Updated 31 January 2023: You are invited to an online meeting from 6.30-7.30 pm on Wednesday 1 February 2023 to:
Please contact the City of Edinburgh Council Parental Engagement email account to book a space to attend the meeting, or send your views marked with for the attention of Marie Lyon.
Update 25 January 2023: The next meeting of the James Gillespies High School Parent Council will be at 7 pm on Wednesday 1 February 2023 in the library at the school. We very much hope that you can join us.
The main presentation at the meeting will be on work on anti-racist approaches at the school.
There will also be the regular updates from Headteacher Neil McCallum, and the Parent Council.
If there are other issues that you like to raise at the meeting, please let us know by email:
Information about our meetings earlier this academic session can be found below:
23 January 2023: The City of Edinburgh Council is looking for views on proposals to expand the city’s network of 20mph streets, as well as lowering speed limits on roads that have limits of 40mph or more, which are mainly rural.
20mph speed limit proposals map
Whatever your views about our speed limit proposals, we want to hear from you.
Take part and complete the online survey which is available on the Council’s Consultation and Engagement Hub.
Click here to complete the survey
Please forward this email to any contacts that you feel would be interested in making their views heard on the proposals. The consultation is open and you can feedback until 8 February 2023.
22 January 2023: The City of Edinburgh Council’s Consultative Committee with Parents (CCwP) met on Thursday 19 January. The JGHS Paren Council was represented by our Chair, Sarah Scott.
The committee covered a number of topics, including
Links to the full recording of the webcast and the presentations made at the recent meeting are available below:
For more information about the CCwP please visit the Council’s website:
14 January 2023: The latest edition of the Connect newsletter, supporting partnerships in education, is now available.
This month’s newsletter has information about:
15 December 2022: Many thanks to everyone who came along to the JGHS Christmas concerts this week (Tuesday 13 December) – it was fantastic to see everyone back in the school to celebrate the talents of our young people and to meet one another again.
The Parent Council took in over £400 on the refreshments stall at the fayre that ran between the concerts, and also raised over £100 at the coursing night on 6 December – we are very grateful for all these contributions, which will go towards the Small Funds Fund supporting activities in the school.
There is also still time to make a contribution to the Parent Council’s Festive Fundraiser, which is currently running on Parent Pay. Again, all the funds raised will go to the Small Funds Fund, and will be most appreciated.
10 December 2022: A few updates from Connect, the NE/SE Parental Engagement Locality Group and the new Guide to Children’s Rights are given below.
The December 2022 issue of the Connect newsletter is now available
The Edinburgh Council NE/SE Parental Engagement Locality Group met on 23 November 2022.
The meeting minute and presentation given by Stephen Kelly, Senior Education Manager on the National Discussion consultation process, are now available:
NE/SE Localities meeting minute 23 November 2022
Education Reform, Stephen Kelly
The new Guide to Children’s Rights for parents and carers has just been launched.
Children’s rights | Parent Club
The booklet was created by the United Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Parents Network, made up of parenting organisations and Scottish Government policy officials. They have been meeting for over a year to look at how best to inform parents, carers and family members about the rights of their children. The new guide conveys broad universal messaging about children’s rights and has adopted a warm and reassuring tone.
The resource provides information about children’s rights and introduces the UNCRC, which sets out the rights that all children and young people should expect and what they need to grow up happy, healthy and safe. It outlines the central role played by parents and families and also recognises that they need protection and assistance to support the rights and wellbeing of their children.
If you would like any more information please contact Shelly Coyne.
8 December 2022: The James Gillespie’s High School Performing Arts Faculty invites you to the Christmas Concerts 2022!
This year there will be two performances of the Christmas concert on Tuesday 13 December at 5 pm and 7.30 pm, in the Muriel Spark Theatre at James Gillespie’s High School. Tickets can be booked via Parent Pay.
In the time between the two shows, there will be a mini-fayre in the Forum, Malala Building, with a home baking stall, crafts table and refreshments, in aid of the Parent Council’s Small Sum’s Fund.
Some pupil committees will also be showcasing their work.
All parents are warmly welcome to attend this part of the evening, even if they do not have a ticket for one of the concerts. It would be helpful if guests could bring cash to this event if possible please!
5.00 – 6.15 pm Concert 1 in the Muriel Spark Theatre
6.15 – 7.15 pm Refreshments in the Forum (Malala)
7.30 – 8.45 pm Concert 2 in the Muriel Spark Theatre
We are delighted that Tony Marsh will be videoing the concert. The recording will be available by the 31 January 2023.
2 December 2022: After a long term, we hope that you are looking forward to the holidays.
Like last year, we are launching a Festive Fundraiser in aid of our successful Small Sums Fund, so that we can continue supporting important educational projects at JGHS, and providing help to our pupils who need it most.
If you can, we’d be very grateful if you could make a donation via Parent Pay. Please click below:
Look out for the “Parent Council Fundraising” button at the bottom of the list of payment items for your JGHS student(s). All funds raised during the Festive Fundraiser go directly to the JGHS Small Sums Fund.
This year the Parent Council has been really pleased to fund projects that support equity and attainment, for example:
As you know, we moved into a large, empty room in Bruntsfield House last year. We spent the money on making the room more welcoming for the students who access it and bought soft furnishings, plants, cabinets to display pupils’ work and lots of picture frames. We held a small art exhibition in July of the work of the students who access SfL and invited their parents in to see this. It was a great success and something we plan to replicate this year. Thanks again for the money we received.
Mr Cockcroft: Support for Learning
Thanks so much for your financial support. The money was exceptionally useful. We set up a curricular DofE Silver group for students in the senior school who would benefit from a supported DofE experience. Most of the young people were known to us in SfL. The money was used to help with supporting their expedition with some kit hire, rental of accommodation, paying for the young people to ‘volunteer’ at Gorgie farm and supporting financially two young people for their Edinburgh Leisure passes so they could use the gym facilities regularly. The course has been a real success. All the youngsters who were still in school in June completed the Silver expedition and felt like a real team.
Support for learning: funding for pupils known to SfL to participate in Duke of Edinburgh scheme
Once again my huge thanks to the Parent Council for supporting our work in the English department as we strive to embed reading at the heart of our lessons. The money I received to purchase copies of The Week Junior has been really helpful with junior classes. It means there is always something current on hand to read – most useful when some of our pupils just don’t have a book of their own at home… It has also proved invaluable in helping me to teach skills for RAUE activities, elements of non-fiction work, and discussing key issues affecting our World in an age-appropriate way. Many thanks!
English: The Week Junior subscription
You can find out more about the Small Sums Fund, and the initiatives it supports, on the Parent Council website You can find out more about the initiatives supported by this year’s Fund below:
Thank you!
1 December 2022: Many thanks to everyone who was able to attend the meeting of the JGHS Parent Council on Tuesday 29 November 2022.
This was a very full meeting which covered a lot of information about activities within the school, and included a very useful presentation about the SQA results achieved by young people at the school in the 2021/22 exam diet.
A recording of the meeting is now available on YouTube and a brief minute is linked below.
Recording of the Parent Council Meeting on 29 November 2022
Minutes of Parent Council Meeting on 29 November 2022
The slides presented by the Headteacher Mr Neil McCallum on the SQA results can be viewed at the link below:
JGHS Parent Council 