Why teach at Dollar?

• Children keen to learn - hard working, sharply observant, and amiable.
• Magnificent setting at the heart of a small country town - but not far from main population centres.
• Superbly equipped teaching environments.
• Outstanding academic results (see Dollar website).
• Huge range of extra-curricular opportunities.
• Positive and committed staff, who genuinely welcome incomers.

			Amy Marshall I can’t imagine a better way to start the working day than with a walk from a flat overlooking open hillside, through the historic Bridge Street at the heart of old Dollar, across beautiful grounds with mature trees and dewy lawns set beneath the rolling slopes of the Ochils, past the pillared entrance of the main building and on towards the gleaming new art department. This is just the start of what there is to enjoy about teaching at Dollar Academy: there is good humoured conversation with colleagues over hearty, healthy Dollar lunches; setting out for Duke of Edinburgh Expeditions to the most remote and stunning parts of Scotland; watching pupils perform like professionals in plays and concerts; art trips to Berlin and Paris; endless opportunities for involving pupils in outdoor activities such as skiing and rock climbing, to name but a few. Most importantly of all there is the enjoyment of working with likeminded, enthusiastic and energetic staff, and with pleasant, polite and motivated pupils
Amy Marshall Teacher of Art Appointed 2005 Previously taught at Gordano School, Bristol

Who teaches at Dollar?

• Professionals committed to working with young people in and out of the classroom.
• Fully qualified, GTC registered teachers.
• Teachers who have come through Enhanced Disclosure by Disclosure Scotland (Dollar Academy picks up the bill).
• Secondary specialists who might wish to develop their subjects throughout a 5-18 curriculum.
• Primary specialists who like to be involved in the continuing progress of children after they leave the Prep and Junior School.

Support for new teachers?

• Newly qualified teachers are supported through to full registration.
• Successful probationers generally continue in Dollar after completing registration.
• Regular meetings held with all new staff - mixing new entrants to the profession and experienced teachers arriving in Dollar.

How good are the resources?

• Classrooms and labs are modern and well-equipped.
• Annual departmental reviews lead to provision of new equipment.
• Over 300 computers on the school and boarding house network.
• Innovation is valued - in ICT as in all learning areas.

Opportunities for professional development?

• All aspects of Dollar Academy are reviewed annually.
• Governors allocate significant resources for courses.
• Individual staff needs are identified and actioned.
• All focus is on teaching and learning - and is relevant to the needs of pupils.
• Extra-curricular qualifications - mountain leadership, DofE, available.
• Many staff are involved in SQA, LTS, HMC and SCIS environments. A number of external agencies are closely linked with Dollar's professional teaching staff.
• Membership of professional associations is encouraged, and there is an internal association for Dollar's teachers in addition - DATA.

			Andrew Morton A teacher who arrived recently at Dollar said he felt he had died and gone to heaven. He was right. Teaching at Dollar Academy is a great privilege, and I regard myself as enormously lucky. Pupils work hard and play hard, extra-curricular activities flourish, and innovation is rewarded, not stifled.
Andrew Morton Head of Biology Principal Assessor Higher Human Biology Appointed 1985 Previously PT Biology in Broxburn Academy

Long-term prospects for those joining the staff?

• There are many promoted posts in subject areas, in co-ordinator posts and in guidance.
• Internal promotion is available where appropriate for members of teaching staff.
• Eight members of staff have gone on to headships in the past fifteen years.
• The views of all members of staff are welcomed and respected.

How are salaries calculated?

• Dollar does not participate in the Chartered Teacher scheme - but all permanent members of the teaching staff receive a 10% enhancement on the standard Scottish salary scale (McCrone).
• Staff children attending the Academy, from their admission, pay reduced fees - currently 25% of school fee for Junior School and Senior School children, and 75% of school fee for Prep School children.
• Teachers are members of the Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Scheme which has easy transfer arrangements with other UK government pension schemes.
• Governors have set up further insurance schemes for staff.

Where do Dollar's teachers come from?

• Current staff are graduates of universities in Scotland, in England, in mainland Europe, in the USA and in Canada.
• Teachers join from PGCE courses, from graduate teacher programmes, from independent and from state school experience.
• Some teachers currently on the staff have backgrounds in finance, in professional sport, in music and in research (in university and in industry).

			Euan Bruce Balance is one of the hardest things to achieve in education; there are so many constantly evolving factors. It has been achieved at Dollar Academy. The relaxed and friendly atmosphere is somehow weighted perfectly against a fiercely ambitious academic and sporting tradition. Dollar Academy is one of those places where you feel like you are in the right place at the right time. As a new teacher, I find that for every problem I encounter, there are ten staff members or pupils ready and willing to lend a hand.
Euan Bruce Teacher of English Appointed August 2006 Completed PGCE after travelling, study and running a seasonal surf tour company. Previously taught at The Royal High School, Edinburgh

Housing in the area?

