Author: hilarysnaith

SQA – Results Day 2024

Updated 31 July 2024: The SQA National Qualification results are published on Tuesday 6 August.

What to expect on results day

UCAS share tips on what to do once you have your results, whether your grades are what you expected or not.

Explaining the grading process

How are exams and coursework marked and graded? How do grades awarded this year compare with grades awarded in previous years? How does SQA ensure grades are applied consistently, and fairly?

Martyn Ware, Director of Policy, Analysis, and Standards at SQA explains what happens once learners have completed their exams and coursework.

Explaining the grading process

Caring for our mental health

Feeling overwhelmed by the thought of upcoming results? Billy Burke from SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health) shares some insights on caring for our mental health and wellbeing on and around results day.

SAMH: Exam results and caring for our mental health

Combining Passions to Support Our Students

Come and enjoy a relaxing facial at JGHS this summer, and help raise funds to support the maths classes for Pupil Equity Fund students.

5 July 2024: One of the amazing maths teachers at JGHS, Donna Aitken, is passionate about making mathematics accessible and enjoyable for all students.

Over the past two years, she has run support classes specifically for our Pupil Equity Fund (PEF) pupils. The feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive, with many sharing that these sessions not only improved their exam performance but also boosted their overall confidence and morale.

But as well as teaching maths, a few summers ago Donna also successfully completed a facial course, which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Donate-what-you-can facials

Over the holidays this year, she is combining her passion for maths with facials, and is offering ‘donate-what-you-can’ facials at the school to raise money for the Pupils Equity Fund, and continue supporting the students who need it most.

Here are the available dates and times:

Thursday 18 and Friday 19 July
- 9.30 – 10 am x 2
- 10.30 – 11 am x 2
- 12 – 12.30 pm x 2
- 1 – 1.30 pm x 2

This is wonderful opportunity to relax and rejuvenate while supporting a great cause. To book your session please email Donna with your preferred time:

Email Donna to book your facial

The funds raised will primarily provide hot snacks at the after-school sessions, calculators, and other essential mathematical resources that our students might not otherwise afford. Any remaining funds will support other school initiatives aimed at empowering our young adults.

Results of parent and pupil surveys at JGHS

24 June 2024: The results of the recent surveys of pupils and parents at James Gillespie’s High School have been made available by the School.

Parental survey results

Pupil survey results

If you have any feedback on the data presented that you would like to share with the Parent Council, please do get in touch by email:

Email the Parent Council

Notes from Parent Council meeting on 5 June 2024

23 June 2024: The JGHS Parent Council meeting on Wednesday 5 June and discussed a number of issues, including:

a brief report on Parent Council activities since the previous meeting in March 2024;
the Empowered Learning strategy and use of digital tools in teaching at JGHS, presented by DHT Laura Stewart;
an update from HT Neil McCallum including details of the recent Equally Safe at Schools survey, and the attainment of pupils at JGHS and their onward destinations

Copies of all the presentations are now available (all links open as pdfs):

Report from the Parent Council June 2024

Presentation from Laura Stewart on Digital Learning at JGHS

Headteacher’s update by Neil MacCallum

If you have any comments, please get in touch with the Parent Council via email:

Email the Parent Council

Many thanks to all parents and carers for your support and engagement over the past year. We hope that you have a restful and restorative break over the summer, and look forward to welcoming you our meetings again next session. Dates and further details will be posted here once confirmed.

Welcome to the new S1 students

17 June 2024. It was great to see so many of the parents of the incoming S1 students at the P7/S1 transition event at JGHS today.

A copy of the slides presented by our co-chair Hilary Snaith are available below. They give information about the role of the Parent Council at JGHS, some details about the activities we have been engaged with over the past year, and information about how you can get invovled.

Welcome to the JGHS Parent Council (opens as pdf)

Our first meeting of the new session will be Tuesday 3 September – we hope to see you there!

If you have any questions at all, or if you have feedback you would like to share, please get in touch by email:

Email the Parent Council

Parent Council meeting Wednesday 5 June

3 June 2024: All parents and carers are warmly invited to attend the last meeting of the James Gillespie’s High School Parent Council for this academic year on Wednesday 5 June. The meeting will be held in the school library at 7 pm.

Agenda

Short report from Parent Council co-chairs – Tiziana Basciani, Hilary Snaith
PC Treasurer’s report – Kirstin Leighton
Presentation on the Empowered Learning Strategy at JGHS – Laura Stewart, DHT
Headteachers report – Neil McCallum
Questions and comments from attendees

We look forward to seeing you there!

50th anniversary of Women’s Liberation Movement conference at JGHS

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Women’s Liberation Conference that was held at James Gillespie’s High School in Jly 1974. The event was an important part of the history of the Women’s Liberation Movement in Scotland as well as part ofEdinburgh’s local history.

To mark this important milestone, members of the University of Edinburgh are leading and facilitating a daytime workshop for the students of James Gillespie’s High School on 21 June, which will be followed by an evening celebration event.

Celebration event

The evening event is part of the exciting “Women’s Liberation: 50 Years On” project, which will also take place at James Gillespie’s High School from 5.30 – 7.00 pm on Friday 21 June. The event will include a reception, as well as a panel discussion focusing on Legal and Financial Independence of Women.

This is a free event and is open to everyone!

Please register on Eventbrite

Find out more

Follow GENDER.ED on twitter/X

Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities

Women’s History Scotland

Chat survey – closing soon!

The childhood and teenage years are important in how we support our children to become the kind of young adults we want them to be. When it comes to learning about relationships, their bodies, or issues like consent or sexual health, what do you want your child to know or understand or be able to do?

The Chat national survey for parents and carers is now open. https://thechat.scot – closing date 3rd June 2024.

Recording of PC meeting 19th March now available

24 March 2024: Many thanks to everyone who was able to attend the meeting of the JGHS Parent Council on March 19th.

The recording of the meeting is now available on YouTube:

JGHS Parent Council 19 March 2024

You can also download an update from the JGHS PC Chair, a presentation about the teaching of the English curriculum, an update on the A+ Group’s activities to support pupils of colour and their families, and the headteacher’s report. There is also a supplementary report on lesson plans for Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenting (RSHP) that the headteacher shared, after interest was shown in the meeting.

PC Chair Update

Teaching the English Curriculum at JGHS

Activities of the A+ Group

Headteacher Update

Lesson Plans for RSHP

N.B. For more information about the A+ Group, please see this recent PC Post, from November 2023. The next A+ meeting will take place on March 27th. Please contact A+ Group Coordinator Zaki El-Salahi if you are interested in participating.