Dundee High School?

9 replies

strugglingwriter · 02/05/2011 17:52

Is Dundee High School good? The HMIE report looks good, but I know that isnt everything.
Im considering the secondary, and the upper part of the primary (P5 and Y1 of the secondary).
Which are the best state schools in Dundee, and how do they compare to Dundee High School?

Thanks in advance

OP posts:

aig · 02/05/2011 18:33

I have no idea what DHS is like now - but when I went there (a very long time ago) it was filled with the children of Drs and academics who all went on to be worthy (doctors, lawyers, teachers etc - there was a strong ethos of public service).
I suspect, being Dundee, it hasn't changed much.....

Original poster

strugglingwriter · 02/05/2011 19:45

Thanks for your post aig. You sound ambivalent about the school?

Does anyone else have any advice or experience of this school?

OP posts:

handsomeharry · 02/05/2011 21:52

Dundee High School is still a great school. Their results are fantastic and a high proportion of pupils go on to university. IIRC there are a lot of extra curricular 'clubs' with quite an emphasis on sporting achievement. I certainly haven't heard any complaints about it only positive things.

The best state secondary in Dundee is Grove Academy in the Broughty Ferry area. To get into Grove Academy your best bet would be to try to find places in one of the 'feeder' primaries - Eastern, Forthill and Barnhill.

You will probably only get a place in one of those schools if you live in the catchment area as they are all big, popular schools.

PM me if you need any further info.

darleneoconnor · 02/05/2011 22:05

DHS isn't as high up the league tables as it used to be, I think because they lost out on a lot of academic pupils when the assisted places scheme was abolished. From what I've heard getting into S1 is very competitive and so a lot of parents put their DCs in earlier to ensure a place.

It has a virtual monopoly on the private school market in the area which has its pros and cons. AFAIAA it is a world away from the local state schools. But no school is the best school for every child and I know of 3 suicides of pupils who went there.

If you have a confident child who is academic or sporty or musical then it will cater for their needs but it can be a bit of an 'exam factory' esp for medicine. Also, despite the high numbers of pupils getting straight As it doesn't have a very good Oxbridge track record.

impartialme · 03/05/2011 15:24

Aig, if you would be happy to commute a few miles for another smaller co-ed independent school there's St Leonards in St Andrews. Takes boys and girls from P1 to P7 and from S1 (Year 8) upwards, doing GCSEs and then the International Baccalaureate in the Sixth Form. The kids love it there - great atmosphere, opportunities and excellent academic results. There are school bus runs between Dundee and St Leonards. May be worth your while arranging to take a look round the school anyway to see what you think.

impartialme · 03/05/2011 15:30

sorry, aig - I meant to address that to strugglingwriter!

flussymummy · 03/05/2011 18:41

I went to Grove Academy in the nineties and although it has a good reputation I wouldn't personally send my child there... Low expectations of pupils and a fair quantity of unsavoury characters from less pleasant feeder primary schools (one guy in my class was imprisoned for GBH the year we left school). It didn't stop me from achieving in my chosen career path but didn't help much either! I would agree about St Leonard's being the best option- the Dundee High kids were always nicely spoken and well presented but not any better equipped academically.

dontrunwithscissors · 18/05/2011 09:37

This is very interesting. I live in Broughty Ferry. My oldest will start school in August 2012, and my husband and I have been considering whether we can afford a private school. We're in the catchment area of Barnhill, and I'm not sure how good it is? I've heard it's very overcrowded. We'd prefer her to go to Forthill, but don't know whether we'd get a place. I've also heard that Grove Academy is a very good school, but I'm shocked that pupils there are allowed to go to school dressed so scruffily. I went to a bog-standard secondary, but if anyone turned up dressed like they do at Grove they would have been sent straight home. I know it seems like a small thing, but I think it's a reflection of wider attitudes and leadership within the school.

clayre · 18/05/2011 09:45

One of the children who was at nursery with my dd went to dhs when he started primary, i have ony spoke to his mum once since he started 3 years ago and she said he loved it had settled in well, he was very very very clever tho!

When i was at high school i knew people at dundee high and it was full of drugs and troulemakers as any other school!

Flip