News

The Tartan for Clackmannanshire now officially on the Scottish Register of Tartans. The Tartan for Clackmannanshire, designed as part of a FIDA Challenge in 2023, was registered on the official Scottish Register of Tartans on 27 August 2024. Ronan Anderson, from Dollar Academy, designed the Tartan. The colours represent the nature and culture of the Wee…

We are pleased to share that FIDA's new International Sustainability Diploma was recognised by a motion in the Scottish Parliament, on 6 June. You can read the motion below:  That the Parliament welcomes the news that the Futures Institute at Dollar Academy (FIDA) has launched a new qualification; understands that the International Sustainability Diploma is…

On Sunday 23 June, The Herald ran a double-page spread on FIDA. The article was written by James McEnaney, an education journalist known for his less-than-favourable opinions of independent school education. However, having spent time with the team here at Dollar, he has seen the clear benefit of FIDA and what we're trying to achieve…

The Futures Institute at Dollar Academy has launched a new qualification – the International Sustainability Diploma. Open to learners across Scotland and beyond, the Diploma will be piloted in a number of schools in the 2024/25 session ahead of a wider launch in 2025/26.   The Diploma programme offers a different style of learning and…

We’re delighted to announce that FIDA’s new qualification, the International Sustainability Diploma, has been credit-rated at SCQF Level 6, worth 24 points (equivalent to one Higher). This means it is recognised by UCAS, universities, colleges and employers, and will carry international recognition. The work was supported by funding from Scottish Government – something extremely rare…

Our inaugural fundraising event for the Futures Institute building took place on Saturday 23 March and was a huge success! Davie Christie and his hugely impressive Scottish Pops Orchestra, accompanied by professional singers, put on an absolutely fantastic performance. We couldn’t have hoped for a better night! Not only was the event an opportunity to…

The entire Junior 1 year-group at Dollar Academy is taking part in a FIDA project this year, Wildlife Welcome Here. This term, they are learning about local species under threat, from beetles and bats to lichens and hedgehogs. Next term, they will develop their own ideas to protect particular species, working with the wider community…

We were pleased to welcome three of Jenny Gilruth MSP's senior advisers to Dollar at the beginning of December to learn more about FIDA. Jenny Gilruth is the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, and the visit followed the publication in June of both the Hayward Report, which made recommendations to ministers about the future…

UPDATE 24/01/2024: The development of our new qualification – the FIDA Sustainability Diploma – is progressing at pace. We are pleased to share that Glasgow Clyde College will be our Credit Rating Body. They are now working closely with us to ensure that our Diploma meets the criteria to be credit-rated on the SCQF at…

The FIDA Home Transformers Challenge, a project developed by Futures Institute at Dollar Academy (FIDA) in collaboration with the Sustainability team at Barratt Developments, challenged 34 pupils from four secondary schools across Clackmannanshire and Stirling to survey an 1860s cottage that is currently in a state of disrepair, and develop a plan to transform and…