Recent activity and updates from the Parent Council

6 February 2026: A number of updates from the Parent Council were shared in the Headteacher’s newsletter this week.

City of Edinburgh Council Education Consultative Forum (ECF) meeting

The ECF meeting for parent representatives from mainstream secondary schools in Edinburgh was held on 4 February.

At the JGHS Parent Council’s request, an item related to rising rolls in Edinburgh schools was added to the agenda.

A report from the meeting will be published on the PC wesbite shortly.

JGHS rising rolls subgroup

The subgroup is working on the report from the last PC meeting held on 28 January. It will be uploaded to the website once it is ready.

English Reading Circles – S1 & S2

A huge thanks to all parents and pupils who so generously contributed to the Book Drive. The final total raised was £1105!!

The donations mean that we have now been able to purchase all 160 of the books requested by the English department, (at a total cost of £642) and the campaign is now closed.

The PC worked with the JGHS Trust to raise funds for pre-owned book sets for S1–S2 English Reading Circles. Purchasing books through the Trust has allowed us to claim Gift Aid on donations, increasing their value.

Since the donations exceeded the total amount needed for this project, the Parent Council has asked the English department to extend the initial list and to possibly include additional titles for children with additioanl suport needs

One teacher will pilot the Reading Circles programme later this year, and the full prorgramme will be erolled out in 2026/27.

Online Resource – “The Chat”

The Parent Council encourages families to explore the new online resource that provides support for children as they learn about friendships, relationships and growing up.

theChat Website

The official launch on the new resource was on 4 February 2026.

Next Parent Council Meeting:

The next meeting of the Parent Council will be held online on Tuesday 24 March 2026, 7–8:30 pm via MSTeams.

If there are any issues that you would like to raise, please contact the Parent Council via email.

Email the Parent Council

Reports from Parent Council meeting on 28 January 2026

29 January 2026: Many thanks to all who were able to attend the Parent Council meeting on 28 January 2026.

We had presentations illustrating the pupil support structures and systems at JGHS from Mr Ian Porter (DHT), Ms Elisa Kerr (PSL), Mr Rob Cockcroft (CL and Support for Learning), and Ms Anna Parkes (CL and Wellbeing Hub).

Pupil support structures at JGHS (opens as pdf)

We also had a presentation on Communications & Digital from Mr Neil McCallum (HT), who gave us an overview of recent developments and improvements in communications including the school newsletter, website and app. He also provided a general update on school activities.

Headteacher’s report on digital communciation and school update (opens as pdf)

in addition the meeting was given an update on work by the Rising Rolls Subgroup in the Chair’s update, and heard from the James Gillespie’s Trust.

A copy of the PC Chair’s update and the meeting mintues will be added here once available.

Next meeting

The next Parent Council meeting will be held online on Tuesday 24 March, from 7.00 to 8.30 pm, via Microsoft Teams.

Meeting of JGHS Parent Council Wednesday 28 January

The next meeting of the JGHS Parent Council will be held at 7 pm on Wednesday 28 January in the JGHS library. All parents and carers are most welcome to attend.

Agenda

Chair Introduction & Parent Council Update (Brief)
- Welcome and apologies
- Brief overview of recent Parent Council activity
PC Treasurer Report
- Brief financial update
Pupil Support – Strategic Overview (All Years, focus on Senior Phase S4–S6)
- Mr Ian Porter, Depute Head Teacher (DHT)
- Ms Elisa Kerr, Pupil Support Leader (PSL)
- Mr Rob Cockcroft, Curriculum Leader Support for Learning (CL)
- Ms Anna Parkes, Curriculum Leader Wellbeing Hub
  - Overview of pupil support structures across all year groups, access to study spaces
  - Specific focus on support for SQA years (S4–S6)
Communications & Digital Updates – Mr Neil McCallum (HT)
- Short input on school communications (newsletter, website, app)
- Improvements already achieved and next steps
- Focus on clarity, consistency, and parent engagement
- High-level summary; no operational details
Trust Update (TBC)
- Short update on Trust-related initiatives involving the Parent Council
Head Teacher Report – Mr Neil McCallum (HT)
Q&A / Open Discussion
Chair Closing
- Next steps and dates

If you have any points you would like to raise before the meeting, please contact the PC by email:

Email the Parent Council

HMIE Inspection reports for JGHS published

20 January 2026: Education Scotland have published the results of the inspection carried out at James Gillespie’s High School in October 2025.

The report and the summarised findings are available at the links below:

JGHS inspection report, City of Edinburgh Council, 20 January 2026

JGHS inspection report, City of Edinburgh Council, 20 January 2026 (Gaelic version)

JGHS summarised inspection findings, City of Edinburgh Council, 20 January 2026

JGHS additional inspection evidence, City of Edinburgh Council, 20 January 2026

In summary the inspectors found:

Strengths

The headteacher provides calm and aspirational leadership to the school community.
Staff and young people have developed inclusive, positive and respectful learning environments in which young people thrive.
Young people sustain very high levels of attainment across the senior phase.
Staff have worked well with a range of effective partners to increase young people’s learning pathways and opportunities for achievement.
Across the senior phase, young people achieve highly in Gàidhlig, with nearly all securing National Qualifications at appropriate levels.

