Schola Clara Issue 9: Winter 2024

A Message From Our Editors Contents

Dear Reader,

Hello again, and welcome to the 2024 edition of Schola Clara, our school community magazine. This year has been another busy one at HSD, with new renovations made to our social spaces and dining facilities, and just as many trips, shows, and events as ever!

For the two of us, 2024 has been our first full calendar year as staff at the High School, and it’s been a privilege getting to know the pupils, colleagues, and wider community which make this place so special. Of all the new faces we’ve met over the past 12 months, everyone has been so welcoming, and the support and encouragement has made adapting to our complex (and occasionally hectic!) roles much easier.

In the following pages, you’ll get a chance to learn about some of the incredible things which are happening at the school – from trips across the globe and Scotland-wide conferences to girls teaming up to break into the world of investing and pupils thrilling on the stage. We’ll also share stories from some outstanding former pupils, including top medical researchers, an entrepreneur who’s leading her own creative agency after years working with Condé Nast and the Annie Leibovitz studio, a former military attaché, and our oldest alumnus.

We hope their stories will remind you what a wonderful community HSD has, and how much work goes into preparing our young people to succeed and thrive in the “real world”. Beyond the excellent exam results, this is a school which creates strong, confident young people, forges friendships for life, and provides unforgettable memories. In the coming weeks and months, there will be plenty of chances for our community to meet up, so please keep your eyes peeled if you’d like to support the school and reconnect with familiar faces.

Please

Thanks for reading,

Zoë Urquhart and Matteo Bell Digital Communications Coordinator and Communications

Interview With Lise Hudson

Lise Hudson has worked at the High School of Dundee for more than 30 years and has now spent almost half a decade as the School’s Rector. Following a year of fantastic events, brilliant performances, and incredible education, we sat down with her to reflect and look forward to the year ahead.

So, we’re getting to the end of another calendar year now. Looking back on this year, what have been the highlights?

When I think of the highlights, my mind immediately goes to all the wonderful performances and events that are just part and parcel of school life.

This summer, we had another amazing Festival of Sport, which was an integrated event right across the whole community and celebrated not just the sporting talent at the School, but also Enterprise, Volunteering, Fundraising, Musical Performances, and fun as well. That was definitely a highlight for me.

The Senior Musical is also always a particular highlight. This year’s was Whistle Down the Wind, which is one of the less well-known Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals. We had a fantastic cast – expectations were high from We Will Rock You in 2022 – and, as usual, Lindsay Drummond (now Carne!) is a genius when it comes to picking the right show for our young people, along with our Director of Music and Producer. It was a complete triumph, and I always think that we look back to recent years; Les Mis and Fiddler On The Roof, and think they can’t be bettered, but they always are. Our kids really rise to the occasion- they are extraordinary!

More recently, the Social Inequalities Conference was a real highlight for me. I think that was a demonstration of what we can do as a community when there’s a determination to find a way through the barriers which often exist - particularly in the current climate. As a result of the UK Government’s decision to add VAT to Independent School Fees, there are naturally questions as to the extent we can continue to reach out into our community to improve outcomes for young people, particularly in the local community. One of the inevitable things is that it’s going to make more of the outreach and resource allocation from the School trickier. That’s one of the things that really encouraged me about the Conference – the response was completely overwhelming.

These are just the highlights that spring to mind, but every week I’m humbled by what our community achieves, and the challenge is to pay tribute to that and celebrate it!

There have also been a few changes at the School this year, in terms of dining and social spaces. Would you like to tell us a bit about that?

I think that one of the things which has been a bit of a limitation in the School has been its catering and dining facility around the corner. The Abertay building has served us very well for many years, but what we’ve lacked is a focus on the needs of our young people when they’re not in classrooms. Our classrooms are superbly resourced, we

invest in the buildings and the infrastructure in that way, but what we’ve perhaps not done, apart from F6 with their common room, is think about where our young people go when they’re not in classes. Therefore, I’m hugely proud of the fact that we’ve now developed the back playground. Our new caterers Aramark have created ‘The Pod’ for serving food, coffee, hot chocolate, pastries in the morning, and even free porridge for all Staff and Pupils. In addition, we have created three new social spaces. This has been made possible by our former pupils through the Foundation and the generous donations curated by Sheena Leadbitter which are invested back into the School.

These are spaces that our young people can start to take ownership of and be responsible for, with a view toward moving out of the Dining Room at Abertay and bringing the entire catering function down to the Main Building.

It’s been amazing to me, particularly seeing the 1st XV Boys rugby and 1st XI Girls Hockey teams deciding to go up and have our School lunches, which are very nutritious and filling. They’re properly fuelling up and encouraging the younger pupils to do so too! I’m really positive about these developments and new spaces and facilities which enhance the social, emotional and nutritional development of our pupils.

I imagine you can get quite a good view of the new social spaces from your office. What has the response been like?

Well, there’s a really good buzz out there. It’s great for me being able to watch what’s going on particularly at break time during that morning rush. The umbrellas and the picnic tables are really good as well, they create a focus for little groups of pupils.

I like having that buzz of discussion and fun out there – it’s been a real improvement.

Last year, you told me that your hope for the year ahead was that the School would engage more with the community. Do you feel that’s something we’ve been able to achieve this year, and do you hope to see more of it going forward?

Yes, absolutely. This year’s Social Inequalities Conference, along with the money raised for charity through our fundraising - £38,000 last year – and the 10,000 hours of volunteering, brings a huge benefit to our community while, hopefully, having a positive impact beyond the School.

I continue to be committed to that from a Core Values point of view – we just need to work together to embrace and overcome the challenges which exist in the current climate.

I’m glad you’ve mentioned challenge, because that’s something I wanted to talk about as well. I’ve heard you talking about the Three C’s recently – Compassion, Challenge and Collaboration. Where did those come from?

That’s a really good question. I think one of the challenges when you’ve been in an organisation for a long time is to really clearly articulate what your philosophy is; your why! It happens so gradually that you think its obvious to people, but that may not be the case. The Three C’s came about as a result of working collaboratively with my SLT (Senior Leadership Team). They were very supportive and encouraging, but also quite clear that they needed clarity and a framework for how we step forward. They helped me articulate a philosophy which underpins our Core Values and gives us a direction of travel or a touchstone to come back to. This became the Three C’s.

We’re now in the process of embedding the philosophy and talking about it, but also making it a bit more formal in terms of our processes. I hope this allows us to bring consistency of approach, to try and demonstrate that, when we’re faced with a challenge, we stop and think: Compassion comes first. It is vital that we consider the human reaction to our communications and actions. It is a key driver for me as Rector and one that I try to model in everything that I do and lead.

The second C is to embrace Challenge. In some ways, this is the more difficult of the Three C’s, because challenge is often seen as a negative. I want us to reframe the idea of challenge to see it as an opportunity. Welcoming a challenge allows us to open ourselves to potential failure, in order to learn from our experiences. It speaks to two of our Core Values – resilience and confidence in particular.

Finally, Collaboration is the community aspect of working together. We’re stronger together, with all our different skills brought together in a compassionate way which embraces challenge.

So, looking forward now, how do you see next year going at HSD?

Despite numerous reasons for joy and positivity, we are also facing a significant challenge; the impact of the UK government’s decision to apply VAT to school fees, at the full 20%, mid-session and without any meaningful consultation. Put simply, the introduction of VAT has made it more expensive for families to access a High School Education. There are immense pressures on our families and now is the time that we must double down on our vision and be confident in the exceptional recipe for success here at HSD.

Our mission has always been about providing the best education to pupils of diverse backgrounds. This principle is at the heart of who we are and why we exist. It’s in HSD’s DNA!

This is where our former pupils come in. Our FPs have always been integral to the life of the school—not just as its living history, but as part of its foundation and future.

Our Bursary Fund is a lifeline for pupils and their families who might otherwise be unable to join or remain at the High School of Dundee. It ensures that talent, not financial circumstance, determines access to the exceptional education we offer. This fund is more critical than ever. By supporting our Bursary Fund, former pupils and supporters of HSD can ensure that the doors of the High School of

Dundee remain open to all who aspire to excel here, regardless of their financial situation. Every contribution to the Bursary Fund, no matter the size, makes a difference.

Our FPs and supporters already use their influence to spread the word about HSD. Many already mentor current pupils, offer internships, or speak at school events. I want to thank the whole High School Family for helping us overcome and indeed embrace this challenge.

How important is the community to the current and future success of the School?

The High School has stood the test of time because it is a community—a family that believes in the power of education to transform lives. It is a place that has shaped the aspirations of countless young people and sent them into the world prepared to excel, to lead, and to make a real difference, with friends for life! Our FPs are living proof of that mission, and the support from this community ensures that future generations will have the same opportunities they had and will follow in their footsteps.

When I talk about our School, I’m not thinking about the buildings. I’m thinking about the people who make up the School, and I’ve always felt I’m a custodian of that as Rector. I take this responsibility very seriously indeed. I aspire to honour the legacy which has been created and be boldinnovating, harnessing and realising potential wherever it lies. So, I think that our community is absolutely key – it’s the most important thing.

The final thing I wanted to ask is if you have a message for the year ahead. Is there anything you want our community to keep in mind as we head into 2025?

When you encounter a challenge, as I said earlier, it’s an opportunity. Now is the time for us to be confident. High School pupils are humble – it’s a real superpower – but what we need to do now is step up and be confident to really celebrate what we do here and what a High School Education is all about.

It’s about excellence and aspiration across the piece. It’s about not necessarily being very good at just one thing but being very good at lots of things and being able to flex your abilities and talents in the real world.

We need to be confident in what we do. It’s not a time for hiding our light under a bushel. It’s time for stepping forward and being proud again of what the High School is all about. The way through this is together – to put aside what sometimes divides us and really work collaboratively together.

That brings us back to the Three C’s. Now more than ever, we need to treat people in a way which is human, understand where they’re coming from, and show compassion. We need to embrace the challenge and step up to it, and thirdly we need to collaborate and work together.

Here’s to 2025 and beyond!

House Reports

Airlie

As Airlie captains we share the same objective of winning the House Shield at the end of the year. To reach this goal we plan to keep a strong momentum going throughout. Our focus is to create a unique relationship with our younger pupils in Airlie. We have created a casual and light-hearted bond between all Airlie pupils to help enhance their school experience, with regular communication, which has allowed us to achieve involvement across all year groups.

We work hard to connect with the school and encourage students to join house events. Our efforts include regular Instagram posts, fun and creative posters around the school, and emails that reach all students.

We have kicked off this year strongly, as we are currently in first place in the overall standings. We have achieved success in our recent events: House Choir, we blew the roof off with our incredible performance; we have won all poster competitions with our fantastic artistic pupils portraying their skills; and are having much success in House Sport competitions where pupils have shown their teamwork and passion across Junior and Senior Years. It’s been great to see everyone getting involved in all house events and we look forward to seeing this again after the Christmas break.

Our ambitions for 2025 are to continue our winning streak and have as much participation as possible. We cannot achieve our goals without all our Airlie dragons with us! As captains we like to think outside the box and lead by the moto; ‘Go big or go home!’ Our hope for this year is to leave a lasting legacy for future captains to look back on and be encouraged by our drive, enthusiasm, and values, to not only win but create a unified and ambitious environment within our house.

Your Captains, Ruby, Euan, Nathan, and Ella

Aystree

Being in a position of responsibility and leadership for Aystree is such an exciting and rewarding experience. Working alongside one another has not only strengthened our bond but also helped us grow as individuals.

We have learned to combine each other’s strengths and work in harmony. We encourage and support younger pupils to create a healthy competitive spirit for all. We are proud to have been given such a beneficial opportunity and strive to do the school proud!

We believe our mascot, the alpha wolf, says a lot about who we are as a house and what we stand for. Wolves do not just lead – they protect and support the whole pack, ensuring the pack works together to thrive. That is what we do in Aystree. Teamwork is so important, whether it is in sports, music, or other pursuits, we pride ourselves as being a house that supports and uplifts one another. So far, we have shown this through our tremendous team spirit in a variety of activities, from choir to hockey, and even creating art out of toilet rolls!

