Boarding

Entrance is by assessment and parents are encouraged to contact the school to discuss the interests and abilities of their child. Applications are accepted at any time of the year. Scholarships and bursaries are available.

We have a few, but most of our boarding pupils are full-time. We can offer flexibility, however, as parents’ and pupils’ needs change over time.

Yes. There is more information here.

There is a full programme of social and team building events and new pupils are paired with an existing boarder of the same age to help them in the first few weeks.

Yes. All meals and snacks are provided. A full laundry service is provided on-site, including mending and ironing. Dry cleaning is by separate arrangement. Bedrooms are cleaned daily.

Unlike some schools, we do not place a limit on the amount of personal belongings that our boarders may bring with them. There are some items that are considered essential, however. These are listed here – School uniform; One large suitcase and a smaller suitcase for holidays; One school bag, rucksack or sports bag for books and equipment; Sufficient underwear; Two pairs of pyjamas/sleep-wear, one dressing gown and one pair of slippers; One hot water bottle (optional); Spare name tapes; Toilet bag with all toilet requisites; Alarm clock; One duvet and two duvet covers; One pair of polyester cotton fitted single sheets and two polyester cotton pillow cases; Two bath towels and one sports towel.

Boarding pupils from outside the EU will need a visa and are required to have a guardian. We also recommend that pupils from within the EU have an appointed guardian within the UK, but this is not essential. The school can provide a list of suggested guardianship agencies if required, however we cannot make specific recommendations.
Guardians can offer a point of contact in an emergency, support during term time and an alternative holiday destination for short breaks. They can be friends or relatives appointed by the pupil’s family or a professional guardianship agency.

Being in a boarder at Dollar Academy is like being in a large family. Each House has its own live-in Houseparents; significantly they are known as ‘Houseparents’, rather than House ‘masters’ or ‘mistresses’. They are assisted by House Tutors who are teachers at the school and several Assistant Housestaff. Older pupils support the younger ones, and there are pupil Heads and their Deputies to help run the Houses. The Rector (Headmaster) and Deputy Rector are in overall charge and visit the houses regularly to meet the pupils and staff.

Boarders are a defining feature of life at Dollar and the school was one of the first day and boarding schools in the world to accept both boys and girls on a co-educational basis. We have three Boarding Houses, which are all decorated and equipped to the highest standard and offer pupils access to outstanding teaching and facilities. The boarding community at Dollar is very friendly and our boarding pupils benefit from the enjoyment of living in a community of friends and the opportunity to gain confidence and independence with the support of a large team of Houseparents and House tutors who enable them to do their best.

Boys and girls live in separate Houses, although they mix freely at school and are allowed to visit each others’ houses. Seniors usually have their own room, while younger pupils share with one or two others. Each boarder has their own bed, desk, wardrobe and drawers. There is lots of storage and rooms are all spacious and bright. There are plenty of shower rooms and bathrooms and each boarding house has its own computer suite, living rooms and dining kitchen. Each boarding house also has its own large, private garden with barbecue and patio areas.

Many pupils board with us because they wish to benefit from the teaching and facilities on offer at Dollar Academy but their family home is too far away for them to attend as day pupils. A reasonable number of our boarders live locally and choose to board in order to maximise their chances in examinations by saving travel time and having specialist teaching staff available to help with homework. Senior pupils often choose to board to prepare for university, to build confidence and independence. Some pupils board because of their parents’ work commitments; the family benefit from the caring home-from-home environment offered in our Boarding Houses.

There are plenty of activities to keep our boarders occupied at weekends. Many will choose to be involved in sports fixtures on Saturday morning. Every Sunday afternoon there is a full programme of trips to interesting places and fun events, including sporting events, theme parks, paintballing, go-karting, laser quest, treasure hunts, climbing walls, shopping trips, the cinema, shows and concerts. Boarders can make use of the excellent sports and recreational facilities on site including grass and all-weather playing surfaces, a fitness suite, swimming pool, sports halls and music rooms. They can also visit day pupil friends, or go into town, within reasonable limits and with permissions in place. Senior boarders are permitted to visit Edinburgh and Glasgow for the day. All organised excursions are accompanied, and pupils are always given safe and appropriate guidelines for their own activities.