• Fifteen years ago, over 80% of the teaching staff lived in the town of Dollar. Now, fewer than 30% live in Dollar itself.
• Staff travel daily from Edinburgh, from Stirling, from Perth and from towns in Fife. Elaborate car pool arrangements operate.
• Housing around Dollar is reasonably priced in comparison with city prices. There is rented accommodation generally available.
• Dollar is easily accessed from all round - and it is easier to drive into Dollar than into a main city in central Scotland (see map on website).
• Dollar is good for family life, with nursery facilities and a choice of primary schools. Partners have recently found employment in financial services in Edinburgh, in the widespread computer industry and at the BP plant at Grangemouth.
• Edinburgh is 35 miles away, Perth 25, Stirling 12, and Dunfermline 16.
  
  

Dollar is an independent school. What does that mean?

• An HMC school, Dollar is one of approximately 240 such schools in the UK, and one of 19 in Scotland - HMC is a "kite mark" of quality, academically and in all-round provision.
• Dollar follows the Scottish curriculum - but is free to develop its own specialisms. Thus, the extraordinary strengths, for instance, in junior science and in biotechnology.
• Dollar is keen to innovate and to develop, but is not obliged to leap at the latest educational craze.
• The Governors of Dollar Academy Trust are responsible for the management of the school, and they bring immense knowledge and expertise from a range of fields to their task.
• The needs and aspirations of our pupils are at the centre of what we do here, and we encourage our leavers to make their future world a better place for others.
• Dollar remains a magnet with many former pupils of all ages visiting the Academy.

What type of teacher does Dollar look for?

• Men and women who genuinely want to advance the powerful learning environment here.
• Good academic qualifications, genuine interest in young people and a sense of humour are paramount.
• Real enthusiasm for the personal development of individual children and young people.

			Heather Moore At the end of the summer, I sat on a plane to Britain, dreaming of the sunny weeks spent climbing in California's Sierra Nevada range. Glancing around, despondent, my eye fell upon a family poring over Dollar literature. Suddenly, California forgotten, my only thought was to squeeze out of my seat to speak to them. Suddenly, I could not wait to get back to Dollar, to re-discover my pupils, to re-visit my classroom, to see again the green hills beyond the school, to return to my life. Suddenly, I realised that - American or not, all other exotic and alluring locations aside - Dollar was my chosen home. And now, I could not wait for the first day of term.
Heather Moore Teacher of English Appointed 2002 Appointed from graduate teacher programme after studying at Boston and Glasgow Universities

How do Dollar teachers relax?

• They use Edinburgh Airport (40 minutes away) to access the rest of the UK and Europe, and there are now direct flights to New York.
• They find adventure in the open spaces to the north of Dollar. There are 20 Munroes (peaks over 3,000 feet) within a one hour drive, and numerous outdoor experts on the staff.
• Edinburgh and Glasgow are exciting international cities.
• Within an hour, there is top quality theatre in Edinburgh, in Glasgow, in Dundee, in Stirling, in Perth, in St Andrews and in Pitlochry.
• There is designated staff time in the Academy swimming pool, and within twelve months, the new fitness centre will be available.
• There are 30 golf courses within 30 minutes of the school. Membership at the challenging hill club at Dollar is £180 per year; Muckhart, with 36 holes, is two miles away and costs £300.
• Gleneagles Hotel (hosting the 2005 G8 Summit) is 20 minutes away and it has world-class leisure facilities.
• T in the Park, Scotland's premier rock festival, happens each July at Balado, 10 miles away, while the SECC in Glasgow and the Playhouse in Edinburgh are top venues for visiting musicians.
• There are dramatic locations for water sports - kayaking, windsurfing, diving and fishing, and it is easy to access the great island landscapes (Arran, Islay and Jura for example) from here in central Scotland.
• St Andrews, the home of golf, is at the end of the main trunk road going through Dollar; Murrayfield rugby stadium is on this side of Edinburgh; all the main football grounds are within two hours.
• Locally produced venison, wild salmon and the best of Scottish fare are readily available in the area. The local independent brewery, Harviestoun, has once again won the award for the best beer in Britain - the celebrated 'Bitter and Twisted'.

			Julia Adamson The great joy of working at Dollar derives from the school philosophy which challenges both the staff and the pupils to explore new skills. As a result, there is a real sense of shared adventure amongst the children and their teachers, much laughter, and genuine recognition of what has been achieved.
Julia Adamson Assistant Head of Prep School Appointed 1989 Previously taught in St Margaret's Primary School, Polmont

The future?

• A major new building has now been completed, linking Art, Physical Education and Drama. This building reflects not only real strengths in Dollar Academy, but also future imaginative projections for Dollar's curriculum.

© JSR 2004