The legacy that we would leave for next year’s captains is that it really is all about taking part. Winning is a great feeling, but getting the whole house involved and working together is truly what’s most important. The more the merrier! We’d also like to encourage next year’s captains to work together as much as possible, like we do. It makes organising house events that much more enjoyable when you’re working together and having fun.

In 2024, all four houses have shown a lot of dedication, determination, and spirit, making it a real battle to be on top. The friendly (and sometimes not so friendly!) competition has really motivated a lot of pupils to get involved. So far in the house table we are sitting in third place, which is good, but we know we can do better! We want to win the House Shield, and we can do that with your help! Please Alphas, participate in whatever event you can, your effort impacts our house tremendously! Thank you all for your hard work so far, we just need to keep going! We can do this!

Your Captains, Freya, Fraser, Georgia, and Emily

Lindores

We are all extremely grateful for the opportunity to lead Lindores House this academic year. Having had many of our parents also represent Lindores, we know that our House values of courage, resilience, and teamwork have been passed down through generations of House Captains, long before our time at HSD. We believe our mascot, the Lindores Lion, perfectly represents these values, serving as a recognisable symbol and a source of support at many of our House events.

2024 has been a fantastic start to our captaincy, and we’ve already seen great success in several House activities as we’ve settled into our roles as Senior Prefects. Some of the key highlights include winning both the L6/7 and F2/3 House hockey tournaments and spending time together to craft our House Boards, which are now displayed on the wall outside the main office. We also competed in the annual House Choir Competition, where we performed our own rendition of Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Most recently, we gathered 87 Lindores pupils for a photo on House Colours Day, with everyone wearing a touch of yellow to show their support.

While we’ve achieved plenty of success this year, the Lindores team has even higher hopes for 2025. Our main focus now is on increasing participation. We want to encourage as many individuals as possible to step out of their comfort zones and get involved in House events. We believe that increased participation will naturally lead to positive outcomes in House Events and most importantly more House Points. To be awarded the House Shield at our last formal Prize Giving as pupils is our ultimate goal. Achieving this would be an incredible honour for our team, and we are determined to make it a reality.

#GetReadyForTheRoar

Your Captains, Emily, David, Caroline, and John

Wallace

This year our ambition is clear: to continue our legacy of teamwork, determination, and perseverance as we strive to secure the House Shield for the third year in a row. Our aim is to give our best in every event we take part in, with as high as participation levels as possible because every Warrior’s effort counts.

We are all extremely grateful to be in the position of leading this historic House. Wallace is not just a House, but a closeknit group of Wallace Warriors, and we are committed to guiding them towards victory for the third consecutive year.

As Wallace Warriors, we all strive to uphold the school’s core values. We define ourselves through our determination to persevere in the face of challenges, always maintaining a positive and resilient spirit. Kindness and respect are central to our identity, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where every Warrior feels valued and heard. Honesty and open communication build trust and strengthen our teamwork within the House. Our creativity inspires innovative approaches, and our confidence empowers us to excel and represent Wallace with pride. Together, we work with mutual respect and dedication, striving for success in all we do.

In the role of leaders of such a joyful House we would emphasise to the future House Captains the importance of being role models who uplift everyone, making every Warrior feel valued and motivated to contribute to the House’s success. We’d tell them to teach everyone that everything is not all about the winning but building a community and constructing lifelong memories here at the High School and, most importantly, to have fun and flourish in the role.

As proud members of Wallace, let us continue to embody pride and unity, and support one another in every challenge we face! An excellent start demonstrated in Term 1, so let’s keep it up; push the limits, set high standards, and never settle for less than your personal best!

Your Captains, Gabriella, Zoe, Ashley, and Shivani

This Year’s Highlights

January – HSD raises £7,000 for homelessness charity

High School of Dundee pupils and staff raised over £7,000 for homelessness charity Steps to Hope by spending a night sleeping rough. More than 70 Senior Years pupils and ten staff braved the outdoors at Mayfield, while Junior Years pupils joined in by sleeping in their gardens or spending time outside after dark. The event not only raised vital funds but also highlighted the challenges faced by homeless people, with charity founder Richard Roncero visiting to thank participants during the final week of his 8 Weeks 8 Cities Sleep Rough Campaign.

February – Piano Festival

Our Piano Festival hit all the right notes this year with three music-filled days of Junior and Senior Recitals, performance classes, and a special piano meet-up that brought together staff, parents, and pupils. Dundee-born pianist Murray McLachlan also made a memorable visit, leading a masterclass and giving a stunning performance at Trinity Hall.

March – Multi-Cultural Day

Our second annual Multi-Cultural Day brought Trinity Hall to life as Senior pupils celebrated the diverse backgrounds and cultures within HSD. With 21 stalls representing countries like India, China, Nigeria, France, Croatia, and the USA, the event was filled with learning, laughter, and the joy of sharing delicious food, traditional dress, music, and dance from around the globe.

April – Lambs visit Junior Years

Junior Years pupils had a baa-rilliant time meeting Bingo and Bluey, a pair of week-old lambs from a farm near Tealing! These woolly visitors, cared for by teacher Katie Goldie after being orphaned, gave our very excited children a chance to get up close with some incredible animals.

May – Music in May

The High School of Dundee’s Music in May concert at St Paul’s Cathedral was a magical evening filled with incredible performances. Junior and Senior Years pupils showcased their talents with an eclectic mix of music, including pop, traditional Scottish, classical, rock, and more, leaving the audience thoroughly entertained and inspired.

June – Festival of Sport

The High School of Dundee’s Festival of Sport brought the school community together for a day of scintillating sporting action and bucket-loads of fun at Mayfield. With the sun shining, pupils, staff, and families enjoyed a fantastic mix of activities, house games, music, stalls, and the exciting competition of Sports Day. The event culminated in vibrant style with the Parents’ Association’s brilliant Colour Run.

July – £32,800 raised for charity in a year

In the 2023/24 session, our school community raised an incredible £32.8k for charity, bringing our total over the past five years to more than £81k! The funds were generated through a variety of events, including bake sales, dressdown days, and sports activities, benefiting causes like Alzheimer’s Scotland, Macmillan Cancer Support, and the Archie Foundation. In addition to fundraising, pupils volunteered over 10,000 hours in total and donated essential items to Dundee Foodbank, sports equipment to Help for Ukraine’s summer camps, and gifts to the Help for Kids Christmas appeal.

August – CCF Central Camp

Our cadets had an incredible week at the CCF Central Camp at Barry Buddon over the summer holidays! During their stay, they took part in a variety of exciting activities, from refining their drill skills to a two-part mission of capture and defend the flag. They faced a challenging navigation course, stalking and observation exercises, and a 36-hour field exercise that involved camping outside after a mock ambush. The cadets also explored coastal caves, took part in their own Highland Games, and finished off with a day of shooting practice and a final parade.

September – Open Morning

We were delighted to see so many friendly faces – both new and familiar – at our Open Morning this year! Plenty of families came along to see what life is like at HSD, with our pupil guides doing an excellent job of touring them around the school and answering any questions they had. Visitors also got to speak with teachers from different departments as they took in displays detailing what our pupils get up to on a day-to-day basis.

October – Careers Fair

Pupils in F4-F6 had a fantastic opportunity to explore their future pathways at our annual Careers Fair in Trinity Hall! Representatives from 24 different companies joined us, offering insights into a wide range of industries including accountancy, architecture, engineering, finance, and real estate. It was great to see so many engaging conversations and excited pupils learning about the opportunities available to them.

November – Armistice Parade

The High School of Dundee marked Remembrance with an Armistice Parade and Service, paying tribute to the fallen, including those from the School community who have died in armed conflicts. Led by CCF Contingent Commander Major Graham Rodger, the parade featured the School's Combined Cadet Force and Pipe Band, with Rector Lise Hudson delivering a few words on behalf of the School. Wreaths were laid by Heads of School Cameron Brown and Amy Leburn, assisted by Junior Years pupils Frederick Rutherford and Eva Gillan. The ceremony included the poignant performance by Pupil Pipe Major Mitchell Clark, followed by a two-minute silence. In addition to the parade, the School sold poppies to raise money for the Scottish Poppy Appeal and donuts to support Horseback UK. The School’s main building was also lit red in the evenings to further mark the occasion.

December – Winter Concert

Our Winter Concert at the Caird Hall was a spectacular end to the calendar year, with talented pupils from L4 upwards delivering memorable performances. The concert featured an array of musical groups, including the L4/5 and L6/7 Choirs, the Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs, the Pipe Band, the Symphonic Band, Sinfonia, and the Symphony Orchestra. The program included pop and rock hits from the likes of Queen and John Lewis Christmas advert medleys, alongside festive classics and traditional numbers. The grand finale was a full performance of Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No.104, composed specifically for British audiences. The event, held in aid of CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young), raised vital funds to support awareness, screening, and research into young sudden cardiac deaths. It was a truly unforgettable evening, thanks to the hard work and dedication of all involved.

Social Inequalities Conference

In September, the Caird Hall became a hub of inspiration and action as nearly 2,000 pupils from 47 schools across Scotland gathered for the High School of Dundee’s inaugural Social Inequalities Conference.

Higher and National 5 Modern Studies students from Dundee, Angus, Fife, Perthshire, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Falkirk, Inverness, and North Berwick came together to explore solutions to some of society’s most pressing issues, including poverty, health, and wealth inequality.

The event – which the first of its kind for the School –featured nearly 20 speakers, with keynotes delivered by renowned social campaigners Darren McGarvey and Chelsea Cameron. Local Councillor Lynne Short shed light on inequality in Dundee, while broadcaster Martel Maxwell shared her perspective as a trustee of Help for Kids.

“The interest in the Conference has been phenomenal,” said organiser and HSD Modern Studies teacher Karlene Douglas. “We had such a large response that we had to move to a bigger venue. It shows how passionate Scotland’s young people are about tackling inequality and shaping a fairer future.”

Throughout the day, pupils delved into the causes of inequality and brainstormed solutions in interactive discussions with experts. The Conference not only enriched their understanding of the subject but also provided valuable resources for their Modern Studies assignments.

Karlene, alongside Head of History and Modern Studies Gordon Fyall, spearheaded the event with support from a host of sponsors. Reflecting on its impact, she added: “We wanted to challenge pupils’ assumptions about social inequality and encourage them to think critically about solutions. Scotland’s young people are our future, and they have the drive and ideas to make a difference.”

As the day drew to a close, it was clear the event had left a lasting impression on all who attended, leaving our pupils, teachers, and speakers with plenty to think about. It was a powerful reminder of the potential that lies within Scotland’s next generation to break down barriers and build a more equal society.

Sports Highlights

January – HSD X-Country House Championships

After Christmas, our usual games lessons were replaced with an exciting three-week cross country and fitness block, culminating in the House Championships where medals and points were fiercely contested!

February – Victory for first XI girls’ hockey in the Scottish Schools Senior Plate semifinals

In February, our first XI girls’ hockey team booked their place in the final of the Scottish Schools Senior Plate competition after winning a tense match against Strathallan at Dalnacraig.

March – First XI boys’ hockey team win Aspire Cup

Our first XI boys’ hockey team left Glasgow National Hockey Centre as Aspire Cup champions in March, having beaten Trinity College 3-2 on penalties following a nail-biting 1-1 draw.

The victory marked two Aspire Cup wins in a row for HSD’s boys’ team – here’s to another in 2025!

April – HSD teams reach finals at Lathallan Rugby Sevens

Four teams from HSD travelled to Lathallan to take part in a Rugby 7s Tournament, representing the School

spectacularly. Our U14 team qualified for a semifinal, and both our U12 and U16 squads made it to their respective finals.

The competition marked a fitting end to a season which saw the U16 team lose just one competitive 15-a-side fixture throughout the whole year.

May – F1 to F3 water polo team crowned Scottish champions

Our F1 to F3 water polo team were declared Scottish champions for the second time in a row after winning the Scottish Schools Juniors Competition.

