Updates from JGHS Parent Council meeting on 27 May 2026

30 May 2026; Many thanks to those who contributed to the Parent Council meeting held on Wednesday 27 May 2026.

The Parent Council update presented by the Chair are now available:

Parent Council update 27 May 2026 (opens as pdf)

The meeting minutes will be added here in due course.

Upcoming meetings for AY 2026/27

  • Tuesday 1 September 2026, 7-8.30 pm (online)
  • Wednesday 7 October 2026, 7 – 9pm (in person) – Annual General Meeting (AGM) and election of the Office Bearers
  • Tuesday 24 November 2026, 7-8.30 pm (online)
  • Wednesday 27 January 2027, 7-9 pm (in person)
  • Tuesday 23 March 2027,  7–8.30 pm (online) 
  • Wednesday 2 June 2027,  7-9 pm (in person)

If you have any issues that you would like to raise, please contact the Parent Council via email:

Email the Parent Council

Parent Council meeting calendar for AY 2026/27

30 May 2026: The meeting schedule for the Parent Council in 2026/27 has just been confirmed.

The first meeting on the new school year will be held online via MS Teams on Tuesday 1 September at 7 pm.

All parents and carers are very warmly invited to attend. The joining link will be circulated by the School prior to the meeting.

Meeting calendar

  • Tuesday 1 September 2026, 7-8.30 pm (online)
  • Wednesday 7 October 2026, 7 – 9pm (in person) – Annual General Meeting (AGM) and election of the Office Bearers
  • Tuesday 24 November 2026, 7-8.30 pm (online)
  • Wednesday 27 January 2027, 7-9 pm (in person)
  • Tuesday 23 March 2027,  7–8.30 pm (online) 
  • Wednesday 2 June 2027,  7-9 pm (in person)

If you have any questions, or issues that you would like to discuss at any of the meetings, please contact the parent council by email:

Email the Parent Council

Upcoming meeting of Parent Council on Wednesday 27 May 2026

8 May 2026: The next meeting of the JGHS Parent Council will be on Wednesday 27 May at 7-9 pm in the School library. All parents and carers are warmly invited to participate.

Please note this is a change from the previously advertised date.

Draft agenda

  1. Chair Introduction, welcome and Parent Council update
    • Information on the Annual General Meeting (AGM)
    • Parent Council Office Bearers’ elections in October
    • Treasurer report and financial update
  2. Departmental Overview Presentation – Modern langauges – Mr O’Connor
  3. Rising Rolls Subgroup Update – overview and next steps
  4. Head Teacher Report – Mr. Neil McCallum
  5. Q&A 
  6. Chair Closing

If there are any other questions or issues you would like to raise, please contact the PC by email ahead of the meeting:

Email the Parent Council
Connect newsletter banner

Connect newsletter for May 2026

14 May 2026: The latest edition of the Connect newsletter is now available.

There are a number of updates this month including:

  1. The campaigning Parents’ Charter and calls for improvements to Scottish education.
  2. The latest Connect parent/carer survey on your family’s childcare needs Activities, Clubs and Childcare (Before/After School and School Holidays).
  3. Online Safety For Families with Police Scotland.  
  4. The recording of the latest Talking Points for Parents session with the team from My Rights, My Say on Children’s Rights and ASN – What families need to know – now available.
      Read the Connect newsletter here

      Pupil survey on learning and space at JGHS

      8 May 2026: Pupils at JGHS were recently surveyed about the space in the school that is available for study, eating and socialising, and the impact this has on their learning. The results and the narrative comments submitted are available below:

      Results of survey on space and learning at JGHS

      Pupils comments on space and learning

      The survey was carried out to assess pupil experience of the imapct of the rising roll at JGHS, add received over 300 submission from pupils in S1-S6.

      The Rising Rolls working group of the Parent Council has previously made an argument for the provision of more space to be made available at JGHS to take account of the current pressures from pupil numbers.

      Making the case for more space

      Space utilitsation at JGHS

      Previous deputations made by the JGHS Parent Council to the City of Edinburgh Council Education Committee, and the responses received are available on the PC campaigns page

      Parent Council campaigns

      New City of Edinburgh Council group to look at Rising Rolls

      New City of Edinburgh Council group to look at rising rolls

      6 May 2026: The City of Edinburgh Council has set up a new Accommodation Pressures Working Group.

      The new Working Group was established during the meeting of the Consultative Committee with Parents (CCwP) on 1 April 2026, and the first meeting will be held in the second half of May.

      About the CCwP

      Details of CCwP meetings

      The working group will look at accommodation issues in the city centre, particularly affecting James Gillespie’s High School and Boroughmuir High School, with the aim of identifying concrete solutions to the ongoing overcrowding in these schools.

      Representatives from the Parent Council will attend this meeting. If you have any comments you would like to feed into the meeting, please contact us by email.

      Email the Parent Council

      Parent Council meeting 24 March 2026

      25 March 2026: Many thanks to those who attended the meeting of the JGHS Parent Council on Tuesday 24 March 2026.

      The meeting addressed a wide range of issues:

      • Mr Kelly and Mr Corson presented on the Design and Technology curriculum, highlighting various recent pupil successes
      • Mr Hoyland spoke to the meeting about recent challenges in staffing in maths
      • Andrew Picken gave an update on continuing work in the Rising Rolls subgroup to highlight the impact of rising rolls on space and pupil experience, and identify potential solutions
      • Mr McCallum (Headteacher) gave a report on school activities
      • PC Co-Chair Liz Hilton provided an update on recent PC activities

      Presentation on Design and Technology curriculum (opens as pdf)

      The meeting recording is now available:

      Recording of JGHS parent council meeting 24 March 2026 (opens on YouTube)

      Next meetings

      The next formal meeting of Parent Council will be held in the school library on Wednesday 3 June 2026 at 7 pm.

      Parents and carers are also invited to join an informal get-together of the parent council in the school on Wednesday 29 April 2026 at 7 pm.