Schools that seem

Braeview and Grove close only in proximity

A LITTLE over two miles – or around an eightminute drive – separates Grove Academy and Braeview Academy in Dundee.

Yet despite their close proximity, the two schools are worlds apart.

Pupils who leave Grove, in Broughty Ferry, are far more likely to achieve five or more Highers than those at Braeview, in the north-east of the city.

And in the Courier’s Schools League – compiled in April using last year’s exam results – the Ferry secondary was among the top four ranked schools in Tayside and Fife. Braeview, however, was at the very bottom.

So why is there such disparity between two schools so close to each other? And is it fair to judge their performance on Highers alone?

Scottish Government figures show that in 2021, 56% of Grove Academy’s leavers took with them the gold standard of five or more Highers.

However for pupils leaving Braeview Academy, just 11% of leavers achieved this.

Perhaps more importantly, however, government figures show more than 40% of pupils at Braeview live in areas among the most deprived in Scotland – known as quantile 1 of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

In contrast, half of pupils at Grove come from areas among the least deprived areas in the country – quantile 5.

Simon Redmond, treasurer of Fintry Community Council, has two children who will eventually attend Braeview Academy.

He is full of praise for the school and the work of teachers there but acknowledged the school faces challenges that are perhaps not as prevalent in other areas of Dundee.

He said: “Braeview is a great secondary school in its own right and it’s a great asset to the area.

“The teachers and pupils are hard-working.

“What I would say is the North East (ward) is quite an impoverished area and it’s well known so there are additional challenges.

“The young people of the North East are determined to learn and rise above these but somewhere along the line there will be people that fall through the gaps.

“There needs to be more decision action from the council because if we don’t there will be this gap.”

Another metric used by the Scottish Government to evaluate how well a school is doing is to look at how many of its pupils go on to a positive destination after they leave.

These include higher education, further education, employment, training, personal skills development or voluntary work. Looking at this metric, both schools have favourable outcomes.

Figures show that in the 202021 school year, 95% of leavers from Grove went on to a positive destination. At Braeview, 86% of their leavers head off to a positive destination.

The Braeview Academy building was severely damaged by a fire in September 2018.

This resulted in the creation of temporary cabin accommodation for pupils – a provision which is still in use today.

Moreover, the building has been rated as “poor” for overall condition meaning it is showing major defects and not operating adequately.

A brand-new £60 million campus – a merger between Braeview and Craigie High School – has been approved by Dundee City Council and is expected to open in August 2025.

Speaking when the new school was approved last year, Braeview head teacher Lesley Elder labelled the project a “game changer”.

She said: “There will be a bigger range of subjects, particularly in the senior phase, and they will have the opportunity to learn in a more 21st Century, up-to-date way.

“I see that as real game changer for the Braeview and Craigie community.”

A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “The children and families service and our

Simon Redmond