The team travelled to St Margaret’s Academy in Livingston and took on six other schools, beating Portobello in the final to defend their title!

June – Pupils visit Barcelona for fantastic hockey tour

The summer saw 36 pupils from the High School travel to Barcelona for a hockey and sight-seeing trip. Split into two squads of 18, the girls played against local teams in a series of matches, as well as taking part in training sessions.

They also got to see some of the local landmarks, visit the beach, and enjoy a lovely day out at the Port Aventura theme park! January

Summer Break – Summer Sports Camps at Mayfield

Even outside of term time, we kept the sports coming with our summer Multi-Sport and Activity camps at Mayfield! Pupils from the High School and a number of other schools in the area joined us at our sports complex for five actionpacked days of fun, games, and activities.

September – Scottish Schools Mountain Bike Championships

Six pupils from HSD put the pedal to the medal in Perthshire during September as they took part in the Scottish Schools Mountain Bike Championships.

They joined participants from more than 80 other schools to tear up the track in both the boys’ and girls’ events.

October - Scottish Schools Road Race Championships

A squad of 30 pupils travelled from Dundee to Dunfermline to take part in the Scottish Schools Road Race Championships.

Our racers performed fantastically, with our F2 boys’ team and Senior girls’ team both claiming silver medals in their categories!

November – Tayside Schools Swimming Championships

Our pupils had a very successful time at the Tayside Schools Swimming Championships, delivering some incredible performances and an impressive haul of bronze, silver, and gold medals!

The event took place during two evenings at Olympia in Dundee, with our swimmers doing us proud in a number of categories on both occasions.

December – U16 rugby team crowned Scottish Schools Plate Champions

Our U16 rugby team were declared 2024 Scottish Schools U16 Plate Champions at Murrayfield after defeating Hutchesons’ Grammar School in the final.

The tense game ended in a 28-24 victory for HSD – a fantastic achievement.

Our first XV also travelled to Murrayfield to take on George Watson’s College in the U18 Shield final, however they were beaten on the day despite giving it their all.

Our Nursery Celebrates Ten Years

As you may have been able to tell from the front cover of this Schola Clara edition, 2024 marked ten years of our Nursery at Mayfield.

Since its opening in 2014, the Nursery has provided outstanding care to hundreds of children between the ages of three to five. Our purpose-built facility and open spaces provide the perfect environment for young minds to socialise, learn, and play.

To mark the 10th anniversary of the Nursery’s opening, we caught up with some current HSD pupils who were part of its first intake.

F2 pupil Sam said his clearest memories are of playing in the outside areas. He told Schola Clara: “I remember the bit with all the bikes and scooters. I got to go on the pirate ship right after it was built.

“It was a really fun place to be.”

His happy memories are shared by his classmate, Alexandra, who added: “When it snowed, we all went outside to play in it – I remember that really well.

“While I was there, I got to try a lot of new foods. There were a lot of different tables with things to play with.”

Meanwhile, F3 pupil Maxwell gave the Nursery a ringing endorsement.

“It was really good,” he said. “I’d recommend it to other people. From the looks of it now, it’s improved even more from when I was there.”

The pupils also agreed that being with a lot of the same people since Nursery had helped them progress through school, with Alexandra saying: “I’m friends with a lot of different people now but having that Nursery class made things a lot easier when we came into Junior Years.”

Sam added: “I’m actually still pretty close with a lot of the people who were at the Nursery with me. It’s been great to go through school together.”

With their nursery days now a decade behind them, our pupils are looking forward to what the next ten years hold.

Sam said: “I want to be an architect, so hopefully ten years from now I’ll just be finishing a degree at university or getting started on a job.”

Alexandra, meanwhile, is keen to go into business – as is Maxwell, however, he’s still making his mind up.

“I’d like to do either business or medicine at university,” he said. “I haven’t decided yet, though.”

If you would like to inquire about finding a place for your child at our Nursery, please visit the Nursery section of our website for more information.

Nathan Ogston: HSD Stage Star Cast In Les Misérables

Nathan Ogston, F6, is no stranger to the stage. Back in June, he played the role of The Man in our fantastic production of Whistle Down The Wind. Prior to that, Nathan starred as Galileo in We Will Rock You and as the titular Aladdin in our Junior Years production of the Disney Classic.

Outside of HSD, Nathan has found even more success as a performer. He has taken part in multiple productions with youth theatre groups and was recently cast as Marius in Let The People Sing – the UK’s Amateur Premiere of Les Misérables.

He answered a few questions for us about his journey so far and where he wants to go next.

How long have you been performing for? What's your first memory on the stage and what made you want to continue?

From performing Greased Lightnin’ in my garden as a kid, I’ve been entertaining for as long as I can remember. In primary school, I played Santa in our Nativity play, Santa’s On Strike!, and I also took on the role of Aladdin in Aladdin. However, at that point, performing was just a hobby. Everything changed when I played Galileo in We Will Rock You as a Form 3 pupil. Landing the lead role in the Senior School production marked the moment I began to seriously consider acting as a career.

What has been the highlight of your stage career so far? How did it feel to achieve it?

So far, the highlight of my performing career is a tie between two milestones. First, winning Scotland’s Rotary Young Musician of the Year 2023 and representing my country in the National Final in Manchester. Second, being cast as Marius in Cameron Mackintosh’s Let The People Sing project at Glasgow’s Kings Theatre. This casting feels like a huge step towards making my dream a reality.

Has the school supported you as a performer? If so, how?

I would say the school has played a fundamental role in shaping my journey as a performer. Without Mrs Drummond, Mr Darby, and Mr Tonner casting me as Galileo in third year, I doubt I would have progressed in the same way. That role came at a pivotal time when my voice had just broken, and I was struggling to regain confidence in singing. Retraining my voice was challenging, but the role gave me a clear focus, and since then, I have continued to improve. I am also grateful to Mrs Fish in Junior School for nurturing my early interest in performing, and to Dr Steuart Fothringham for accompanying me across the UK for various competitions. A large HSD presence is always felt in audiences, even in productions outside of school which is also greatly appreciated.

What's your favourite thing about being on stage?

My favourite thing about being on stage is the rawness. Everything we do is live – a performance one night can be completely different the next. I love the thrill when you sing the final note or say the final line of a show when you know it has been a great night. That’s what makes you come back for more.

What would you like to go on to do with your career? What's your end goal or dream gig?

In a fantasy land, my dream would be to initially study at drama school in order to upgrade my performing skillset to the best it possibly can be whilst my voice is still developing. I would love to have a career on the West End, particularly playing The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera. After this I would hope to move to Broadway where I would aim to branch out into TV and film. And finally, at some point I would love to do my own solo tour. Ambitious, I know, but I will try my very best to achieve as much of this as possible!

Eloisa Merino-Sola: Keeping Cool In National Competitions

Like many at the High School, F2 pupil Eloisa is passionate about sport and dedicates plenty of time to training. When she isn’t in class, she’s likely to be found on the ice, practicing moves and routines for her upcoming competitions.

Earlier this year, she made history by executing what is believed to be the first backflip ever performed by a British ice skater in a competition. The move (previously banned due to injury risk but legalised this year) wowed judges at the Skate Ayrshire National Open and secured Eloisa top spot.

The feat crowned a fantastic summer which saw the HSD pupil end the 2023/24 session at the top of the National Ranking in Advanced Novice Ladies (up to age 16) and came just days after she took the number one spot in that category at the figure skating British Qualifier in Sheffield.

The 13-year-old has also been selected for the GB Future Generation squad this season and as a result will have the chance to represent Great Britain at six different events.

We caught up with Eloisa to learn more about her passion for ice skating and her recent triumphs.

How old were you when you first started ice skating? Do you remember your first time going to an ice rink or any other special memories from ice skating when you were younger?

I began skating when I was six years old. I celebrated my sixth birthday party at the ice rink, because I had always enjoyed going skating at Christmas time.

When did you first come to the High School?

I first came to the High School of Dundee last year and I’ve made lots of amazing friends since.

How has being at school impacted your skating? Do you feel like the school supports you to succeed in class and on the ice?

The school has helped me catch up on work that I have missed because of my competitions – same with any tests I’ve missed, which is really helpful.

What is it about ice skating that you enjoy?

I love everything about skating! I love being on the ice and seeing my friends. I always look forward to going.

What would you like to do next in ice skating? Do you have any dreams or big goals for the future?

My dream is to go to the Olympics and win. I’d love to be a very successful figure skating athlete.

Haoqi Liu: HSD Pupil’s Efforts

Add Up To Sum-Thing

While Maths is a subject that can leave many of us scratching our heads and counting our fingers, for F3 pupil Haoqi Liu, complex problems seem to be as easy as one, two, three!

At the age of just 14, he’s already received a gold medal from the UK Mathematics Trust for achieving Scotland’s top score in the Intermediate Mathematical Challenge, a UK-wide contest primarily aimed at S3 and S4 pupils. He was also commended by the Raspberry Pi Foundation after winning both the Junior and Intermediate section of the UK Bebras Challenge, an annual event which tests computational thinking and problem solving.

While in L7, the HSD pupil scored 100% in the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge 25th Anniversary Challenge, which was aimed at S1 and S2 pupils. He also won the Junior category of the UK-wide Beaver Challenge, a computing-based problem-solving contest organised by Oxford University.

Haoqi has also excelled in a team, helping HSD advance to the finals of the Scottish Maths Council’s annual Enterprise Maths Competition alongside three of his schoolmates.

We asked him a few questions to learn more about his love of Maths and what he hopes to do in the future.

How do you feel about all the success you’ve had in mathematics? Is there anything that’s a particular highlight?

I am very happy with my success so far, however I always set high expectations for myself, to keep getting better and better.

I do not have a particular highlight, but I particularly enjoy the problem-solving questions that the UKMT sets.

Has Maths always come easily to you, or has it taken lots of training?

You would probably be surprised! When I was very young, my parents were worried that I would be very bad at maths – and English for that matter! Then suddenly, I became very interested and good at maths. This continued for several

years, then in P7, I started doing UKMT style problem solving questions as well. These Olympiad-style problems took a lot of practice, but I enjoyed them, so I kept practising, which has really helped me. More recently though, I have started looking at A-level/Higher maths, which I have found difficult so far.

What do your teachers make of your success?

I think that they enjoy supporting me through my mathematical journey. They have always helped me, answered my questions, taught me new things, and organised competitions for me. I am very grateful to them.

What were your first impressions of the High School when you joined? Do you think it’s a good place to learn?

When I joined the school in L6, it was during Covid, so everything was quite different. Since I joined the school, I have always been overwhelmed by the friendliness of the HSD community. I was able to make good friends, which made me much happier. The quality of the education is much better than anything I had experienced before. Overall, this makes the learning experience excellent, and a wonderful improvement from my life before coming here.

What would you like to do with your mathematics abilities in the future? Do you have a specific job or career path in mind?

I’m not that sure what I would like to do when I grow up, however I will definitely put my maths abilities to good use. I chose my N5 subjects to leave my options open do to all the things that I might be interested in, and I will make a final decision when I chose my Highers. That being said, I do have some careers in mind which I am interested in, which are teaching, engineering, and banking.

Future Assets: Helping Our Girls Break Into Business

At the High School of Dundee, we’re always keen to give our pupils the best opportunities possible. That’s why we’ve been so excited by this year’s response to Future Assets, a Scotland-wide competition which encourages girls to explore careers in investment management!

This session, sixteen of our young women have signed up to take part in the contest. In teams of four to six, they’ve been tasked with looking into one of ten large companies and creating an investment report and three-minute elevator pitch over the course of ten weeks.

Each team in the competition is assigned an ‘industry mentor’ – an experienced professional with an understanding of the business world. These mentors advise the girls as they work on their reports and pitches, passing on valuable insights and expertise.

After submitting their reports and pitches, the top teams are invited to a live final, with the overall winners taking £1,000 home for their school and up to £200 in vouchers per student.

For the girls taking part, the competition provides an opportunity to learn more about the world of business, specifically asset management.

F4 pupil Estrid, who is looking into computer manufacturer Nvidia, said: “I really like business as a subject, so I think that added to me wanting to take part. I wanted to do something in business.

