Parent Council news from school year 2019/20

March-June: Please check out the links to our recordings of our online Parent Council meetings and Q&A information in our Minutes and Files section on our website.  For up-to-date information from JGHS during the coronavirus pandemic please check out the school communications app  and school emails.  Please email us if you have any questions you would like the Parent Council to ask the school on your behalf.   

1st March 2020: In February Edinburgh Council passed a budget for 2020/21 which includes the following: 

  • Introduce a charging structure for instrumental music tuition, after consultation, to raise £150k in 2021/22 and £350k in 2022/23.
  • Cut the number of Quality Improvement officers to save £120k in 2020/21 and £120k in 2021/22.
  • Cuts to the Devolved School Management (DSM) budget for schools by 1% to save £1.2m in 2020/21 and £600k in 2021/22.
  • We would urge our school community to engage with local Councillors on these proposed cuts and take part in the consultation on music tuition when it goes live here.

1st March 2020: LEAPS S5 Parents’ & Carers’ Information Evening at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Campus (Riccarton) on Wednesday 25 March 2020 7-9pm. LEAPS is a widening participation programme which aims to encourage students who are traditionally underrepresented in higher education. If you are a parent or carer of an S5 LEAPS-eligible pupil, who is thinking about college or university, this event is for you.

14th Feb 2020: The Social and Fundraising Events group are raising funds to develop the school’s outdoor spaces and support pupils’ mental wellbeing.  They are holding a fun quiz night compered by RIchard Melvin on Fri 28th Feb at the JGHS food hall.  Doors open 7pm and the quiz starts at 7.30pm.  Over 18s only.  BYOB and glasses; bottle bar and snacks available’ raffle.  £5 minimum donation per person.  Book via ParentPay.

14th Feb 2020:  JGHS is directing more of their communications via the school app and all parents and pupils are encouraged to download the school communications app here

29th Jan 2020: All secondary pupils at JGHS are invited to ENGAGE with alternative routes into career paths.  Engage events are organised to help young people think creatively about the world of work, and are run for pupils from Boroughmuir and James Gillespie’s  High schools.  The next event is on 25th February 2020 at the Braid Hills Hotel 6.30-8pm.  More information here.

21st Jan 2020: The Edinburgh Poverty Commission wants to find out what people living and working in Edinburgh know and think about poverty in their city. This survey is part of a larger project, which aims prioritise futureaction. The survey can be accessed here

5th Jan 2020:  The Edinburgh Children’s Partnership Services Plan is hoping to gather the views of parents and carers on their priorities for children in the city.  Edinburgh Children’s Partnership includes all the organisations which work with children and young people in the city: schools, social work, the police, health services, youth work and the voluntary sector.

Every three years, the partnership has to write a plan showing how the organisations will work together to make a difference for children and young people.  This survey asks parents and carers to decide what is most important to them. The consultation is open until late January 2020 – it takes 5 mins to complete and can be accessed at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ecsppc.  

20th Dec 2019: The next Edinburgh Council Recruitment and Selection training session for Parent Council members will be held in Liberton High School on Tuesday 14 January 2020 from 6pm until 8.30pm.  If you would like to be involved in helping the school to recruit their principal, depute head and head teacher please email us.

12th Dec 2019:  Spòrs Gàidhlig is offering young people and schools the opportunity to take part in a varied programme through the medium of Gaelic. Activities include gorge scrambling, climbing, nature walks, team challenges, stand-up paddle boarding, overnight expeditions as well as cultural visits. Also on offer: Ski lessons and camps through winter 2020; school residentials near Aviemore and events and programmes delivered locally in your area. These unique programmes are designed for schools offering Gaelic medium education and can additionally be offered to mixed groups where education is offered in both English and Gaelic.

18th Nov 2019: The JGHS Parent Council would like to invite everyone from our school community to our next PC meeting.  We will be discussing JGHS policy and approach to addressing inappropriate behaviours, including sexual harassment of peers, online behaviours and how parents can support the school and pupils to build a respectful school community.  Everyone is very welcome on Tues 26th Nov @ 7pm in the Library in the Malala building. 

If you have any topics you would like raised at future PC meetings please email us 30th Oct 2019: Edinburgh Council is now consulting on the development of Darroch which is to be used as an annexe for JGHS from August 2021 to help with rising rolls and capacity.  The aim is for much of Gaelic Medium Education (GME) to be relocated there, with the goal of a dedicated Gaelic Secondary School for August 2024 (location as yet to be decided). The Edinburgh Council consultation is open until 22nd November and the links are here.

27th Sept 2019: The Scottish Government is consulting on its draft framework for Out of School Care in Scotland and wants to understand what children, parents and carers, professionals and experts think about the ways in which Out of School Care can give children opportunities to play and access life-enhancing experiences and support parents to work, train or study.  The consultation runs until Friday 6 December.

3rd Sept 2019:   Calling all S2-S6 Pupils to ENGAGE with the Future! What do you want to study, do, be? Get expert advice from the professionals to help you decide.  Engage events are organised to help young people think creatively about the world of work, and are run for pupils from Boroughmuir and James Gillespie’s High Schools and the next event is on 24 September 2019, at the Braid Hills Hotel, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

13th August 2019: Save-the-Date! Calling all parents and carers – please join us for our first meeting to set up a fundraising/social events group at JGHS on Mon 2nd September 2019 @ 7pm in the Malala Building, JGHS Library.  Please help us build up our school community.