Author: hilarysnaith

Parent Council meeting on 25 November 2025

4 November 2025: The next meeting of the JGHS Parent Council will be held on Tuesday 25 November. This will be an online meeting via MS Teams, and the joining link wil be shared by the School via email. All parents and carers are most warmly welcome to attend.

The draft agenda for the meeting is:

Welcome and report from the Parent Council – Co-chairs
SQA results at JGHS for 2025 – Mr Cotter, Deputy Headteacher
Update on CEC consultation on mobile phones in schools – Cllr Steve Burgess
School report – Mr Neil McCallum, Headteacher

If there are questions or issues you would like to raise in advance of the meeting, please contact the Parent Council via email. It will also be possible to post questions in the Q&A during the evening.

Email the Parent Council

Zoom talks for Creative Careers Month

31 October 2025: An opportunity has been highlighted for S4-6 pupils by the Developing the Young Workforce School Coordinator, Claire Howe.

There is a month of zoom talks for Creative Careers Month on a wide range of talks that pupils can opt into to learn about aspects of the creative industries they may be interested in. The full line up is here:

ERIC x DCCM 2025 — ERIC | Creative Career App

Starting on Monday 3 November, and continuing throughout the month, there is a diverse line-up of speakers sharing 20 minute talks of practical advice, real career journeys, and actionable steps to help students build their futures.

How to attend

Further details about how to register to attend these talks has been shared on email by the school. Please contact the school staff listed to receive details to join at the time of your chosen talk(s).

Report from Annual General Meeting 2025

8 October 2025: The Annual General Meeting of the Parent Council was held on Wednesday 8 October 2025 in the library at James Gillespie’s High School.

Election of office bearers

The meeting elected the office bearers for the Parent Council in 2025-26.

Co-Chairs: Tiziana Basciani and Liz Hilton
Vice-chair: Samantha Ross
Secretary: Padraic Kinsella
Treasurer: Kirstin Leighton
Comms: Kate Pinault
Refreshments: Julita Burgess

Hilary Snaith stepped down as co-Chair of the Parent Council.

The full list of members of the Parent Council for 2025-26 (* indicates new member for this session):

Duncan Bell (PC representative for James Gillespie’s Trust)
Laura Bird
Shane Buckeridge
Adam C
Orla Hobson
Gidona Henderson*
Barbie Lyon
Thomas Perc*
Ulrike Peter
Bec Phipps
Lucy Picken*
David Pollock
Hilary Snaith (website)
Séamus Spencer
Penny Tarsia
Garrick Wagner*
Hazel Wilkinson*

People – JGHS Parent Council

Reports

Annual report 2024-25 from Parent Council (opens as pdf)

Gaelic Learning Board report 2024-25 (opens as pdf)

PC presentation from PC meeting 8 October 2025 (opens as pdf)

Minutes of the PC meeting 8 October 2025 (draft, opens as pdf)

Next meeting

The next meetings of the Parent Council will be on Tuesday 25 November 2025 (online) and Wednesday 28 January 2026 (in the school).

Parent Council Annual General Meeting 8 October 2025

21 September 2025: The Annual General Meeting of the Parent Council is on Wednesday 8 October 2025 at 7 pm in the library at James Gillespie’s High School.

All parents and carers at the school are warmly invited to join the meeting.

Agenda

The meeting will (re)elect office bearers for the Parent Council, invite new general members to join, review PC activities over the past year, and hear an update on school activities from the Headteacher.

Welcome
PC report for 2024/25 – Co-chair
Treasurers report for 2024/25 – Treasurer
JGHS Trust comments – PC representative
Election of office bearers and PC members
Headteacher’s report – Neil McCallum, Headteacher
Q&A, discussion

If there are any topics you would like to raise at the meeting, please contact the PC by email.

