Parent Council meetings

Updates from JGHS Parent Council meeting on 27 May 2026

30 May 2026; Many thanks to those who contributed to the Parent Council meeting held on Wednesday 27 May 2026.

The Parent Council update presented by the Chair are now available:

Parent Council update 27 May 2026 (opens as pdf)

The meeting minutes will be added here in due course.

Upcoming meetings for AY 2026/27

  • Tuesday 1 September 2026, 7-8.30 pm (online)
  • Wednesday 7 October 2026, 7 – 9pm (in person) – Annual General Meeting (AGM) and election of the Office Bearers
  • Tuesday 24 November 2026, 7-8.30 pm (online)
  • Wednesday 27 January 2027, 7-9 pm (in person)
  • Tuesday 23 March 2027,  7–8.30 pm (online) 
  • Wednesday 2 June 2027,  7-9 pm (in person)

If you have any issues that you would like to raise, please contact the Parent Council via email:

Email the Parent Council

Parent Council meeting calendar for AY 2026/27

30 May 2026: The meeting schedule for the Parent Council in 2026/27 has just been confirmed.

The first meeting on the new school year will be held online via MS Teams on Tuesday 1 September at 7 pm.

All parents and carers are very warmly invited to attend. The joining link will be circulated by the School prior to the meeting.

Meeting calendar

  • Tuesday 1 September 2026, 7-8.30 pm (online)
  • Wednesday 7 October 2026, 7 – 9pm (in person) – Annual General Meeting (AGM) and election of the Office Bearers
  • Tuesday 24 November 2026, 7-8.30 pm (online)
  • Wednesday 27 January 2027, 7-9 pm (in person)
  • Tuesday 23 March 2027,  7–8.30 pm (online) 
  • Wednesday 2 June 2027,  7-9 pm (in person)

If you have any questions, or issues that you would like to discuss at any of the meetings, please contact the parent council by email:

Email the Parent Council

Upcoming meeting of Parent Council on Wednesday 27 May 2026

8 May 2026: The next meeting of the JGHS Parent Council will be on Wednesday 27 May at 7-9 pm in the School library. All parents and carers are warmly invited to participate.

Please note this is a change from the previously advertised date.

Draft agenda

  1. Chair Introduction, welcome and Parent Council update
    • Information on the Annual General Meeting (AGM)
    • Parent Council Office Bearers’ elections in October
    • Treasurer report and financial update
  2. Departmental Overview Presentation – Modern langauges – Mr O’Connor
  3. Rising Rolls Subgroup Update – overview and next steps
  4. Head Teacher Report – Mr. Neil McCallum
  5. Q&A 
  6. Chair Closing

If there are any other questions or issues you would like to raise, please contact the PC by email ahead of the meeting:

Email the Parent Council

Parent Council meeting 24 March 2026

25 March 2026: Many thanks to those who attended the meeting of the JGHS Parent Council on Tuesday 24 March 2026.

The meeting addressed a wide range of issues:

  • Mr Kelly and Mr Corson presented on the Design and Technology curriculum, highlighting various recent pupil successes
  • Mr Hoyland spoke to the meeting about recent challenges in staffing in maths
  • Andrew Picken gave an update on continuing work in the Rising Rolls subgroup to highlight the impact of rising rolls on space and pupil experience, and identify potential solutions
  • Mr McCallum (Headteacher) gave a report on school activities
  • PC Co-Chair Liz Hilton provided an update on recent PC activities

Presentation on Design and Technology curriculum (opens as pdf)

The meeting recording is now available:

Recording of JGHS parent council meeting 24 March 2026 (opens on YouTube)

Next meetings

The next formal meeting of Parent Council will be held in the school library on Wednesday 3 June 2026 at 7 pm.

Parents and carers are also invited to join an informal get-together of the parent council in the school on Wednesday 29 April 2026 at 7 pm.

Next meeting of Parent Council on Tuesday 24 March

6 March 2026: All parents and carers are warmly invited to join the next online meeting of the JGHS Parent Council on Tuesday 24 March 2026 at 7 pm.

The meeting will be hosted on MS Teams, and the link will be shared by the school.

Join the meeting

Draft agenda

  • PC update
  • Curriculum presentation on Design and Technology – Joint Curriculum Leaders Mr Corson and Mr Kelly
  • Rising Rolls group update – Andrew Picken
  • Headteacher report
  • Q&A

There will be an open Q&A session during the meeting, but if you have any issues or questions that you would like to raise ahead of the meeting, please contact the Parent Council by 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.

Parent Council update 28 January 2026 (opens as pdf)

Minutes from JGHS parent council meeting 28 January 2026 – draft (opens as pdf)

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

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

Report from Parent Council meeting 25 November 2025

25 November 2025: Thanks so much to everyone who was able to join the PC meeting this evening. Many apologies for the technical issues – we are very grateful for your patience.

Particular thanks to all our contributiors for their comments and presentations, and to our comms officer Kate Pinault for handling all the behind-the-scenes activity so smoothly.

Agenda

  • Headteachers report
  • Performing Arts Curriculum update
  • Rising Rolls interest group
  • 2024/25 SQA results at JGHS
  • Comment Cllr on City of Edinburgh Council policy on mobile phones in schools
  • Q&A

Rising rolls interest group

As was discussed in the meeting, Andrew Picken is chairing a parent group interested in exploring ideas that could address the problem of rising rolls and space contraints in the JGHS. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact him by email:

Email Andrew

Meeting information

Parent Council meeting recording (opens on YouTube)

Performing Arts curriculum (Lisa Shearer; opens as pdf)

JGHS SQA results 2024-25 (Nigel Cotter; opens as pdf)

Parent Council update (opens as pdf)

Next meeting

The next meeting of the Parent Council will be on Wednesday 28 January 2026 at 7 pm in the school library.

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