Teacher of Mathematics

Dollar Academy has been a co-educational day and boarding school since its foundation in 1818. Today, it provides an exceptional all-round education to around 1,350 pupils aged 5-18. Our focus is on encouraging the individual talents and ambitions of every young person, in a positive and supportive environment that fosters the development of transferable skills, self-confidence and strong personal values. A belief in developing the whole person is central to the Dollar ethos. We have recently been named as the Sunday Times Scottish Independent School of the Year 2024. 

The school’s location is undoubtedly one of the most scenic in the country, set against the Ochil Hills and the historic Castle Campbell, but within easy reach of the major towns of the Central Belt and just 40 minutes from Edinburgh Airport. The Dollar community is welcoming and vibrant. The whole school sits within a single, stunning 70-acre campus.

We are looking for a capable and enthusiastic teacher with the ability to inspire and motivate pupils in Mathematics. The person appointed will be expected to teach the full range of courses offered from Form I to Form V. There is no requirement to have previously taught the Form VI Advanced Higher courses but an ability and willingness to teach at this level would be preferred. An honours degree in Mathematics or a closely related subject is required.

As a department we love teaching, discussing and doing Mathematics. We begin every department meeting with a Teaching and Learning focus and use Teams and One Drive to share and collaborate on resources. In 2023 we organised and hosted a one day workshop with Craig Barton and we regularly seek out opportunities for further CPD. We aim to help all of our pupils to achieve their full potential in Mathematics and to develop a love of the subject and a confidence in their ability. Throughout Forms I to V, pupils are placed in sets according to ability and those in lower sets benefit from small class sizes, whilst the upper sets are able to spend more time on sophisticated problems. The progress of all pupils is monitored closely through a programme of internal examinations, progress tests and low stakes quizzes and, importantly, formal and informal discussion within the department. In the 2023-24 session we have introduced the SPARX homework platform in Forms 1 to IV.

We currently prepare pupils for SQA National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher examinations. In the 2024-25 session we will also enter our top National 5 sets for the AQA Level 2 Further Maths Certificate. At all stages we attach a great deal of importance to number work and the development of independent thinking. Pupils are encouraged to see Mathematics not as a collection of disconnected rules but rather as an exciting, coherent and intensely logical language with wide applications and inherent value. Many of our most able pupils choose to enter both the UK Mathematical Challenge and the Scottish Mathematical Challenge and we have experienced much success in both of these competitions. In 2023 a team of Form IV – VI pupils entered the Ritangle competition for the first time and we run an additional Maths Module to stretch and challenge our Form V and VI pupils.

In a typical year the great majority of pupils achieve grade A or B at National 5, with roughly 70% gaining a grade A. Approximately 150 pupils sit Higher each year, with over 90% achieving grades A to C and, in 2023, 69% a grade A. Currently we present pupils for Advanced Higher Mathematics, Mathematics of Mechanics and Statistics with approximately 60 pupils each year taking these options.  A number of candidates sit more than one paper and many pupils go on to read Mathematics, Science, Engineering or Economics at a broad range of universities.

The Academy has a rich co-curricular programme in which all members of staff are expected to participate. 

Previous applicants need not re-apply