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Haig Girls' School

Arts Education

Discover how our Arts Education nurtures creative, confident and reflective learners.

Last updated on 1 October 2026

Arts Education

The aims of Arts education at Haig Girls’ School (HGS), through both our curriculum and co-curriculum, are to develop learners who are able to:

An illustrated diagram featuring a cartoon girl in a yellow school pinafore, surrounded by a glowing yellow circle. Red "ARTS" labels appear as thought bubbles above her head and as heart shapes she holds. Five learning outcomes are listed around her: (1) Express themselves in and through arts, (2) Appreciate and respond to the arts, (3) Appreciate our cultural heritage in relationship to global arts and culture, (4) Embrace ambiguity and be open to diverse perspectives, and (5) Think critically and creatively. A standalone version of the same cartoon girl appears to the right.

At HGS, the Arts are central to our holistic education, cultivating creativity, confident self-expression and adaptive thinking — equipping our girls with the 21st Century Competencies needed to thrive in a changing world. Through authentic, inquiry-driven experiences, students develop their voice and learn to engage the world with empathy and perspective. Anchored in the school’s values of Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, Integrity, Compassion and Humility, the Arts nurture both character and competence, shaping confident and reflective contributors to society.

Arts Learning Experience

The HGS Arts learning experience supports student agency by placing learners at the heart of the process. Through meaningful creation, reflection and collaboration, they develop confident voices, thoughtful decision-making and a strong sense of responsibility. Guided by Understanding by Design (UbD) and Differentiated Instruction (DI), learning is experiential and inquiry-driven in authentic contexts, cultivating empathy and resilience.

A Venn diagram showing the Arts curriculum framework, centred on a cartoon girl in a yellow school pinafore holding red "ARTS" heart shapes. The diagram has three overlapping circles labelled Content, Assessment, and Pedagogy, all enclosed within a larger oval. Content describes an emergent curriculum fulfilling syllabus outcomes through activities and projects planned around students' skills, needs, and interests. Assessment is formative, process-focused, and provides feedback to develop self-monitoring skills. Pedagogy is experiential, differentiated, collaborative, problem-based, and inquiry-based. The left side of the oval is labelled "To Create, Listen and Perform Music" and includes integration of UbD and DI, and authentic in and out of classroom learning contexts. The right side is labelled "To See, Express and Appreciate Art" and includes collaborative creation, showcase, and performances.

Music

The Music Curriculum Structure follows the MOE Music Syllabus and is organised around three Learning Outcomes (LOs):

A diagram showing three Music learning outcomes in rounded green-bordered boxes. LO1: Listen and Respond to Music. LO2: Create Music in both vocal and instrumental settings, individually and collaboratively. LO3: Perform Music in both vocal and instrumental settings, individually and collaboratively, where students respectively (A) Sing and (B) Play Instruments. Below the boxes, text reads: "while making connections with authentic learning contexts integrating musical elements and concepts.

Music at HGS is shaped by three key approaches: Kodály-inspired practice, play-based learning and ensemble participation. Kodály-inspired, multi-modal experiences strengthen understanding from sound to symbol. Play-based learning through games, rhymes and folk songs fosters joyful engagement, creativity and musical fluency.

Ensemble participation places students at the heart of the musical process. Through vocal and instrumental collaboration, students develop agency, voice and choice — expressing ideas confidently and making meaningful musical decisions within a shared sound.

Art

The Art curriculum at Haig Girls’ School is aligned with the MOE Art Syllabus aims to enjoy art, communicate visually, and make meaning through connecting with society and culture. Three core learning experiences anchor art learning across primary schools in Singapore:

Three yellow square icons representing Visual Arts activities: Drawing (pencil icon), Museum Based Learning (icon of figures viewing a framed portrait), and Exhibition (icon of a framed artwork on display with barriers). A note below reads: "*Primary 4 only.

Through these experiences, students engage with art as artist, audience and curator. They work both independently and collaboratively — generating ideas, responding to artworks and presenting their creations. In doing so, they learn to observe closely, express themselves meaningfully, and connect with the world around them.

Authentic and Multi-Dimensional Learning Experiences in Art

Students will experience Art:

An illustrated diagram showing three roles students take on during an art exhibition. As Curators (illustrated with a figure standing beside two framed artworks): frame or mount their artworks, curate the exhibition through theme setting, decide how to display their artworks, and put up the artworks for display. As Artist (illustrated with a blank canvas on an easel): present artwork and communicate with the audience. As Audience (illustrated with a crowd of people): observe museum etiquette and respond to artworks.

Assessment

Assessment in Art is conducted through a range of modes to capture students’ learning and artistic growth. These include teacher observation, students’ assignments and written work, as well as portfolio documentation. Portfolios comprise process work, research and sketches, reflections, evidence of improvement, and artists’ statements, providing a comprehensive view of each student’s development over time.

An infographic on Music Formative Assessment. At the top, two blue boxes state: "Once a semester, through performance task and marked by teacher-observation" and "Based on the three learning outcomes and musical elements and concepts taught." Under the heading "Formative Assessment," three peach-coloured boxes show: Performance Tasks (illustrated with musical instruments), Teacher Observation (illustrated with a teacher and students), and Grade Descriptors with three levels — A (Accomplished), B (Competent), and C (Developing). Under the heading "Evidence of Learning," four yellow boxes show: Music Performance, Listening and Responding, Written work (e.g. music composition), and Presentation, connected by yellow dots in a sequence.