“So far, I’ve been learning a lot about how companies operate and how to put information together when you’re researching them.

“It’s been really good to work as a team, because you can break the work up. We’ve been figuring out how to work together and assigning each other different things to research within the company.”

Estrid’s team is coached by Lucy Kelly, operations director at investment firm Par Equity. The HSD pupil said: “Having Lucy is great. We can choose questions to ask her if we get stuck with anything.

“She’s based in Edinburgh, so she’s been able to help us quite a lot.”

F5 pupil Emma has also been getting plenty of valuable advice from her coach. Her team are looking into Energy Recovery, a global leader is energy efficient technology, with the support of Melissa Hope, chief executive of the Nuclear Liabilities Fund.

After submitting their reports and pitches, the top teams are invited to a live final, with the overall winners taking £1,000 home for their school and up to £200 in vouchers per student.

She said: “Melissa’s been really helpful with the work we’ve been doing so far and we’re going to be having a meeting with her soon.

“She knows a lot about the subject.”

Like Estrid, Emma is interested in a career in business and has been using the Future Assets competition to learn more about the field.

“I’m looking to do a business course when I go to university,” she added. “Hopefully business psychology.

“I’ve been learning a lot about investing, which I didn’t really know much about because I’ve usually been more into human resources and that kind of thing. We’ve been learning about how to check a source is reliable, and about lots of different charts – things which I hadn’t seen before like share price graphs.

“It’s also been nice that it’s only women – no offense to guys. It’s nice knowing that there are actually places for women in finance and business, we’re not just alone.”

F3 pupil Sophie, who’s looking into American biotech firm Intuitive Surgical, agrees that the competition’s focus on getting women into asset management is a huge plus.

“It’s definitely great encouragement,” she said. “Future Assets lets you see how to pitch to investors, what business is like, and how to gather data.

“It’s been really interesting. I’ve learned a lot from it.”

Head of Business Education Neil Higgins, who helps coordinate the competition at HSD, said: “This is a great competition that we first entered last year with one team but has grown in popularity.

“It fits perfectly with what we teach in National 5 and Higher Business Management and Economics, but it also stretches the pupils to go beyond their learning in the classroom while giving them an excellent insight into the career choices in Finance and Investment Management.”

Our Euclid Society: 785 Years Strong!

Throughout our 785 years, we’ve formed strong bonds as a wider school community. That was clearly on show at the School’s inaugural Euclid Ball in April as parents, staff, former pupils, and supporters came together for a night of laughter, dancing, and some impressive fundraising! Whilst we host lots of school-wide events, you might also like to connect with one of our constituent groups too.

Old Boys’ Club and Old Girls’ Club

The Old Boys’ Club and Old Girls’ Club are always keen to hear from former pupils who might be interested in coming along to their annual sporting events and dinners. It was great to see a new crowd of recent school leavers at November’s Old Boys’ dinner in Dundee’s Invercarse Hotel and the London Alumni dinner once again attracted a range of Old Boys’ and Old Girls’ to the RAF Club in London’s Mayfair.

Huge thanks once again to our wonderful team of Old Girls’ who support our Thrift Shop of pre-loved uniform. We’ve seen bumper sales across this year, and it is great to know that the proceeds come back to the school.

If you would like to reconnect with these groups, please use the following links: Old Boys’ Club or Old Girls’ Club.

Parents’ Association

This year has seen the launch of a High School of Dundee Parent’s Association (PA) Facebook Page as well as an increased programme of events to support the school and bring the parent community together. As part of June’s Festival of Sport, they held their annual Colour Run to fundraise for landscaping improvements to the playground. The PA hosted a series of Halloween parties at Mayfield and more recently the Reading Café where family members can come in and read to their children in the Library.

You can sign up to join the PA’s Facebook Page here

The High School of Dundee Board

The School’s Board comprises of 16 volunteers with a wide range of skill sets and backgrounds, who play a crucial role in governance of the School. Please visit their page on our website for more information.

Friends of High School of Dundee

Not an Old Boy, Old Girl or current parent? Don’t worry, there’s a school community group for you. The Friends of the High School of Dundee are a group of supporters who arrange social events and activities and fundraise for the school. If you would like to join their group please contact Chairman Ken Andrew kga@scot-int.com

SAVE THE DATE

Euclid Quiz Night

Monday 6th January at Broughty Ferry Fort Hotel. Book on Eventbrite

Euclid Ball 2025

Saturday 26th April, Invercarse Hotel, Dundee (tickets on sale end January 2025).

HSD Out And About:

Where Have We Been This Year?

It’s often said that travel broadens the mind, and here at HSD we agree with that sentiment strongly. Each year, we offer a number of thrilling trips, both foreign and domestic, which give our pupils the chance to get out of the classroom and experience the real world. Locations in 2024 have included Spain, China, Manchester, London, Portugal, and many more! Take a look at some of the fantastic pictures we got while we were out seeing the world.

Ailsa Miller: A Well-Fashioned Career

For any fashion-lover, Ailsa Miller’s career would be a dream come true. While she now runs her own creative agency, DISCO, her working life began at Tatler magazine, where she started as a fashion assistant in 2008.

In the 16 years since, she’s travelled the world to cover style and fashion, attending star-studded events and rubbing shoulders with household names including Helena Bonham Carter and Jack Black. As well as contributing to various Condé Nast titles, Ailsa freelanced extensively for the Annie Leibovitz studio and wrote regularly for Fashionista.com.

A member of the Class of 2004, Ailsa joined the High School as an L1 pupil and stayed until L5, when her family upped sticks and moved to Dallas, Texas. Despite her time at the School being cut short, the fashion-expert still keeps up with her old HSD pals and remembers a fair bit about her time with us.

She said: “I came back for the reunion and, it’s funny, I do actually remember a lot.

“For me, it feels very strange. It’s like this far-off time in my life because after I moved away things were very different. My memories of living in Scotland are very tied up in the High School.

“We had a big leaving party because I left in the middle of the school year – there was lots of crying and hugging.

“We were a really tight, close-knit class, which I think is why so many of us kept in touch. I actually met my best friend, Felicity, in L1 – still my best friend to this day – and she came out to visit me in Dallas when she was ten.”

Ailsa finished her schooling in the US before returning to Scotland to attend St Andrews University. With Dundee so close by, she quickly reconnected with Felicity and her old High School chums – two of whom were on the same course as her.

While studying for her degree in International Relations, she took a summer-long course at the London College of Fashion and was able to secure an internship at fashion and lifestyle magazine Tatler, which began immediately after her graduation.

While the internship was a great opportunity, Ailsa didn’t find her start at the Condé Nast publication easy.

“I knew I had to work ten times harder,” she said. “It’s such a competitive industry.

“I started the day after I graduated and I interned for, I think, 18 months on £50 a week. I was working seven days a week because I had to do a secondary job at the weekend.”

Ailsa’s hard work eventually paid off when she was offered a full-time job as a fashion assistant at the title. The new position marked the beginning of a decade-long career at the firm which would see her climb through the ranks at Condé Nast and travel to exotic locations such as Mauritius, Peru, and the Saharah Desert.

Her work involved both writing and organising photoshoots – often in glamourous locations with strange props and models.

She said: “I went to Machu Pichu to shoot once – we were the first crew ever allowed to shoot there because it’s a world heritage site.

“I also did a shoot in South Africa where I had to put a Louis Vuitton collar on a live cheetah for the model to hold.

“I think a real highlight for me, though, was in my freelancing with the Annie Leibovitz studio. I was in my mid-twenties, my boss was ill, and I got sent on my own to shoot Jack Black, Will Ferrell, and Jason Segel.

“It was a pretty mad one. We were shooting in the desert, and they were supposed to be playing hitch-hiking ghosts, which are from a Disney ride, not a movie.

“I had flown out with 18 suitcases of clothes, but the photographer felt they didn’t look ghostly enough so I had to take them, in the middle of the night, to some random woman’s house and we stayed up all night spray-painting them with a mixture of liquid glycerine, dry shampoo and talcum powder.”

Ailsa’s work also gave her the chance to style celebrities like Helena Bonham Carter and Jourdan Dunn for the red carpet and attend multiple Paris Fashion Weeks – something she describes as “a real honour and a pleasure.”

“It was very exciting,” she added. “No two days were ever the same.”

However, her time at Tatler came to an end in 2018, when the publication was forced to cut a third of its staff. After being made redundant, the experienced creative moved into a similar role elsewhere but struggled to find the same enjoyment.

Eventually, she made the decision to start her own creative agency, DISCO. The firm produces content for luxury brands, with many of its staff coming from the same types of magazines Ailsa worked at herself. In six years of business, the firm has worked with clients such as Fendi, Faberge, Whistles, and many more.

I was in my mid-twenties, my boss was ill, and I got sent on my own to shoot Jack Black, Will Ferrell, and Jason Segel.

When giving advice to current-day HSD pupils who want to follow in her career path, Ailsa stressed the importance of hard work and resilience.

She said: “People will tell you that the industry is too competitive and there’s no jobs, but if you really, really, really want it more than the next person, you will succeed at it.

“I didn’t really have any time for a social life during the first four or five years of my career. I just worked seven days a week and I was in the office longer than anybody else. I went to every possible length to fulfil everything that was asked of me.

“I think you get a good period in your life where you have that real hunger, and you just have to act on it and block everything out.

“Also, I think it would be helpful to say that failure isn’t the worst thing in the world. I wanted to go to Columbia University in New York City for journalism my entire life, I decided when I was 12, and when I didn’t get in it was heartbreaking.

“It felt like the end of my life. I thought that living in New York and interning while I studied was the only way to get into Condé Nast, but I was wrong, and I did it another way.

“It was the same when I got made redundant. I thought that I had failed, and now I’m running my own business.

“If things don’t go as you hoped, it’s not the end of the world.”

Brian Callison: A Life Well Lived

This year, the High School was saddened to hear about the death of former pupil Brian Callison. Brian was a talented writer, known for penning maritime stories such as A Flock of Ships, Trapp’s War, and The Dawn Attack.

In total, he wrote 22 novels which have been translated into 12 languages, including Japanese, Finnish, and Icelandic, and have received international acclaim from the likes of the Scotsman, Daily Telegraph, New York Times, and noted literary figures such as novelists Alistair MacLean and Dick Francis. Indeed, MacLean went on to state that there was “no better writer of war stories.”

Born in Manchester in 1934, Brian moved to Dundee at a young age and attended Monifieth Primary before joining the High School. While those who knew the writer say he was no lover of school, it was during his time at HSD that he began to pen his first stories.

His son, Mark, said: “We have uncovered cuttings from when he won a creative writing competition run by The Daily News Limited – publishers of News Chronicle and the Star. He would have been 15 when he entered it, so still a student at the High School.

“The publication was based on Bouverie Street in London, so consequently he travelled down there with my grandmother for the presentation and award. It would’ve been a great occasion, especially in those days.”

Mark’s newspaper cuttings show that, when asked what he wanted to do for a living, Brian replied that he’d like to join the Merchant Navy – an aspiration he would go on to achieve. According to Mark, this fascination with the Merchant Navy and all things nautical was a trait inherited from his uncle Hughie, who was a chief engineer in the Merchant Navy.

He explained: “During the Second World War, his Uncle Hughie survived being torpedoed three times. He was my dad’s hero, no doubt about it. I think after that inspiration was there, there was not a chance that dad would do anything else.”

After leaving the High School, Brian immediately followed up on his ambitions and joined the Merchant Navy, becoming a midshipman on the Blue Funnel Line. His exciting new role took him all over the southern hemisphere, bringing countless adventures such as being caught up in a typhoon whilst at anchor in Hong Kong bay and getting up-close and personal with a manta ray off the coast of Australia.

However, these exploits came to a sudden end after he met the love of his life and wife-to-be, Phyllis, while at home on shore leave in 1952. The two soon fell in love and, just one year later, Brian left the Merchant Navy to enrol in a silversmithing course at Dundee College of Art.

