Past students from the High School of Dundee have gone on to be champions in various fields – so what’s the school’s recipe for success?
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The High School of Dundee has many former students to be proud of. To name just a few, there’s Sandy Mitchell, the youngest driver ever to compete in the British GT.
There are household TV names Martell Maxwell and Joanna Vanderham, internationally renowned scientist Professor Dame Anne Glover, and award-winning author and screenwriter Neil Forsyth. Not to mention William Tunstall-Pedoe, who played a key role in the technology behind Amazon’s Alexa.
And of course, most recently, distance runner Eilish McColgan won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
While these high profile successes are wonderful and a source of pride for the school, Rector Lise Hudson is keen to point out that they’re all shared success stories.
Lise explains: “These are snapshots of amazing moments or careers, but what it doesn’t necessarily speak to is the journey that got them there, and all the different things that need to feed into that to create that recipe for success.
“And that’s why I’m very much of the view that it is a shared success; everyone who’s been involved, including their teachers, family and the city of Dundee, is part of that success story.
“For every individual who achieves success, however that’s measured, it’s not down to one factor. But what I do believe is that it comes from taking the raw material that we get with young people, putting them in front of opportunities, and then supporting them to have the confidence that they can achieve anything they set their mind to.
“Perhaps most importantly though, alongside these high profile success stories, we are also equally proud of our young people who are quietly going about and being successful day-to-day, overcoming challenges and finding new opportunities.”
5 essential ingredients in High School of Dundee’s recipe for success
So how does The High School of Dundee help its students be successful? Lise believes that resilience, self-motivation and support are key for all pupils. Here are five ways the school helps build these core skills.
1. Understanding life is full of ups and downs
Lise explains that while happiness is something that the school naturally seeks to imbue in its pupils, being honest with young people and setting realistic expectations about life’s ups and downs is also vital.
She explains: “Perhaps there’s the expectation for young people that you should be happy all the time. If you’re not happy, there’s something wrong and you’re not doing what you should be doing. And maybe society is responsible for setting that up with that ‘the only thing that matters is that you’re happy’ attitude.
“But actually, you can’t be happy without also having times that you’re sad. We want to support our pupils and help them to realise that that’s ok.
“It’s a balance, managing those periods which are really difficult and challenging, and having a self- belief that you can tackle those times. Because often it’s difficult times that will teach you a lot. Overcoming them and finding the way through it teaches you a huge amount for the future, and that’s a crucial skill we strive to develop in our pupils.”
2. Encouraging a healthy attitude to failure
Students at the independent Dundee high school are also taught about the importance of failure. After all, failure is a tool for learning.
Lise says: “In terms of our young people, it’s about the balance between setting expectations and being clear and consistent about what those are, and then understanding that young people sometimes perhaps don’t meet those expectations or fall short of them.
“We are very proud of the superb exam results that our pupils achieve year on year. But we also realise that places on high tariff university courses may be the goal for some, but not for others. Traditional academic courses may be the passion for some, but for others exciting new fields of work may be the goal. We are committed to supporting every one of our pupils to realise their potential and follow their own individual dreams.
“It’s about your personal best, and knowing that doing your best is good enough.”
3. Helping students find their passion
The High School of Dundee encourages its pupils to give things a go, offering a varied range of co-curricular activities. Pupils can try team sports, playing in band or an orchestra, performing in a school play, going on outdoor expeditions, as well as the likes of volunteering in the community through Social Good Connect. There’s a chance for all pupils to get involved, whatever their level of ability.
Lisa advises: “Just give it a go. Get involved. If it’s not for you, then that’s fine. But you won’t know until you try. You can actually discover lots of amazing things and talents that you didn’t know you had.”
After all, finding a passion is great for confidence. Lise continues: “Our goal is to give our pupils the chance to find their passions and the things that make them tick. From this they find inner confidence, which will help them to navigate through the challenges that we can all face in life.”
4. Creating friendships that will last for life
Co-curricular activities are also highly valued at the High School of Dundee for the opportunities that they present and complex skills for life that they foster. Taking part in activities outwith the classroom is a great way for the pupils to meet likeminded friends.
After all, making friends at school is critical for most pupils. Lise explains: “It’s what our kids remember when they leave school. It’s not the mark they got in an assessment or an exam. What they remember are the shared experiences and the friendships that they still have 50 years later.”
5. Ongoing pastoral and learning support
Another important aspect of the school recipe for success is pastoral support. This begins with a Transition Co-ordinator helping P1 children to settle into school and develops throughout the Junior Years. In the secondary years, all teaching staff are empowered to offer pastoral support, alongside guidance teachers offering specialisms in issues like anxiety, bereavement and a range of wellbeing issues.
Then there’s also the learning support department, which provides appropriate and effective support for all pupils who have an additional support need, to enable them to enjoy and achieve in their education.
Find out more at the next High School of Dundee open morning
You can experience the High School of Dundee’s supportive and inspiring atmosphere for yourself at its next open morning. It’s happening in person on Saturday 1st October and involves a guided tour, as well as the chance to chat with current students and teaching staff.
It’s the best way to get a feel for the school and know if it’s right for your child and you.
Visitors are advised to register for the High School of Dundee open morning in advance online.
