Dollar Academy
Dollar Academy, founded in 1818 by John McNabb, is an independent co-educational day and boarding school in Scotland. The open campus occupies a site in the centre of the town of Dollar in the county of Clackmannanshire, at the foot of the Ochil Hills. Overview. As of 2020, there are over 1200 pupils at Dollar Academy, making it the sixth largest independent school in Scotland. On a single campus, it is divided into three separate schools: the Prep School (Prep 1 to 5 for ages 5–10), the Junior School (Junior 1 and 2 for ages 10–12) and  the Senior School (Forms I to VI for ages 12–18). Around 90 of the pupils are boarders; the rest are day pupils, either from the village of Dollar itself or from the surrounding counties of Clackmannanshire, Stirlingshire, Perth and Kinross and Fife. Almost 50% of the boarding pupils are from overseas, with the rest being British nationals. The overall share of international students is relatively low at about 20% of all students. Dollar Academy has over 100 sports and recreational activities on offer to pupils after the school day and over the weekend. Academic. Dollar Academy follows the Scottish education  system, with pupils sitting National 5 examinations at the end of Form IV and Highers at the end of Form V and Form VI. Most courses in Form VI are at Advanced Higher level and a number of pupils study the Scottish Baccalaureate. All standard subjects are on offer at Dollar Academy. The school also teaches Classical Studies, Latin, and Mandarin. IT training is provided to all, and Music, Art, and Drama are compulsory for Forms I and II. History. Dollar was founded in 1818 following a bequest by Captain John McNab or McNabb. He captained, owned and leased out  many ships over the decades and it is known that at least four voyages transported black slaves to the West Indies in 1789–91, forty years before the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. In 2019, in order to understand the exact extent of John McNabb’s involvement in the slave trade, research into this was commissioned, in collaboration with external advisors. The school also teaches about McNabb's links to the slave trade in several subjects. McNabb bequeathed part of his fortune – £65,000, – to provide "a charity or school for the poor of the parish of Dollar where I was born . McNabb died in 1802 but it took another sixteen years before the school opened it doors, after much debate about how to use the bequest. The lands were granted by the local laird, Craufurd Tait of Harviestoun (d.1832). It was in 1815 that the Rev Dr Andrew Mylne DD (1776-1856), minister of Dollar, along with fellow trustees conceived of an academy to educate the boys and girls of the parish, and also pupils from outside Dollar, who would board with teachers. Full fees would be charged to 'non-residenters', while parish pupils would pay fees on a sliding scale	Dollar Academy
24842708	, with some receiving free education. To attract pupils from outside the parish, excellent teachers would be appointed. Architecture. In 1818, Rev. Mylne was appointed Rector of the new Academy and Scottish architect William Playfair was commissioned to design the building. Playfair also designed houses for teachers and boarders. As a result of the school’s growing size more accommodation was needed. Therefore, several classrooms and a large school hall were added in 1868, a gymnasium in 1893, and the Prep School was built in 1937. The interior of the Playfair Building" was gutted by a fire in 1961, but Playfair 's Greek-style outer facades remained intact. The interior was rebuilt on a plan based on central corridors with equal sized classrooms on both sides. An extra (second) floor was concealed, increasing the total available space. The school was re-opened in 1966 by former pupil Lord Heyworth, and the assembly hall was rebuilt after the fire. The school library is a "whispering gallery" because of its domed ceiling. Many other buildings have been added to the school over time- such as the "Dewar Building" for science and the "Maguire Building" for art and physical education. And in 2016 the  Westwater Building was added, named after Private George Philip Westwater, an FP killed in the First World War at Gallipoli. This building contains the Modern Languages department and two Economics classrooms. Boarding Houses. The original boarding accommodation was built at the same time as the original Playfair Building. These houses were situated in Academy Place to accommodate teachers and boarders. The existing boarding houses are all refurbished period buildings. There are spaces for 90 boarders in the Academy's three boarding houses. Both weekly boarders (Monday – Friday) and full boarders are accepted. Though the majority of pupils do not board , every pupil belongs to a House. Originally there were five boys' houses, instituted in 1911, hence the term "quint". The Quint Cup and House Cup are awarded annually at Prize-Giving. Today there are four quints: Quints. Former Pupils' children are traditionally put into the same house as their family members. The names of quints and houses were merged in 2009; previously, male quints followed the names: Castle (Atholl), Devon (Mar), Glen (Stewart), and Hill (Argyll). The fifth male quint was McNabb (purple) but this was dropped in 1937. Traditions. Each year full colours and half colours are awarded to  senior pupils for achievement in sporting or cultural pursuits. These awards merit piping on the school blazer (blue for cultural, white for sporting) and/or a distinctive blazer badge. Internationalists' Award ties are presented to pupils, prep, junior and senior, who has represented their country in sporting or cultural activities. Sixth Form pupils are also given a distinctive silver tie, and prefects wear white and blue bands round the blazer sleeves. The "senior six" (or "top six") are the most senior prefects in the school, elected by a ballot of Forms IV, V and VI. Those with the highest numbers of  votes are selected for the "College of Cardinals", who vote among themselves to elect a Head Boy, Head Girl and two deputies for each. Two school songs were composed in 1912, but neither was officially adopted. "Here in a Fair Green Valley…" by the poet W. K. Holmes and music by Marc Anthony became the official school song sung at prize-giving each year between 1929–1993. This was then replaced by the Academy Hymn, "O God of Bethel!" until 2007, when the popularity and metaphorical significance of "Will Your Anchor Hold?" (Hymn 412) caused it to be adopted for this  purpose. Combined Cadet Force and Pipe Band. Dollar Academy's CCF (Combined Cadet Force) have won the Scottish Schools' CCF Military skills competition (formerly the Highland CCF Tactical Competition) several times in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Dollar Academy's CCF was also the first Scottish CCF to win the Welbeck DSFC Cadet Leadership Challenge in 2013 and repeated this in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019. The CCF First Aid cadet team has also won at Scottish and National level every year since 2003. The school has two main Pipe Bands. The "A" band won the Scottish Schools CCF  Pipes and Drums competition every year from 2000 to 2012 and 2014 and 2015, as well as winning the RSPBA World Pipe Band Championships in 2010, 2014 and 2015. In 2013, the band was placed first at the last "Major" of the season, the Cowal Gathering. In 2015, the band won the Scottish, British, United Kingdom, European and World Championships, leading to them being awarded the title "Champion of Champions". Additionally, the Novice, or "B" band won the British, Scottish and European Championships in 2015, and was crowned "Champion of Champions". Prize day speakers. "(Before 1900 it seems there was  no invited speaker for Prize-Giving. The Chairman of Governors distributed the prizes. FP denotes a Former Pupil)"