In 1956, he opened a local Art and Craft business, CB Studios, with a friend he met while studying. Following on from this he owned a Broughty Ferry based joinery business, Portnacraig Construction, which is believed to have built some of the very first timber framed houses in the country, most of which still stand today in Monifieth and Broughty Ferry.

In 1964, the father-of-two had moved on to a new undertaking as general manager of Dundee’s Skyline Bowling Alley.

Brian, second from the right in the second front row

While he was no longer working at sea full-time, Brian never forgot about his love of ships and sailing. The experienced seaman continued to serve in the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service until 1994, spending 25 years as the head of his unit.

The serviceman also spent time in the Territorial Army as detachment commander in Provost Company of the 51st Highland Division, Royal Military Police.

His experience with the military and maritime life was put on full display when Brian published his first novel, A Flock of Ships, in 1972. The story, which details the mysterious voyage and sinking of the Allied ship MV Cyclops in 1941, was released to critical acclaim – with Alistair MacLean saying it made All Quiet On The Western Front “look like one of the lesser works of Enid Blyton.”

The publication kick-started a new, full-time career for Brian as a fiction writer – one that ended up producing 22 novels. Each story focused on the sea, an obsession shared by the HSD alumnus and his readers.

Mark said: “It’s a passion, isn’t it? I think if you have a passion for the sea, you will harbour that until your dying day. I know that there are a number of people, more than just a few, who wrote to my dad crediting his novels for inspiring themselves to choose careers at sea.

“Whilst in the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service, he got an invitation to a reception onboard a Royal Navy ship which was visiting Dundee, and during his tour he was approached and informed that the captain had requested to meet him, and it subsequently transpired that he just wanted to thank my dad for inspiring him to join the Royal Navy.”

Brian also shared his passion for life at sea with his family, taking them on sailing expeditions travelling throughout Scandinavia for a month at a time. Trips through the Caledonian Canal over to the west coast of Scotland and another to Amsterdam were highlights of family nautical adventures.

After cementing his own career as an author, Brian was subsequently approached by and became a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Dundee University. This role gave him the opportunity to help other writers get their thoughts on paper – a task he relished.

“He loved it,” Mark said. “He absolutely loved it as it let him meet young people from all over the world to help them develop their writing.

“Following on from this, he set up his own website to mentor and encourage others. He had clients from as far afield as the United States, Canada, and Australia.”

Reflecting on his father’s lifetime, Mark says he feels like “it was a full life well-lived.”

He added: “There’s a saying that when an old person dies, a library burns down. I now understand fully just how true that is.”

Struan Cunningham: Stories From A British Army Major

As a school, we’re always proud to see our former pupils serving their country in the armed forces. Our values of respect, hardwork, creativity, and ambition are an excellent foundation for a career in the military, and nobody serves as a better example of this than Major Struan Cunningham.

Struan joined HSD as an L1 pupil in 1989 and stayed until the end of F6, describing himself as one of the High School’s “lifers”. Upon leaving the school, he studied at the University of St Andrews, before training to be an infantry officer in the British Army.

The former Deputy Head Boy’s military career lasted almost fifteen years, serving on operational deployments to Afghanistan, Bosnia, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and the Gulf region, as well as conducting training exercises with foreign armies in numerous other countries. Of note, he was attached to the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), serving as the Military Attaché to Russia and Belarus from 2016 to 2018, where he applied his knowledge of Russian language, culture, and defence and security issues to facilitate bilateral defence cooperation between the UK and Russia.

According to Struan, his interest in Russia first began during his time at HSD.

He explained: “I enjoyed studying French and had a keen interest in other languages. In sixth year, there was an opportunity to study Russian with Mrs McGrath. I loved the challenge, lessons were fun, but I never gave the significance and prospects from studying this any real thought.

“I look back and fondly reflect how a unique academic offering sparked an interest and, perhaps, some of the most defining events of my military career.”

Struan originally intended to study an MA in French and Economics at the University of St Andrews. It was only after studying a first-year course in Russian – with an option to study abroad – that he committed to learning the language fluently.

In 2006, the former High School pupil visited St Petersburg for the first time and was engrossed by Russian life.

He explained: “I lived on the sixteenth floor of a very dilapidated Soviet apartment block with an old Russian lady who spoke no English. There was no hot water, and she would feed me slices of garlic at every meal – apparently, an old Soviet remedy to defend against potential illness! Such experiences provided me with an extraordinary insight into a foreign culture and ‘normal’ life.”

Following graduation and returning to travel alone across Russia by the Trans-Siberian Railway, and then through Mongolia, Struan reflected on what a military career would offer him. He was attracted by the ideals of service, duty, teamwork, and a strong adventurous spirit, and saw life in the army as a chance to participate in something which he felt really mattered – especially as conflicts in the Middle East continued to escalate.

Struan attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2008. He commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Scotland and undertook further infantry tactics training. Within three months of joining his unit, he deployed on his first tour of Afghanistan in 2010.

He said: “I was thrown into the deep end - I led a team of 36 soldiers, all of whom had far more military experience than me, on very kinetic operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. As the commander, I was responsible for their careers, their lives, and for all tactical decision making. The ultimate, albeit often burdensome, privilege of any leader.

“As a young officer, this transformed my personal resilience, but also my interpersonal skills – my ‘soft’ skills. These were tested in many ways, and it helped shape my outlook on everything in a very positive way.”

Interestingly, Struan also found himself communicating on the battlefield in Russian with an Afghan soldier who had previously lived and trained in one of the ex-Soviet satellite states.

Before returning to Afghanistan in 2013, Struan spent several months learning Dari language so he was able to operate independently and alongside Afghan security forces. Further deployments and leadership roles followed, including deployments to the Balkans, and training missions in Central Europe, the Gulf region, and Canada.

He said: “What I loved most about all of these roles was that they involved problem solving, managing crises, and working with people of different backgrounds and experiences to my own, all in the pursuit of a unified purpose.”

Struan’s expertise in stakeholder engagement and dealing with complex strategic challenges is evident. This experience was encapsulated by his selection, as a Major, to be the UK Military Attaché to Russia in 2016, operating from the British Embassy in Moscow.

“I arrived to a very cold reception,” he said. “This was a time of high political stakes – there was increasing risk of miscalculation in our bilateral relations and defence postures in common areas of operation, such as Syria, the Baltic Sea, and in Ukraine.

“I was treated with real hostility by the Russian government and its security agencies, and even its armed forces, but I had a real fondness for the Russian people and their culture. My wife and I still talk fondly of our travels and friends we made there.”

Whilst serving in Russia, Struan also completed a postgraduate master’s degree in International Security at the University of Leicester.

Struan’s time in Russia came to a sudden end in 2018, when he and 22 other diplomats were declared Persona Non Grata and expelled from the country in retaliation to the post-Salisbury poisoning expulsions of Russian diplomats from the UK. Afterwards, he worked in the Ministry of Defence, advising civil servants on aspects of the UK’s defence policy and strategy in East Europe.

Struan then deployed to Ukraine in 2019 to assist with defence and security reform of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In this role, he led the establishment of a multinational coordination centre which oversaw the delivery of military training to Ukraine, supported by defence personnel from the UK, US, Canada, and Slovakia particularly.

He said: “Ukraine had been in direct conflict with Russia since the invasion of its sovereign territory in 2014. This was a sobering, yet fascinating time to experience Ukraine’s energy and resolve against Russian influence and aggression.

“What struck me the most about all Ukrainians that I met was their overwhelming resilience. You could see that, despite the ‘frozen conflict’ in the east of the country and all the resources and political focus it was pulling in, the Ukrainian people remained incredibly strong - they had fighting spirit.”

In 2020, Struan attended the Intermediate Command and Staff Course at the UK Defence Academy (also known as Staff College), before serving as the operations lead for the British Army’s Gulf regional engagement strategy, closely working with longstanding military allies in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.

He added: “This was an awesome chance to experience another part of the global defence and security tapestry, travelling regularly to the region and advising senior military generals on intelligence and bilateral training opportunities.”

During the global pandemic, Struan was part of the UK Armed Forces’ immediate response to support NHS Scotland, managing the deployment of more than 85 military liaison staff, as well as teams across the Scottish Government and 14 Scottish regional health boards.

Following a busy military career, Struan chose to resign his commission and embark on a civilian career to create a more stable family life in Edinburgh for his two young boys.

Struan now works for the Global Markets Chief Operating Officer at Barclays as the senior manager for strategy and technology risk.

“Remain curious – show interest and a willingness to learn and understand the world.”

He is still a reservist army officer, providing regional and thematic intelligence support on matters in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.

As he settles into civilian life, Struan is keen to share his experiences and wisdom with any HSD pupil looking for a similarly varied and exciting career.

“Remain curious – show interest and a willingness to learn and understand the world. Most importantly, go and see it! Whether it’s six weeks of travelling, or six months to a year working in a far-off corner of the world, the experience you gain will be unique to you,” he explained.

“I see a lot of CVs in my current job when I’m hiring, and it’s very difficult to stand out from the crowd now. Everyone is aspiring for that straight-A individual who has been to the best university and has a perfect CV. Not everybody will have that and nor should it matter. The most important thing to me is that you show your individuality and a genuine passion for something.

“Be unique. What makes you stand out are your soft skills, and you can only build those up with experience. Think about your transferable skills, and make sure to find something that sparks joy.

“I never thought back in my final year of school when I was doing a standard grade in Russian that I would ultimately come out with a degree in it, let alone speak it in some of the most unique places and experiences of my career.”

Suzie Ogilvie: Tackling Financial Crime On A Global Stage

Former High School pupil Suzie Ogilvie has spent the last two decades working in financial crime, sanctions, and reputational risk management.

The bulk of her career was spent at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, a London-based law practice with offices all over the world. While there, she served as Global Head of Financial Crime and Sanctions, leading a team of lawyers as they assisted the firm with the complexities of financial crime.

Suzie held this role for over 15 years; however, she recently made the decision to start working as a freelance consultant.

She said: “I basically advise national and international businesses on their compliance with financial crime legislation and how to implement programs to ensure that they're effectively complying with all of the requirements.

“So that’s bribery, corruption, money laundering, and sanctions, all of those aspects.

“Before moving into consultancy, I was effectively doing this same role within an organisation, and there’s all sorts of requirements and not enough people in the market to help every single business, so that’s why I decided to become a consultant.”

The former HSD pupil admits the journey towards her current line of work wasn’t quick and required plenty of determination. She began by studying jurisprudence at Oxford University, before attending the College of Law in York for a year.

Her studies were rewarded with a training contract at an international law firm in London.

“I qualified into restructuring and insolvency,” she said. “So very far away from criminal law.

“The reason I did that was because restructuring and insolvency was an opportunity to see lots of different areas of transactions and how things were constructed – all sorts of international deals.

“You would get to see them on the back end when they were almost falling apart.”

After an internal opportunity came up, Suzie moved into the financial crime compliance and soon started to specialise her skills further.

She explained: “One of the key areas of focus was antimoney laundering and complying with what was effectively a relatively new regime for law firms.

“For me, things sort of just expanded from there. I worked with the Law Society of England and Wales on their money laundering task force and became the Chair.

“I also worked with the Council of European Bars as the UK representative, representing the country in Europe on money laundering issues.”

Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, Suzie began doing more work around sanctions – a field which only expanded when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Following the invasion, plenty of UK firms found themselves needing extra help with compliance as additional sanctions were placed on Russia.

To ensure that she’s giving her clients the best possible advice, Suzie has to keep on top of the confusing and constantly shifting world of financial crime and sanctions regulation.

She explained: “I think one of the biggest challenges, when you’re new to this, is getting up to speed with everything.

“Take, for example, the Russia sanctions themselves. There’s about 400 pages of text that you need to work your way through – and that’s just from a UK perspective. How do you keep up to speed on that?

“You can sign up to alerts from basically any sanctions regulator, and you get an alert through by email, but then you have to study it and work out if it means you’ll have to change anything about your approach.”

While the dense documents and complex legal jargon would leave many scratching their heads, Suzie says the mental effort required is what draws her to the work.