Areas for improvement

Senior leaders should continue to develop the capacity of staff at all levels to embed recent improvements.
Staff need to ensure that young people experience a greater consistency of high-quality learning, teaching and assessment across the school.
Senior leaders should develop a more coherent and strategic approach to immersion education, with a focus on broadening the curriculum leading to qualifications and awards through the medium of Gàidhlig.

City of Edinburgh Council consultation on mobile phones

January 2026: The Scottish Government published guidance on mobile phones in schools in August 2024.

Since this guidance, many schools, including JGHS, have introduced restrictions to mobile phone use during the school day. The detail of these restrictions can vary from school to school.

Mobile phone use in primary schools is not permitted following a decision by the Education, Children and Families Committee in 2025.

The Education, Children and Families Committee is considering banning or restricting phone use in all schools. The council is also considering lockable pouches to support restrictions on mobile phone use in secondary schools, and lockable cabinets in primary schools.

However the Council is aware that views on these proposals difffer and are now now asking for input from parents. They are also asking pupils and school staff and for their views. All the feedback will help the council reach a decision.

You can add your views to the consultation at the link below:

Submit your views to the consultation

Please complete the form by Monday 2 March 2026.

English reading circles

9 January 2026: Many thanks to all parents and pupils who have contributed to the Book Drive fundraiser.

The Parent Council is working with the James Gillespie Trust to raise funds for pre-owned book sets for S1–S2 English reading circles. Purchasing books through the Trust allows us to claim Gift Aid on donations, increasing their value.

So far, 70 books in sets of 5 have already been purchased. Our aim is to build a collection of 160 books in total, covering 32 titles, to support reading activities in class.

Titles include Wonder by RJ Palacio; The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, by Victoria Williamson; Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet by Zanib Mian; The Call of the Wild by Jack London; One of us is Lying by Karen McManus; The Crossover by Kwame Alexander; Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys; and the Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness.

Any further contributions will help us continue expanding this resource and encourage a love of reading among pupils.

Donations can be made online, and there is also the option to “sponsor” a book. If you wish, donated books can include a short personal inscription.

Please donate through the Trust’s justgiving page:

JG Trust Bookdrive justgiving page

Launch of the Chat parent resource

9 January 2026: In 2024 the Chat undertook a project to understand how parents support children (from 3- to 18-years-old) around a whole number of topics to do with growing up, puberty, relationships, keeping safe and sexual health.

As part of that engagement, one of the things the project team found was that parents wanted a one-stop-shop for information to help them support conversations with their child.

As they spoke about all the issues, parents also said that the NHS is a trusted source of information and support. This is why that partnership of NHS Boards (NHS Borders, NHS Grampian, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Tayside and NHS Western Isles) has created a new online parent resource.

On Wednesday 4 February 2026 the Chat parent resource is launched:

the Chat

On visiting the Chat parents can look for what they are interested in – depending on the questions their child is asking, or for more in-depth support on topics that they want to talk about. The project team hope the resource supports many fascinating, surprising and occasionally funny or challenging conversations.

The team is hosting a lunchtime webinar 12.30 to 1.30 on Wednesday 4 February 4 to talk about the Chat and celebrate the launch – everyone is welcome.

Happy New Year 2026

5 January 2026: Welcome to the New Year, hopefully rested and refreshed after the festive break.

Next meeting

The next meeting of the Parent Council will be held on Wednesday 28 January 2026 at 7 pm in the JGHS Library – as always, all parents and carers are most welcome to attend.

The agenda will be available shortly.

If you have any questions or comments that you would like to share, please contact us by email:

Email the Parent Council

Book Drive

Many thanks to those who have been able to donate to the Parent Council’s Bookdrive fundraiser.

About the JGHS bookdrive

If you would also like to make a contribution, the JustGiving page is still available:

JGHS bookdrive Justgiving page

JGHS bookdrive fundraiser

7 December 2025: The Parent Council’s Small Sums Fund distributes funds raised by the school back to the School Community.

Small Sums Fund

English reading circles for S1 and S2

This year we have been raising funds to buy books that will support pupils in S1 and S2 to (re)discover a love for reading and literature, in reading circles in English classes.

The English curriculum team have develped a fantastic list of books across all genres that small groups of pupils can get together to read and discuss. Titles include books from mystery and detective fiction, contemporary fiction, adventure, comedy, graphic novels, thrillers, and science and historical fiction – truly something for everyone.

The funds raised will buy packs of 5 copies of the same book, so that all pupils in a reading circle will have a copy to take home and read.

To make the funds go as far as possible, we are buying pre-owned, as well as new books. We have already bought sets of Nancy Springer’s “Enola Holmes – the Missing Marquess”, Katherine Rundell’s “The Explorer”, and Malorie Blackman’s “Robot Girl”.

Please support if you can

We are working with the James Gillespie’s Trust, a registered charity, so that we can claim gift-aid on any donations made, and make the funds go even further.

JGHS bookdrive fundraiser – Justgiving

If you are able to donate, please visit the Trust’s justgiving page – all the funds that come through this appeal will go directly to buying books that will go into school.

Many thanks!!