THE 31st edition of Parent Power has been published, naming Dollar Academy as the Scottish Independent School of the Year 2024 in recognition of its consistently high attainment and its commitment to pupils’ personal development and wellbeing.
The definitive guide to schools, which lets users search more than 1,600 schools by name, local authority, town and postcode, Parent Power identifies the highest-achieving schools across the UK, using the first set of true post-pandemic rankings of state and independent secondary schools since Covid-19 disrupted the education system.
The school was commended for its innovative approaches to supporting pupils wellbeing including bringing in a herd of alpacas to the 70-acre campus in the summer to help reduce exam stress. It was also recognised for initiatives such as a pedal-powered smoothie maker to give students food for thought in the dining room, which was refurbished last year as part the school’s continuing investment in the estate.
Ian Munro, Rector of Dollar Academy said: “Dollar is special in so many ways. We offer the widest range of academic subjects in the country, which are complemented by a full and varied co-curricular programme, and our spacious and very green campus is a calming and inspiring place to be. For me, however, the best thing about Dollar is the people who make up our community. Our pupils are talented, kind, and wonderfully grounded; and my colleagues are incredibly hard working and committed to ensuring the best possible outcomes for our young people. We are a successful school, filled with happy and very active children.”