“Personally, I quite enjoy working things out and analysing things for myself,” she said. “I like picking up a piece of legislation and then working out how that translates to a business’s operations.

“Anti-money laundering and sanctions are both very interesting areas from that perspective.”

Despite having come a long way since her days at HSD, Suzie says she still thinks about her old school often – especially now that her own son has started his school career.

She also believes HSD played a part in giving her the confidence to go into an industry traditionally dominated by men, saying: “I never felt, as a girl, that there were any restrictions on me, or like there was something which girls should do and something which boys should do – I never felt that at Dundee High.

“I think that has really underpinned how I’ve approached things throughout my life.

“Even though there have been restrictions – I have noticed that people treat you differently if you’re a female – but, because of that grounding, I’ve always known that there are people who are positive and will support you in what you want to do.

“The High School made me feel like opportunities for girls were equal.”

Lester Barr: Saving Lives Through Breast Cancer Prevention

Lester Barr MBE, Class of 1972, is a consultant surgeon who specialises in the management of breast diseases. In 1996, he teamed up with a group of likeminded health professionals to found Prevent Breast Cancer (then known as Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention). The charity focuses on predicting and preventing breast cancer, which is the most common form of cancer in the UK.

Like many of our pupils, Lester left the High School of Dundee with a desire to study medicine. While he admits that English was his favourite subject (thanks to engaging teachers like Mr McKenzie and Mr Fyall), he knew by the age of 14 or 15 that he wanted to become a surgeon.

By 1982, he was training in London to do just that. Three years studying Medical Science at St Andrews University followed by another three years studying Medicine at Manchester University had left him eager to begin a career in medicine and, while working under Prof Harold Ellis and Prof Michael Baum, he began to take an interest in breast cancer.

His interest was furthered during his time at the Royal Marsden Hospital, a renowned specialist cancer centre in London. While there, he met and worked alongside fellow High School FP Professor Ian Smith.

Lester said: “He’s another Dundee High alumnus to be proud of – he’s been right at the forefront of cancer treatment.

“When we started working together, I knew he was from Dundee, so I just asked what school he went to, and he said the High School. It was nice to have another High School graduate to work alongside.”

After completing his training, Lester returned to Manchester in 1993 and began working as a Consultant Surgeon specialising in Breast Cancer. He soon realised that, while there was plenty of research into treatments for cancer, little was being done to stop it from appearing in the first place.

Lester said: “When I was qualifying and working as a surgeon, all the research was really going into drug development.

“The pharmaceutical industry was funding a lot of new drugs which have borne fruit, so the cure rates are much better, but nobody was looking at trying to prevent it. That’s something that I saw was very clearly missing.

“Nowadays prevention is talked about as being really important, but in those days, nobody was really mentioning it.”

The realisation pushed the young surgeon and his colleagues to found Prevent Breast Cancer. Since its creation 28 years ago, the charity has funded projects and research which have found key genes and lifestyle factors that contribute to the development of breast cancer. It has also identified new screening methods which can accurately detect the disease at an early stage, and new preventative drugs which can reduce the risk of it appearing in the first place.

“There’s no one simple thing,” Lester said. “Preventing breast cancer requires multiple lines of attack.

“I’m a consultant surgeon, so I treat people who have breast cancer. The prevention work, on a day-to-day basis, is done by other people.

“It’s done by researchers. Some of that research is undertaken in laboratories, and another part is clinical research – trying preventative drugs for example.

“We’re looking at how lifestyle issues such as diet, alcohol, and exercise can impact the risk, and we also have geneticists looking at breast cancer genes.”

Lester has continued to work with the charity since its inception, taking on the titles of Co-Founder and Honorary President. Working from the Nightingale Centre (Europe’s first purpose-built breast cancer prevention facility), he has helped countless women through their battles with cancer,

Since its creation 28 years ago, the charity has funded projects and research which have found key genes and lifestyle factors that contribute to the development of breast cancer.

including Coronation Street star Sally Dynevor. He has also published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers on breast cancer and is a key force in raising public awareness of Prevent Breast Cancer and its mission.

In 2022, he was awarded an MBE by Princess Anne for his services to Cancer Prevention and wore a kilt to Windsor Castle to show off his proud Scottish heritage. The surgeon was also invited to give a TEDx Talk in 2023, which is now available on YouTube.

While there’s still plenty of work that needs to be done before the charity achieves its dream of a generation without breast cancer, Lester can already see how the landscape around breast cancer prevention has changed.

He added: “Over the course of my career, there’s been a big shift towards realising that prevention is possible as well as desirable. Nobody was talking about that in the mid-1990s.”

The experienced medical professional also shared some words of encouragement for any current High School pupils looking to break into the field.

He said: “I think both medicine and medical research are fantastic areas to go into, because it’s not just fulfilling but also intellectually interesting. There are new developments all the time – this is an area of great growth, including in genetics.

“Working in this field is a decision I’ve never regretted. I’ve really enjoyed my career.”

Medallists 1971–72

Lester Barr (back row, first left)

An Impressive Eighty Years Of Friendship At HSD

A key part of what makes the High School of Dundee special are the friendships which our pupils, parents, and staff forge during their time here. Whether it’s L1 pupils playing tig on their first day, seniors having a kick-about in the playground, or a couple of parents catching up as they collect their kids, we’re always delighted to see people connecting with each other.

For many pupils, the friendships they make at HSD are lifelong. Nowhere is that truer than with Alison Barnett, Betty Cameron, Isobel Dryden, and Wendy Davidson. The quartet met when they started L1 at the High School – all the way back in 1943. They’ve been friends since, and still regularly meet up for coffee or dinner.

Earlier this year, Alison and Betty joined us at our annual Alumni Reunion to catch up and tell us more about their time at school.

Alison said: “I still remember snippets of us being in L1 together and our earliest days at the School.

“Wendy and Betty lived in Lochee and I remember, not at the age of five but at the age of maybe six or seven, we had these black rally bikes and Isobel and I used to cycle down to see them from where we lived in Downfield.

“We’d cycle all the way along the Kingsway.”

Their friendship continued throughout school, with Wendy and Alison joining the hockey team together. In the mornings, the two Downfield girls would get the tram in together as the Lochee pair rode another.

While at HSD, they would catch up between classes and at lunch.

“We always had a good laugh together,” said Alison. “And we still do!

“Most of our conversation is just reminiscing about our school days and shared memories.”

After school, the friends continued to keep in touch and spend time together whenever they got the chance. Wendy and Isobel now live in Aberdeen; however, the group still get trains between the two cities to see each other.

When asked how their friendships have stayed so firm, Alison said: “It helps that we’re all still in this country.

“So many people have left and gone abroad. The fact that we’re living close to each other has made it much easier to stay in touch.

“We’ve been to each other’s weddings, and I’m godmother to one of Isobel’s children, so we really have made an effort to stick together.

“It’s comforting to have people close at hand who you can depend on.”

Justine Mitchell: ‘You Have To Take A Leap Of Faith’

When it comes to the world of Scottish business, there are very few with the experience and know-how of Justine Mitchell. The Class of 1987 alumna has years of experience working in law and property redevelopment and co-founded a spa in Edinburgh which she ran for over a decade before selling. She now consults for a number of Scottish companies and is keen to push further networking in the country.

Along with her business ventures, Justine founded the Dundee United Women’s Team and served on the club’s Board of Directors for three years.

In 1981, the born-and-bred Dundonian joined the High School as an F1 pupil, having previously attended Eastern Primary. She left in 1987 and earned a Law degree from the University of Aberdeen, before starting a two-year traineeship with Edinburgh firm Drummond Miller WS. The traineeship soon led to Justine becoming an assistant at the firm, and she began working in civil litigation.

“I was on my feet in court a lot,” she said. “Which I absolutely loved.

“I was dealing with negligence claims, breach of contract, matrimonial, anything civil really. I loved doing that.”

In 1996, she moved to Skene Edwards WS, where she would work through the ranks over the next five years. By age 31, the former High School pupil was a partner at the firm and had begun to specialise in employment law. She moved again to McClure Naismith in 2002, and to Lindsays in 2004, giving her the chance to move further into employment law.

However, by 2005, Justine was drawn away from law by other opportunities.

She explained: “I had moved into property redevelopment with my late husband. The property market was booming in the mid-2000s, so I was financially able to leave law.

“My father was ill with prostate cancer at the time, so I wanted to spend more time with him.

“I also wasn’t enjoying the non-court side of employment law as much. I liked being out and about on my feet, as opposed to reading contracts and analysing words.”

Justine spent three years working in property redevelopment with her husband, Ken, including setting up a boutique estate agency. However, in 2008, a sudden series of tragedies turned her life upside-down. In the space of three days, both Justine’s father, Eddie, and Ken died –leaving her with her 13-month-old son, Monty.

Ken was killed in a road traffic accident while the family were on their way to see Eddie, who was gravely ill in hospital. The terrible ordeal was followed by a crisis in the property market, which was a huge hit to the young mother’s business.

“My life absolutely changed in an instant,” she said. “But I guess you find the strength and resilience somehow. You don’t realise that you have it until you’re in that situation.

“I threw myself into redeveloping this townhouse we were working on but after about five months or so I just couldn’t do it anymore, so I closed the doors on that and tried to work out what I was going to do with my life.”

After taking some time for herself, Justine connected with Ken’s first wife, Jill, and together they opened the Chamomile Sanctuary, a luxury spa in Edinburgh.

Justine explained that the pair became friends after the bereavement and were keen to keep Monty close with Jill’s daughter, as the pair are half-siblings.

Before opening the business, Jill was a beauty therapist and ran her own salon. Her experience combined with Justine’s knowledge of the property world to create the perfect opportunity for the pair.

The former HSD pupil said: “I saw a niche in the market in Edinburgh where you had standard beauty salons and luxurious hotel spas but there was nothing in between, and I thought we could set up a beautiful, boutique, high-end city spa and do very well.

“We set it up very quickly. I asked her if she wanted to go into business and she thought I was joking, but literally the next day we went to view a property, and I put in an offer and bought it.

“We had no business plan or anything – I wouldn’t recommend that, but I needed a focus with everything that was going on. Obviously, as we progressed with things, we did create a business plan, budgets, targets, etc.”

The spa soon became very successful, ranking amongst the UK’s top salons and attracting a strong base of regular customers. However, when Covid hit in 2020, the business was left facing a number of challenges.

Turnover collapsed overnight as restrictions banned visits to spas and salons. Even as the rules were eased, Justine found that customers were wary about returning due to fears of the virus.

According to Justine, the change “took the whole heart” out of the business and left her struggling to enjoy her work in the way she had previously. In 2022, she decided to sell the business.

She said: “It’s one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made, but also one of the best. I haven’t regretted it or looked back once. I now work as a business growth consultant and love it.

“A few months before I sold the business, I was approached by Belinda Roberts, CEO of WeDO Scotland, which is a networking and peer-to-peer learning organisation. I had been a member of WeDO for several years and it was a godsend for me during Covid.

“I was in a very desolate, horrible place and Belinda put everything online, even the events, so I was able to keep in contact and create a lot of really good relationships through that, and relationships are key in business.

“Off the back of that, when I was looking to sell my business, Belinda actually asked if I would help her grow WeDO, so I’ve been doing that since February 2022. We’ve managed to grow from 95 members to around 170.”

In addition to her work with WeDO, Justine is actively involved with Quirky Chocolate, an artisan chocolatier based in Edinburgh. She met the company’s owner, Sandra, through WeDO, and was soon asked to come on board and help expand the brand’s reach. Since joining the team, Justine has helped Quirky Chocolate increase turnover significantly by helping to pivot the business from selling mainly to consumers to dealing with top luxury hotels, including Cromlix, The Balmoral, and The Caledonian Edinburgh, as well as to distilleries, wholesalers, and corporates. The brand collaborates with the likes of the V&A, the House of Commons, and Historic Scotland on various delicious projects, and is now scaling up thanks to a significant grant from Scottish Enterprise.

The work doesn’t end there, however. Justine is also mentoring a start-up company, as well as working with Highland Boundary - a botanical spirit company based in Perthshire.

