: The Surprising Parenting Lessons We Took Away From Toy Story 5
The Nights by Avicii
The Nights is a fantastic choice for a leavers video or memory slideshow. It is all about making memories and living a life you will remember, which fits the occasion beautifully. The energetic sound keeps things uplifting, while the message encourages children to make the most of the adventures still ahead of them.
On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons
This cheerful song is perfect for celebrating everything the children have achieved.
It has a happy, energetic feel and would work brilliantly as children arrive, collect certificates or leave the assembly at the end.
Brave by Sara Bareilles
Brave is a wonderful choice for children who are about to face the unknown.
Moving to a new school can feel daunting, and this song encourages children to speak up, be themselves and face new experiences with confidence.
Memories by Maroon 5
For a reflective photo montage, Memories is an obvious choice. It focuses on remembering the people and moments that have been part of our lives.
This could be especially effective during a section showing photos from each school year, although you may want to balance it with something more upbeat afterwards.
Happy by Pharrell Williams
Not every moment of a leavers assembly needs to make everyone cry!
Happy is a brilliant choice for a lively entrance, a celebration video or a fun dance performance. It reminds everyone that leaving school is also a reason to celebrate.
How to Use Music in a Leavers Assembly
You do not have to choose just one song. Music can be woven throughout the whole assembly to help tell the story of the children’s time at school.
You could begin with something upbeat like Best Day of My Life, use Good Riddance or Somewhere Only We Know during a memory slideshow, sing Count on Me or Kindness in Our Hearts as a group and finish with Reach, Don’t Stop Believin’ or We’re All in This Together.
The best combination is usually a mixture of fun, friendship and emotion. That way, everyone gets the chance to laugh, remember and possibly shed a few happy tears.
Making the Leavers Assembly Personal
The most memorable leavers assemblies are the ones that feel personal to the children.
Ask the class which songs remind them of their time at school. There might be a song from a school play, a class favourite that everyone always sings or something that became part of a funny shared memory.
You could also ask each child to choose one song that represents their school years and create a class playlist. This can be played while families arrive or during a celebration after the assembly.
Related: 60+ Best Kids Party Songs for The Ultimate Disco Playlist
A Final Goodbye to an Amazing School Year
A leavers assembly is not only about saying goodbye. It is about celebrating friendships, remembering how much the children have grown and reminding them that there are so many exciting things still ahead.
Whether you choose an emotional classic like Never Forget, a friendship song like Count on Me, a message of kindness with Kindness in Our Hearts or a huge feel-good finale like Reach, the right music can turn a lovely assembly into a memory that children, teachers and families will carry with them for years to come.
Which song would you choose for a school leavers assembly? Share this post with a teacher, parent or anyone planning an end-of-school celebration.
More Song Recommendations
- Kindness Songs for Kids: Peety Paws – Let’s Have Some Fun
- Best Photo Montage Songs for Slideshows
- 60+ Best Kids Party Songs for The Ultimate Disco Playlist
- 10 Arabic Songs and Rhymes for Children
- 63 Best Fun Halloween Songs for Kids
- Best Christmas Songs for Kids