Reports

Annual report 2024-25 from Parent Council (draft; opens as pdf)

Minutes of 2024 Annual General Meeting (draft; opens as pdf)

Gaelic Learning Board report 2024-25 (opens as pdf)

Email the Parent Council

Joining the Parent Council

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Parent Council, please contact us by email.

You will also be able to indicate your interest during the meeting.

Summary of Parent Council meeting 2 September 2025

3 September 2025: Many thanks to those who joined the Parent Council meeting this week.

Meeting agenda

Welcome
Active Schools – Lorraine Burn
Brief introduction to the Parent Council – Hilary Snaith
Report and updates from the Parent Council
Headteacher’s update – Neil McCallum
Q&A

Meeting documents

A summary of the meeting, taken from the meeting transcript is available, along with the slides presented by the Parent Council. and by Lorraine Burn about Active Schools. A recording of the full meeting can also be viewed in YouTube.

Meeting summary (opens as a pdf)

Active Schools presentation (Lorraine Burn, opens as pdf)

Parent Council presentation (Hilary Snaith, opens as a pdf)

Recording of meeting (opens on YouTube)

Mobile phones policy

There was considerable discussion at the meeting about the mobile phones policy at JGHS.

The Headteacher confirmed that the school is moving towards a “no mobile phone” campus, asking students not the bring phones to school, or if they do, to keep phones off and in bags. However, a comprehensive policy was delayed due to council consultation and advice.

Presentations have been given to students since the start of this session, and the policy is being enforced gradually, with positive compliance observed.

City of Edinburgh Council policy

Policy around mobile phones in schools was also discussed at the City of Edinburgh Council’s Education and Families Committee on 2 September. The webcast of this item can be viewed on the Council website:

Education, Children and Families Committee 2 September 2025 – item on mobile phones in schools

The Council is now undertaking a 12-week consultation about a policy on mobile phone use in schools across the city, with a view to coming to a decision in January 2026.

Full details of the Education, Children and Families Committee meeting 2 September

Email the Parent Council

Parent Council meeting on 2 September 2025

21 August 2025: The first meeting of the JGHS Parent Council will be held online on Tuesday 2 September at 7 pm. All parents and carers are most warmly invited to join the meeting.

Draft agenda

Welcome to parents and carers
Introduction to the parent council (PC chair)
Brief report and finance update (PC chair)
Active Schools (Lorraine Burn)
School report (Neil McCallum)
Q&A

If you have any questions or concerns you would like to raise ahead of the meeting, please contact us by email:.

Email JGHS Parent Council

The joining link will be circulated by the school to all parents and carers before the meeting.

Welcome back for 2025/26

14 August 2025: The summer flew by, the sun is still shining, and we are back to school already! Hopefully everyone was able to take some time to rest and relax over the holidays.

A warm welcome to the new school year from the Parent Council, especially to the new pupils, parents and carers joining James Gillespie’s High School this session.

Parent Council meeting on 2 September 2025

The first meeting of the JGHS Parent Council will be held online on Tuesday 2 September at 7 pm. All parents and carers are most warmly invited to join the meeting.

Draft agenda:

Welcome to parents and carers
Introduction to the parent council (PC chair)
Brief report and finance update (PC chair)
Active Schools (Lorraine Burn)
School report (Neil McCallum)
Q&A

If you have any questions or concerns you would like to raise ahead of the meeting, please contact us by email:.

Email JGHS Parent Council

Parent Council meetings 2025/26

Parent Council meetings usually run from 7 pm. The schedule of meetings for the rest of this year is:

Tuesday 2 September 2025, 7-8.30 pm (online)
Wednesday 8 October 2025 – AGM, 7-9 pm (in person at JGHS)
Tuesday 25 November 2025, 7-8.30 pm (online)
Wednesday 28 January 2026, 7-9 pm (in person at JGHS)
Tuesday 24 March 2026, 7-8.30 pm (online)
Wednesday 3 June 2026, 7-9 pm (in person at JGHS)