The Haut-Lac arts programme plays a central role in nurturing personal growth through creativity, self-expression and cultural appreciation.
With dedicated art rooms, fully-equipped music rooms and a professional stage, we enable students aged 3 to 18 to gain confidence by exploring the artistic disciplines through:
Step into the art room and you’ll feel it straight away – the hum of ideas taking shape, the quiet focus of students absorbed in their work, and the bursts of excitement when a concept finally clicks.
Each visual arts student follows their own path. We just encourage them to:
It’s on this journey that they discover the world through different lenses, and develop a deeper understanding of themselves.
Music making at Haut-Lac is just as creative and inclusive as it is rigorous and immersive.
We value its role in:
Students aged 3 and up explore music in class with a specialist teacher, but the most valuable experiences are often extra-curricular through student bands and choirs, and in private lessons on Wednesday afternoons.
In fact, what Haut-Lac musicians love most is being able to share and develop their passion together by preparing for and performing at school events, inter-school competitions or local shows.
Performing Arts at Haut-Lac is a dynamic and inclusive journey where creativity takes centre stage.
Students are encouraged to explore their artistic potential while honing essential skills like communication, reflection and autonomy. They deepen their understanding and grow as confident performers through every step of the artistic process, from planning and rehearsing to performing and evaluating.
Highlights on Haut-Lac School’s performing arts calendar are:
Haut-Lac has played an active role in developing the IB film curriculum since its days as a pioneer of the comprehensive programme in 2004.
Students start by learning the basics during the IBMYP and finish with extensive theoretical and practical film knowledge at the end of IB2.
Our two-year MYP film course enables students to develop their knowledge and appreciation of cinema through a combination of theoretical and practical approaches.
The first year is spent getting to grips with the various stages of modern filmmaking, namely scriptwriting, actor blocking, film editing and cinematography.
Students then hone their filmmaking skills in the second year by analysing existing films and undertaking various filmmaking exercises.
The thorough theoretical and practical IBDP film course takes students through the world’s major historical and cultural film movements, focusing strongly on industry standards and practices.
Students master a variety of media and their specific terminology before working together and using their newfound knowledge to make a series of short films.
It is a much appreciated course by Haut-Lac School students, who often continue to study film at a higher level after graduation.
From the IBCP Art & Design programme to the Haut-Lac LAMDA club, our school blog captures the creative moments that encourage students to showcase their talents.
Infant and primary students have specialist visual art and music lessons every week. Each year group also puts on an annual show involving drama, dance and music for their parents.
Middle school students aged 11-15 choose to study visual art, music and/or drama based on their interests and future goals.
High school students aged 16-18 can select one of the following IB Diploma subjects: visual art, film, music.
The Haut-Lac school campuses house three specialist art rooms, two fully-equipped music rooms, two design technology labs, a drama hall and a professional stage.
Yes, Haut-Lac students study visual art, music and drama with experienced specialist teachers.
Yes, secondary students study visual art, film, music and/or design according to the globally-renowned IBMYP, IBDP and IBCP curricula.
The IBCP Art & Design pathway combines IB Diploma academic rigour with specialist creative training through Haut-Lac’s partnership with SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design).
IBCP students take three IB Diploma courses alongside career-related studies in their chosen creative field – visual art, graphic design, illustration, photography, animation or other disciplines – to develop both academic skills and a professional-standard portfolio.
IBDP students taking Visual Arts or Film follow a broader curriculum without the intensive specialist training. The IBCP pathway suits students who know they want to pursue creative careers and benefit from expert instruction by SCAD faculty.
The Art & Design career-related study (CRS) module is delivered through Haut-Lac’s partnership with SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design)
How it works:
Students combine theory with practical application through real-world projects, case studies and portfolio development during SCAD lessons, and three IB Diploma courses at Haut-Lac.
The CRS module is assessed through coursework and practical assignments set by SCAD, with regular feedback to help students develop professional-standard work. By the end of the programme, students have built substantial creative expertise and a portfolio that demonstrates their readiness for top art and design institutions.
This collaborative approach means students benefit from both Haut-Lac’s pastoral care and academic expertise, and SCAD’s specialist knowledge.
Haut-Lac students actively create, perform and showcase their work throughout their time at school to develop their creativity and academic knowledge.
In the curriculum
Expert teachers deliver specialist art and music lessons to help students build technical skills and creative confidence from an early age.
Performance and showcase opportunities
After-school
Students can explore new passions or deepen existing ones in a relaxed, supportive environment during creative after-school clubs like drama, dance, music, photography and design.
Haut-Lac musicians, artists, actors and dancers get to discover and develop their talents through:
Haut-Lac students study music with a specialist teacher from the age of 3.
Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students participate in creative art activities in class to develop their fine motor skills and self-expression. From P3 (grade 3) through IB2 (grade 12), students explore visual art further with a specialist teacher.
Arts subjects in the IBDP use a combination of coursework and external assessment.
Visual Arts students create a substantial portfolio of artwork alongside written analysis and reflection. Film students produce their own films and complete written examinations on film theory and analysis.
Both subjects are graded on the IB’s 1-7 scale using criterion-based assessment. Work is marked internally by teachers and then moderated externally by IB examiners to ensure consistent international standards.
This assessment approach values both creative production and critical thinking, rewarding students who can both create excellent work and articulate their creative decisions.