She said: “They own a farm in Blairgowrie and hand pick plants from their land and then distil them to create spirits and liqueurs such as Birch and Elderflower, as well as nonalcoholic syrups and wild Scottish bitters.

“It’s a regenerative business, so the environment and sustainability are key to the owners.”

While her feats in the world of business are impressive, Justine’s passions don’t end there. The HSD alumna is also a huge supporter of Dundee United – the club her father purchased in 2002.

She told Schola Clara: “I grew up with Dundee United. My dad was from Glasgow, but he moved to Dundee in 1965. At that point, he was a Motherwell fan, but because he moved to Dundee, he started supporting Dundee United.

“When we won the league in 1983, the city was going crazy, and I thought to myself: ‘Am I missing out on something here?’

“After that I started going along to every home and away match with my dad. I got my first half-season ticket that Christmas and that was me hooked.

“When my dad died in 2008, my brother stepped in as Executive Chairman and then, in 2013, I went onto the Board of Directors.”

During her time at United, Justine acted as a driving force behind the women’s team. She put the infrastructure in place for the squad and helped interview for a manager, as well as finding sponsors to pay for kits and matchday expenses.

While creating the women’s team wasn’t an easy task, the United fan says it was “massively rewarding” to watch the squad climb through the leagues of Scottish football.

She added: “I loved being involved with the club and the women’s team, especially seeing the girls who support United and have done for years getting the chance to play for their club.”

Looking back on her career, Justine explained: “I think I’ve learned various things, some from my father, and some probably from school as well.

“The first thing I know is that I’ve got a good work ethic. I learned from watching my father in business that you’ve got to work hard and put the time in, and it will pay off. It’s maybe a bit of a cliché, but nothing in life worth doing is easy.

“The other thing I’ve realised in that nothing lands in your lap. You can’t expect other people to do things for you and I think I realised that particularly when I went through the two deaths.

“I had to do everything myself and I couldn’t rely on anyone else to move forward with my life. I think that stayed with me.

“You have to create your own opportunities in life and, when those opportunities come up, you have to take a leap of faith and go for it.’

Lois King: A Personal Journey Through Public Health

Former pupil Lois King is a global health consultant and PhD candidate at Edinburgh University. During her career, the Class of 2013 alumna has worked with organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, using her expertise in public health to assist researchers and policymakers around the globe.

Through her PhD and consultancy work, Lois has also been invited to give guest lectures at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. These lectures have covered a number of topics, including global health politics, health security, and decolonising global health.

Last year, she was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a rare neurological autoimmune disease. The diagnosis led to her discovering the Sumaira Foundation, a worldwide charity supporting those with NMOSD, and becoming their first Scottish ambassador.

Lois was already sure she wanted to go into medicine when she joined HSD in 2011 following a move to Dundee from Edinburgh. In a bid to study the subject at university, she took Advanced Higher Biology and Chemistry, along with Higher Maths, English, French, and Modern Studies.

She said: “I think the education I got at the school was what I needed. My previous school had been a state school, so I felt like I was getting a bit more support and that was great. Funnily enough though, I actually liked English a lot because I felt like it was a bit of a break from the sciences.

“It was a really fun part of my day – I was able to be creative, which was a nice change.

“Just in general though, I really liked the High School. I went to about eight different schools and I really feel like it was the perfect place for me to finish.”

With her exam results, Lois was able to begin studying for a bachelor’s degree in Medical Biology at Edinburgh University. She soon followed her first degree up with a master’s in Public Health and is now working towards a PhD.

While she didn’t plan to work specifically in public health at first, the former High School pupil has found a passion for the topic.

She said: “Public health can be really varied – it’s basically whatever you want to study. It could be basic things like epidemiology, where you look at disease in a population, but it can also be looking at human rights policy. It can be very broad depending on what you do.

“I really love health policy. I didn’t think I would love it, but it’s really interesting to me because you also look at the politics behind certain policies and why they’re put forward.”

While studying for her master's degree, Lois got the chance to begin consulting professionally.

She explained: “One of my supervisors for my current PhD, at the time he needed a research assistant, so I helped him with a data project for the WHO and we’ve done a few other things together since.

“After that, I heard from that network of people that there was a job going with a company called Impact for Health International, and that was consistent consulting. There, we had regular clients who we would advise and see if there was a more efficient way for them to maximise the health benefits of whatever their ethos was.

“For example, I was on a contract with an organisation called Ipas who deal with reproductive health. We were working with this team in Kenya and looking at how we improve access to abortion and contraception for women there.”

It was during her time in Kenya that Lois really started struggling with her NMOSD – although she didn’t know the cause of her symptoms at the time.

While she had always experienced issues with fatigue, further symptoms such as a loss of feeling in her limbs, extreme vertigo, and uncontrollable vomiting began to appear during the trip.

She said: “I had never had anything happen like that when I was younger, but the fatigue was slowly getting worse over like a year or two. I thought that I’d maybe exceeded a threshold and all the things that were happening in Kenya were a result of that.

“I barely made it back! I had to go through the airport in a wheelchair because I couldn’t walk.”

Once she returned home, Lois was sent for blood tests which soon confirmed her NMOSD. She was given a ‘plasma exchange’ – a specialised five-day procedure which involves removing the plasma from a patient’s blood and replacing it with new, healthy plasma.

“I started to feel so much better,” Lois said. "But I had to learn how to walk again.

“I couldn’t really think for a while. I notice it now as well, if I’m tired, I mumble more than I used to. I still get vertigo sometimes as well.

“The good thing is that I’m more aware of my fatigue now, so I can manage it better. I go out less than I used to and make sure I’m keeping a good balance.”

The episode left Lois unable to work for a while, and she was forced to put her PhD studies on hold while focusing on her recovery. However, she kept herself busy by starting a podcast and researching her newly diagnosed condition.

She explained: “I couldn’t continue my PhD while I was recovering, but I did start to get quite bored. I’m the kind of person who needs mental stimulation.

“I started listening to a lot of audiobooks and that made me think ‘Why don’t I start a podcast?’ because I finally had time, and it was a good way to practice speaking again.

“That’s how I heard about Sumaira (Ahmed) herself. I knew about the Foundation already because, while I was in hospital, my family had been reading up about my condition and they came across a lot their resources.

“So, the first person I interviewed on the podcast was actually Sumaira. I was so inspired by her story that I decided to apply to become an ambassador for the Foundation and I got it!”

As Scotland’s only Sumaira Foundation ambassador, Lois is now keen to start raising awareness and building a support network for those in Scotland with the condition and their families.

While she has now restarted her PhD progress, the keen science communicator also plans to continue her podcast, NotiPHed (the PH standing for Public Health).

She added: “Ideally, I want it to take off and become more popular. I noticed when I came out of hospital that there was no way for me to catch up on public health news in a way which was digestible and easy. It felt like there was a huge gap.

“I do still think this is a massive need for people, so after my PhD I’m going to focus on that. I’m hoping I can carve out a little podcasting space for myself.”

Scott Campbell: An Unexpected Return

Familiar faces are always welcome at the High School of Dundee. Whether you’re a former pupil, a retired member of staff, or a parent who wants to keep supporting the School after your child has left, there’s always a way you can step up and lend the School a hand. For some, that may mean coming along to a fundraiser or donating gifts for a raffle, while for others – such as alumnus Scott Campbell – it could be a larger commitment.

Scott was appointed to our Board of Directors this session, however, his association with the School goes back much further. In 1982, he joined HSD for his first year of secondary school. Having attended Park Place Primary, he never expected to be a student at the High School, but he was given financial support through an assisted places scheme.

“The plan was to go to Harris Academy with all my friends,” he said. “But my mum was quite keen for me to try the entrance exam – I did it to please her, really.

“My mum and dad were both nurses and I was one of seven kids, so we couldn’t have afforded to have come to Dundee High, but back then if you passed the entrance exam and you were means-tested, you could qualify for funding from the government.

“I actually remember being very apprehensive at first. All my friends were going to Harris and I was with a whole new group of people.”

Despite taking a few weeks to settle in, Scott soon got into the swing of High School life and ended up with a good circle of friends.

He found plenty of satisfaction in the cadets, however looking back, he feels he could have done more academically.

He explained: “I just wasn’t in the mind-frame to study, really.

“I feel like I failed to reach my potential – I was maybe a bit of a disappointment to the High School in terms of grades.

“I think what I’ve gone on to achieve academically since has been grounded in the education I received at the High School, but it all came later, when I was a bit more mature.

“I enjoyed the cadets, particularly the camps, but I can’t say that I participated or grabbed hold of every opportunity I could, and that might be a bit of a regret.”

Scott left the school at the end of his fifth year and began working his first job at Ninewells Hospital. Raised as a Mormon, he set off for Chicago for his mission (a rite of passage which involves going abroad to volunteer) soon after. He spent two years in the Windy City before returning to Scotland.

“It was a really great experience,” he said. “Being young and getting to see the world was incredible, and I got to be independent and stand on my own two feet.”

After returning home, the HSD alumnus took on some further roles before deciding that he wanted to further his education.

“I did it the hard way,” he explained. “I didn’t have the Highers I needed to go to university, so I went and did an access course at Elmwood College.

“I wanted to do Arts and Social Sciences, because I was originally planning to be a teacher. I did the first year at Dundee University, but then I was kind of attracted to Law.”

Despite being told that the course was over-subscribed when he put in his transfer request, Scott managed to land

himself a space. Six years later (three studying for his LLB, one for his post-graduate diploma, and a traineeship), the Dundee-native finally began working at local firm Muir, Myles and Laverty (later MML Law). After getting his start, Scott relocated to Cupar to work at the practice of an old friend, however the firm was forced to close down following the friend’s sudden death. The closure left the newly qualified lawyer out of work and facing a choice: either look for a job elsewhere or try to create his own practice.

He said: “After only being qualified for a year, I got permission from the Law Society to set up my own law firm.

“I set up the Chamber Practice in Dundee, with just me and one other part-time employee, and 24 years later it’s still going.

“We’ve got three offices and 25 staff – a lot of them have worked for me for a long while, so it’s been really fun.”

While he’s continued to work in Law, the High School FP now also runs a number of other businesses, describing himself as “an entrepreneur first and foremost”.

His ventures include café Empire State Coffee, e-commerce business Snappy Shopper, and multiple convenience stores.

“My brain never stops on creativity and risk-taking, within reason,” he said. “I’m very driven on these things, and I think the skills which I’ve got could be useful to a modern board which is trying to adapt into quite challenging circumstances.”

While he’s now keen to support the School, Scott admits he never saw himself joining the board.

He said: “It almost felt like the School had been a chapter of my life which was over. I was obviously aware of the School

and had positive feelings towards it, but I would say that it wasn’t really on my mind until my boy Jude was in nursery, and my wife and I started to look at what the next options for him were.

“We brought him to the nursery at Mayfield and we were just absolutely blown away by the experience, which is exceptional.

“We committed after that and said this is the place for him for the next however many years, and hopefully he does a better job than me.

“I think if you told 15-year-old me that I’d be on the School Board, he’d laugh. It’s crazy. I think my teachers would laugh as well.

“You’d probably think I was the most unlikely candidate to do that.”

However, it wasn’t just Jude’s enrolment which pushed Scott towards joining the board.

He added: “Another reason I applied, probably a more personal reason, is for my mum.

“She was a midwife, and my dad was a charge nurse at Ninewells. They worked really hard, had seven children and now they’ve got about 40 odd grandchildren. They’ve worked all their lives and they’re very humble people, so for them to see their son as a director of the School – it feels really nice for them.

“It’s almost a bit of an acknowledgement to her and her sacrifices. There’s definitely an element of that.”

Kirsten Ellis: Learning The Ropes

On The UK’s Longest-Running Soap

Drama is a part of our DNA here at HSD. We’re incredibly proud of our drama department and the fantastic performances they regularly treat us to. That’s why we’re so delighted to hear from an FP who’s managed to make a career in the world of drama and entertainment – such as Class of 2019 alumna Kirsten Ellis.

