Senior

Dollar’s super-curriculum is much more varied and modern than you might expect and a wider range of SQA examination subjects is available than at any other school in Scotland. In Form VI, optional modules run in subjects as diverse as Microbiology, Astronomy, Philosophy and Italian, to mention just a few. Pupils lower down the school also benefit from this breadth and subjects such as coding, robotics, debating, cooking and classics are taken by all.

We start with a broad range of subjects in Form I and Form II to allow growing minds to find out what interests them most. Form III sees pupils select seven or eight subjects and begin the two-year National Qualifications course before eventually going on to Highers in Form V. Higher examinations are taken in five subjects in this year with a range of options, including Advanced Highers, being available in Form VI. Our pupils are rightly ambitious and recently collected statistics indicate our pupils do more Advanced Highers on a pro-rata basis than anywhere else in Scotland. Advanced Highers, with their emphasis on project work, are excellent preparation for university and beyond.

Dollar offers support for Senior pupils who interested in pursuing Travel Scholarships. To find out more, click here.

We’re hugely proud of the results our pupils consistently achieve here at Dollar. In 2018, for example, pupils in Form VI attained a remarkable pass rate of 96% at Advanced Higher, with 63% of these at A grade. In Form V, the pass rate at Higher was 95% with 63% of passes at grade A. No less than 43 pupils gained at least 5 A-grades – the second-highest figure on record.

How are these results achieved? Good teaching is essential, but equally we all know that a happy child learns more effectively than an unhappy one. We work hard to create a supportive environment emphasising kindness. Central to this is our dedicated guidance team consisting of Heads and Assistant Heads of Year, and our School Counsellor. That said, Dollar Academy pupils are always able to talk to any teacher when they need support. For any children who experience barriers to learning during their time at school, our Support for Learning Department can help meet each individual set of needs.

We help our senior pupils with careers advice, careful university entrance support and work experience. Our remit doesn’t stop at the end of Form VI and we continue to support many of our pupils after they have left school.