Head of Chemistry

The High School of Dundee is one of Scotland’s leading independent schools and is among the oldest in the United Kingdom. It is the largest independent school in Tayside and Fife.  The School caters for boys and girls aged 5-18 and has a current roll of 1019 of whom 31 are in Nursery, 323 are in Junior School and 665 in the Senior School. It is the only independent school in Dundee and is situated in the heart of the City. The High School has a long history of academic success and its results in public examinations place it amongst the top ten schools, and often the top three to six, in the country.

The School’s history goes back to 1239 when the Abbot of Lindores was instructed to build a School in the new burgh of Dundee. Today the School now comprises eight adjacent buildings dating from 1834 to 2001. The Main Building and the Margaret Harris Building are Grade A listed buildings of historic importance. The School’s playing fields are situated at Mayfield and Dalnacraig, approximately one and a half miles from the School. A new £3 million Sports Centre adjacent to Mayfield opened in August 2006 and in 2012, two synthetic pitches involving an investment of £1.6 million were opened.

In recent years there has been major development and expansion of the School’s facilities, with an increase in the number of classrooms and laboratories, as well as social areas for pupils.  Strategic plans for future development of the School’s buildings and resources in the medium to long term are in place. In January 2013 the school acquired the former Head Post Office in Dundee adjacent to the school, which we now plan to develop into a centre of excellence for the performing and visual arts, housing music, drama and art and design. In addition we plan to move the dining hall and expand our social and conference facilities.

In order to ensure we remain at the forefront of Scottish education we have also invested heavily in ICT for learning and teaching. Following the installation of a wi-fi network throughout the school we have this year introduced iPads for all pupils from P6 to S3 inclusive. Older pupils may also bring in their own mobile devices to access the network.

Pupils are drawn from a wide area throughout Angus, Perthshire and Fife, as well as the City of Dundee and its suburbs. There is a long tradition within the School of maintaining a social mix and currently about 20% of pupils in the Senior School receive some level of financial assistance from the School’s Bursary Fund. The Board of Directors is committed to maintaining this number and to that end the Foundation of the High School of Dundee was set up in 2001 to raise funds for Bursaries and for future development and capital projects.

The main points of entry are at age 5 (P1), 10 (P6) and 12 (S1), though pupils join at all stages. All pupils entering Senior School (including our Junior School pupils) undergo an entrance assessment. The School follows the Scottish examination system through to Higher and Advanced Higher, and 90-95% of our leavers move on to university education.

The School places strong emphasis on co-curricular activities. Sport, music, debating and drama are particularly strong, as are the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and the School’s CCF.

The School works closely with the Former Pupil Association and other FP Clubs and encourages the fostering of links with the local community.

The School employs 244 teaching and administrative/support staff.  The Senior Management Team comprises the Rector, two Deputy Rectors, the Head of Junior School, the Bursar, and five Deputy Heads within the Senior and Junior Schools.
Dundee has undergone major change and regeneration in recent years. In parallel, so has the High School. Whilst not losing sight of its traditions and ethos, the School is a forward looking provider of progressive and aspirational education. Our investment in facilities and technology enables pupils of all ages to learn using the latest equipment and our modern curriculum and structured guidance system ensure every child can grow in confidence in a caring environment where high standards are paramount to future success.

Further details about the High School of Dundee are available on our website: www.highschoolofdundee.org.uk