Kirsten joined the High School in 2009 as an L4 pupil and stayed until the end of F6 in 2019. After leaving HSD, she studied Drama and English at the University of Birmingham, where she began to take an interest in the production side of the industry. In the two years since her graduation, Kirsten has worked as a production coordinator on BBC projects such as The Bad Skin Clinic and radio drama The Archers, the UK’s longest-running soap opera.

“While I was at school, I got really involved in Drama,” she said. “I just really loved it. My teacher was Miss Shand (now Mrs Sangster) and she was so encouraging.

“I wanted to go into acting to begin with, as most young people do – because you’re not aware of all the other job roles out there – but I wasn’t convinced by going to a conservatoire and I wanted to do a degree.

“I ended up doing Drama and English together, just to have a bit more of a foundation. Then, when I was at uni, I started to get into production because I did a lot of student plays. I really liked doing the logistics, the budgeting, and managing behind the scenes.

“Also, because most of my uni career was during lockdown, everything moved online and was digital. That kind of changed the direction for me.”

“It was very busy because there were shoots in London every other weekend, but I was kind of just thrown into it and learned really quickly.”

With Covid halting most opportunities in theatre, Kirsten and her friends began to create their own video productions. This new approach led her to discover a passion for filming and editing which, coupled with an increased exposure to digital media during lockdown, soon caused a change in career plans.

She said: “Through all this filming and editing I was doing, I ended up as a camera assistant at the Commonwealth Games for hockey, which was really cool.

“Then I got into one of the apprenticeships at the BBC. They had started up an apprenticeship scheme for local people, and although I’m Scottish I had lived in Birmingham for three years for uni and therefore I was apparently eligible to apply.”

“That’s kind of how I landed in TV.”

Kirsten began her Production Coordinator apprenticeship in September 2022 by working with BBC partner Full Fat TV on a programme called The Bad Skin Clinic. While working on the programme she got the chance to film with a full crew onlocation and picked up valuable insights into the industry.

The HSD alumna said: “I got to see how things are shot and put together.

“There was also a lot of writing call sheets, which let people know when to come to set and what’s happening each day.

“I also managed the contributors and talent as well. Contributors are the people on the show – I had to sort them all out and get them down to London for filming.

“It was very busy because there were shoots in London every other weekend, but I was kind of just thrown into it and learned really quickly.”

The show gave Kirsten her first TV credit – a moment she describes as “a real highlight.”

She added: “It was the type of experience which can be difficult to get. This can be a really hard industry to break into, so it was amazing to get that opportunity.”

After finishing her apprenticeship in April, Kirsten began freelancing for BBC Drama The Archers. The radio soap – which airs at 7pm every day except Saturday – first broadcast on New Year’s Day 1951. Since then, over 20,000 episodes of the programme have been transmitted to homes across Britain, making it the world’s longest-running daily serial.

Her role as a Production Coordinator on the show involved formatting scripts, arranging casting, and dealing with the mountain of paperwork that any large-scale production creates. However, Kirsten’s favourite job was ensuring that each episode was the perfect length.

She said: “I’d sit in the studio next to the director and record the episode as it was being recorded.

“Because there’s such a fast turnaround on each episode, they need to get the edit done really quickly, so I made sure the episodes were between 12 minutes 20 seconds and 14 minutes 40 seconds. If they weren’t, it had to be extended or cut, and that’s a lot easier to do while recording than it is in the edit.

“It was very immersive – I’d get to watch the whole thing unfold.”

Despite enjoying her time in the recording studio, Kirsten is now looking at a return to TV for her next job. She recently accepted an offer from Shine TV to work as a Junior Production Coordinator on an upcoming season of Celebrity Masterchef.

She added: “I want to work up the production ladder and eventually become a production executive – to oversee and manage shows.

“My goal was always to work in drama, so I’m glad I’ve done that.”

A Trip To The Archives

At HSD our extensive archives are filled with pictures, magazines, reports, and programmes from days gone by.

For this year’s Schola Clara, we’ve pulled together some pictures which were taken between 1954 and 1974. If can see yourself – or someone you know – in one of these pictures, we’d love to hear from you.

You can contact us by emailing alumni@highschoolofdundee.org.uk, or by calling the School directly on 01382 202921 and requesting the Development Office.

Do you know the team in this picture from 1964? Please get in touch and let us know!

Boys’ Rugby - 1954

L2 Girls - 1954

Form 3 Boys - 1963/1964

Girls’ Tennis - 1954

James Houston: Reconnecting With HSD After Eight Decades

At the High School, we love when our alumni reconnect with us long after leaving the school – and there’s no better example of that than Jim Houston.

Aged 101, we believe the Second World War veteran to be one of our oldest alumni. A member of the Class of 1941, Jim joined the school on a bursary as a 12-year-old. His career after school began in accountancy, however he soon moved to a job as a sub-editor at DC Thomson.

In 1942, he was called up for service in the Second World War. The HSD alumnus was sent to Tunisia, where he trained as a writer and worked in the office of Rear Admiral Sir Gerald Charles Dickens – grandson of author Charles Dickens.

After the war, he returned to work at DC Thomson – however, he was soon swayed by the offer of a job at his father’s ironmongering firm, Fyfe Douglas. Jim began working at the company in 1954, staying until he retired as managing director in 1988.

Earlier this year, Rector Lise Hudson, Head of Development Alex McGrory, and Chair of the Foundation Sheena Leadbitter paid him a visit alongside his son (also named Jim!) to congratulate him on his 101 years and learn a little more about his life!

Euclid Crossword

This crossword created by Roger Burns, Class of 1964, has nearly 30 historical clues relating to the HSoD and to Dundee and District with one answer circa 16 miles north-east of Dundee. The remaining clues are “link” clues to the foregoing and essentially general knowledge.

ACROSS

1. Top pupil. (3)

3. See 21A.

6. The highest point. (4)

9. A focal point. (3)

12. Watch factory closed by industrial dispute. (5)

13. See 51A.

15. Planned for 8 years, opened 1919, enhancing Dundee’s connectivity. (8)

18. Carduelis spinus bird. (6)

21. & 3A. The World’s 2nd train ferry plied to and from here. (8,5)

23. Trip to see wild animals. (6)

24. Name of local RNLI lifeboat 1959 disaster. (4)

25. See 35D.

26. Acronym describing unattended cash machine; OR type of digital communication. (3)

28. See 44A.

29. _____ people, an ethnic group primarily in southern Nigeria. (4)

30. Used as a time piece in Dudhope Park. (6)

32. A tart spicy quality. (4)

34. Location of DHS rifle range for Oakley & Urquart Cups. (9)

39. Nocturnal birds of prey. (4)

40. See 64A.

42. They were used as messengers in WW1 & WW2. (7)

44. & 28A & 45D. Museum associated with the world’s oldest surviving, operational sea-washed lighthouse. (8,6,5)

46. Manipulate or massage something. (5)

48. The two upper chambers in one’s heart. (7)

49. See 41D.

51. & 13A. 85m high built chimney, regarded as the best of its type in Scotland. (4,5)

52. The Tay Road Bridge central walkway coloured paving slabs were originally laid out in the pattern of this game, a love of the bridge’s designer. (5)

55. Sound. (5)

57. You might have bought one in 78A. (5)

58. See 10D.

60. The relation that exists when things occur at the same time. (4)

64. & 40A & 8D. HSoD former name. (3,6,10)

67. Fix to or attach. (6)

69. One of Dundee’s “J”s. (10)

71. A bargain purchase. (5)

73. A traditional African village of huts, typically enclosed by a fence. (5)

74. Edible nut; OR male swan. (3)

75. Invalid, in law. (4)

76. See 51D.

77. American spelling of an Arabian market. (3)

78. & 79A & 80A. Pub in Old Hawkhill, popular with locals and students, now demolished. (2,4,6)

DOWN

2. Collective name of six islands in Outer Hebrides. (4)

4. See 10D.

5. Tell or spin one! (4)

6. The _____ have it! (4)

7. Consisting of, or containing the monovalent group C2H5. (5)

8. See 64A.

10. & 4D & 58A. 2007 recipient of Green Flag Award in Dundee. (8,4,6)

11. Mid-20th century venue for football & cricket matches between Wormit & Dundee Corinthian Boating Clubs. (8)

14. Predatory sea-bird. (4)

16. _____ rope or cable to support something. (3)

17. Starting 1753, Dundee was the only UK city by 1890 with this industry. (7)

19. & 33D. Completed in 1850 at the Docks, demolished in 1964. (5,4)

20. A listed Burial ground in Dundee. (5)

22. What was under part of Dundee’s extinct volcano? (6)

27. Poet who described the Tay as Silvery. (10)

31. A small piece of anything. (4)

33D. See 19D.

35 & 25A. These sometimes stopped the Tay Ferries working in winter. (3,5)

36. DHS former rugby & athletics sports field. (8)

37. Radial projection from a ship’s wheel. (5)

38. Competent (4)

41. & 49A. Excellent Latin teacher in the 60’s who wore hobnailed boots, known by affectionate first name and surname. (3,6)

43. A noun formed from a verb. (6)

45. See 44A.

47. The school’s acronym. (1,1,1).

50. A banned instrument of corporal punishment. (5)

51. & 76A. A late medieval edifice eastwards of Dundee City Centre. (9,6)

53. Conjunction meaning therefore. (2)

54. A powerful and luminous explosion of a star. (9)

56. Scottish term for smooth or evenly cut. (4)

59. Disease of shrubs and trees characterised by death of young shoots. (7)

61. Influenced or urged by gentle urging. (7)

62. F5 & F6 Christmas dances were held here in the 60s. (7)

63. Spanish large fleet. (6)

65. This was a new sport for DHS boys in 1963. (6)

66. One of Dundee’s “J”s. (3)

68. Fertiliser from sea birds. (5)

70. One of Dundee’s “J”s. (4)

72. Californian city known by its initials. (1,1)

Scan or click here for answers!

Sheena Leadbitter: A Message

From The

Foundation

We are so grateful to each and every one of you for your support throughout the year. Your generosity comes in so many ways, from attending events through to regular giving.

Some of the highlights this year have included hosting our inaugural Euclid Ball, which generated a staggering £20,000 towards the General Fund. There was a real buzz at Dundee’s Invercarse as over 200 parents, former pupils, and guests were piped into the ballroom to begin the festivities. Well done to all members of the Ball Committee for putting on a great show and to our wonderful sponsors for making the evening such a huge success! Given the response we received, we are once again returning to the Invercarse on Saturday 26th April 2025 for our next Euclid Ball – so look out for tickets in the New Year! It is hoped that the funds generated at this year’s event will go towards plans to landscape the front playground.

Over the Summer, the High School of Dundee Foundation was able to support the redevelopment of parts of the main campus for exciting new social space. These areas – located off the back playground and beside our new Pod – provide indoor seating for use throughout the school day, allowing pupils and staff a space to eat and socialise. They’re also a lovely, warm place for pupils to congregate before and after school too. None of this would have been possible without your much-valued donations.

Looking Forward

As we look ahead to the New Year, we would like to make a heartfelt appeal for continued support, particularly for our Bursary Fund. With the increase in VAT on fees and other financial pressures, many of our current families are feeling the strain. Without the essential financial support from The Foundation, we risk seeing families uproot their children from the nurturing environment they have come to love — their friends, the activities they cherish, and the learning experiences that shape them into well-rounded individuals ready to face the world. The Foundation has stepped in to help struggling families in the short-term.

As a School, we want to ensure that there are sufficient funds in place so youngsters with potential can benefit from the opportunities High School of Dundee provides.

We respectfully ask you to consider making either a oneoff donation to our Bursary Fund or subscribing to our regular giving programme (monthly, quarterly, or annually). A small monthly donation to the Bursary Fund can make a difference, potentially securing the future of a young person’s education.

To make a donation today, please use the QR Code below, visit our website, or contact development@ highschoolofdundee.org.uk for more information about regular giving.

Thank you once again for your generosity and ongoing support.

With very best wishes for 2025,

Sheena Leadbitter High School of Dundee Foundation (Chair)