The PE department seeks to strike a balance between performance and participation, enabling us to allow our most able sportspeople to achieve excellence, whilst, at the same time, catering for the needs of all pupils. This is achieved through our three-pronged approach which consists of timetabled lessons, fixtures and co-curricular activities and our High Performance Sport Programme.
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We have outstanding sporting facilities at Mayfield. Our purpose-built sports centre includes a multi-use sports hall with a large spectator gallery, a gymnasium, a fully refurbished strength and conditioning suite, a dance studio, a fitness suite and classroom space. Our outdoor facilities include two top of the range all-weather pitches, and extensive grass playing areas, both of which cater for a variety of sports.Â
In addition, we make use of the latest technologies to help our pupils achieve the best outcomes in PE and Games. For example, a specialist sports video camera and interactive television make in depth personalised and team movement analysis far more accessible in PE classes.
The PE department seeks to raise confidence and ability and to promote lifelong positive attitudes to physical activity through participation in a wide variety of activities.
Regular PE lessons are timetabled for all pupils up to and including Form 5, and are optional in Form 6.Â
Physical Education is offered as a subject at N5, Higher and Advanced Higher levels.
In addition, pupils taking PE at N5 level also complete a Sports Leaders qualification, earning them UCAS points and giving them the opportunity to develop key employability skills. Pupils in F5 and F6 are also given the chance to complete a Gym Instructor qualification, offering a pathway to employment and career development in this field.
The department’s dedicated and inspiring staff include former Scottish rugby internationalist Phil Godman, and former Scottish hockey internationalists Linda Anderson, Louise Baxter and Gavin Byers.
The School has teams taking part in competitive fixtures in sports including rugby, hockey, football, netball, tennis, cricket and athletics, with our pupils also representing the School in swimming, curling, fencing, skiing, equestrian events, and water polo, as well as numerous others.
The co-curriculum also provides our pupils with a huge number of sporting options. An extensive array of sport and exercise activities are run by the PE department before/after school, including badminton, strength and conditioning, yoga and tennis. House competitions take place throughout the school year, while the summer term features a drive to get pupils to try out different sports in after school games time.Â
Our High Performance Sport Programme is an innovative scheme which gives pupils who are performing at a high standard expert guidance and support to help them go as far as they possibly can in their chosen sport.
Under the programme, which has been set up by the School’s Head of Elite Sport, former Scotland rugby internationalist Phil Godman, pupils who participate at a national level, or have the potential to do so, will receive tailored individual plans which draw on a host of specialist inputs and resources.
Focusing on how to improve sports performance while considering the athlete’s overall sport/life balance, the Programme is designed to accommodate any type of elite athlete, no matter the sport. In recent times these sports have included rugby, hockey, football, swimming, athletics and sailing.
The School has a proud sporting heritage, with numerous former pupils having gone on to achieve international success and recognition, such as Commonwealth Games gold medalist Eilish McColgan, Scotland rugby union internationalists Zander Fagerson, Matt Fagerson, Richie Vernon, Alasdair Dickinson, Jonny Petrie and Andy Nicol, Olympic skier Charlie Guest, current Scottish rugby union internationalist, Shona Campbell, cyclist Alfie George, and hockey players Cameron and Jamie Golden.Â
With such inspirational footsteps to follow in, it’s no surprise that our current pupils are also succeeding in the sporting arena. High School teams have won or reached the finals in national competitions in football, hockey, rugby, netball and water polo in recent years. In addition, a number of pupils currently represent their region and or country in sports including rugby, hockey, tennis, football, swimming, gymnastics and more.
The potential of our pupils can lie in any sphere and the co-curriculum provides us with an opportunity to discover that potential, nurture it, and support it!
It’s crucial to the all-round development of our young people, giving them the chance to build crucial life skills and friendships and find their passions. Having fun is also a major goal of the co-curriculum and we want everyone to get involved; so we aim to provide something for everyone.
The co-curricular list is enormous, and if there’s an activity that pupils want to do but we don’t yet offer, we support them to start up their own clubs, which in itself is a great learning experience!
The High School of Dundee is a charity, registered in Scotland under the following nomenclature: Corporation of The High School of Dundee (SC011522), High School of Dundee Foundation (SC030842) and High School of Dundee Scholarship Fund (SC011441)
