Dollar Academy
Dollar Academy is situated in stunning countryside on a beautiful 70 acre campus in Central Scotland, just 35 minutes from Edinburgh Airport. The school benefits from excellent sporting facilities including a swimming pool, gym and strength and conditioning suite and 15 outdoor astroturf courts in the summer term. The Dollar Golf Club is adjacent to the school campus. Despite being surrounded by wide green spaces, Scotland’s major cities and their airports are within easy reach. Dollar is only a 20 minute drive from Stirling, 30 minutes from Perth and under an hour from Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Founded in 1818, Dollar has been at the forefront of Scottish education for over 200 years. The school is a fully co-ed day and boarding school for 5-18 year olds with around 1,275 pupils in total. There’s an innate understanding that the senior pupils look out for their younger counterparts meaning that the school community is more like that of an extended family. This creates a calm, friendly atmosphere that would be typical of a smaller school, although pupils benefit from the range of resources that a large school offers. The choice of academic subjects and co-curricular activities on offer at Dollar is unrivalled – the school believes that every child can be enthusiastic about something and provides a positive and supportive environment to nurture this behaviour.
Boarding is an important part of the school. The staff that take care of the boarders are known as ‘Houseparents’ rather than ‘Housemaster’ or ‘Housemistress’. This is testament to the genuine family feel and excellent pastoral care that’s present in each of the three boarding houses. Following an unannounced inspection visit by the Care Inspectorate in January 2017, the official rating on Dollar's boarding was graded at the highest Level 6 "Excellent" for the quality of care and support pupils receive. The report observed, “We saw highly sensitive and caring attitudes from boarding house staff, which helped them to clearly establish the ethos of home from home in a family atmosphere in the houses.”
More information on the school’s facilities, exam results and ethos can be found on the Dollar Academy website.
Scottish Education System
Like most schools in Scotland, Dollar follows the Scottish Curriculum, administered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). These qualifications are highly valued by universities across the UK and Europe.
The Scottish Education System is similar to that of the English. National 5s qualifications studied in Scotland are the equivalent of GCSEs. Due to the time out of study for tennis training and competition, National Academy players will have the opportunity to study fewer subjects. National Academy players based in Scotland will be required to study five National 5s which is equivalent to six GCSEs.
On completion of National 5s (GCSE equivalent) there are no standardised minimum academic study requirements, other than players must be engaged with study. In Scotland opportunities are provided to study Highers and Advanced Highers which equate to A Levels in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. More information about dual aspirations can be discussed with Performance Lifestyle Advisors at the National Academy.
What we think is important
Enjoyment of learning lies at the heart of this school, and the aim is for all pupils to gain satisfaction from a real commitment to study. Expectations are high at Dollar and the school believes that young people rise to a challenge and flourish in a culture of ambition.
Dollar has a great academic reputation but a truly excellent education is about far more than that. Activities out of class time are just as significant in the development of young people, and Dollar prides itself on the great range of activities on offer to pupils. The school boasts a vast facilitation for activities and sport on site and has a thriving tennis club with 15 outdoor astroturf courts in the summer term as well as three outdoor hard courts available throughout the year.
The school is well-resourced, very well-equipped, and has first class boarding facilities on site. Dollar is committed to providing the best possible environment for pupils, ensuring they all have access to the resources available.
This, together with the positive and friendly atmosphere, helps pupils to develop the self-confidence, social skills and character that can contribute so much to success and happiness in later life.
This focus on quality is also very apparent in the particular approach taken towards looking after pupils. Staff are supportive and attentive to the aspirations and happiness of every child. Dollar offers a very high level of care.
To check out the academy and read more about what facilities are on site please visit the Dollar Academy website.