Parent Council

Small Sums Funds support for sports and classroom activities

9 September 2023: The Small Funds Fund of the JGHS Parent Council provides small grants to support and enhance the experience of youngsters in the school and in extra-curricular activities.

About the Small Sums Fund

At the start of term we heard from some of the teachers who were awarded funds last year, just how much difference the extra support has meant:

Thanks from teachers

Allocations for this year

Earlier in the summer, new applications were received from across the school – PE, Modern Studies, Science, English, Modern Languages, Art, Geography, Gaelic Medium Education and Support for Learning. A group of parents met at the end of August to assess the applications and funds have now been allocated.

This year we are delighted to be able to support a wide range of activities that will benefit many pupils across the school. For example, sports strips and gym leotards, resources for a photography club, subscriptions to newspapers and magazines, digital maps, language online textbooks and playground sports equipment.

More details are available below:

Applications Received for 2023/24 (opens as pdf)

Small Sums Fund Allocations 2023/24 (opens as pdf)

Small Sums Fund Summary 2015-2023 (opens as pdf)

Please consider donating

Please consider if you would be able to donate as little as £5 to the Small Sums Fund, or more if you can, to help the Paret Council to continue supporting these activites for all our pupils. If you would like to help, please login to ParentPay via the link below, and contribute directly through the ‘Parent Council Fundraising’ option.

ParentPay

Thank you!

Recording of PC meeting 5 September now available

7 September 2023: Many thanks to everyone who was able to attend the meeting of the JGHS Parent Council on Tuesday 5 September.

The recording of the meeting is now available on YouTube:

JGHS Parent Council 5 September 2023 – listen again

You can also download a brief note of the meeting, a copy of the presentation on SQA results given by Mr Nigel Cotter, DHT, the Headteacher’s report and details of the School Improvement Plan for 2023-24.

Note of JGHS PC meeting 5 September 2023

SQA results, tracking and reporting

Headteacher’s Report, 5 September 2023

JGHS School Improvement Plan, 2023-24

JGHS Parent Council meeting on 5 September 2023

25 August 2023: This year’s first Parent Council meeting will be on Tuesday 5 September at 7pm.

This will be an online meeting and will be an opportunity to find out about the work of the PC and what is happening at the school in the new term. The joining link will be shared by the school before the meeting.

We would like to extend a warm welcome to all parents and carers, especially those who are new to the School. We have prepared a brief note about PC with more information about our responsibilities and activites:

About the JGHS PC, August 2023

Meeting agenda

Update on Parent Council activities, Parent Council Chair Sarah Scott
Head teacher update, HT Neil McCallum
Update on SQA results, DHT Nigel Cotter
Q&A

Questions for the meeting can be raised in advance by email and we will try to include them in the updates:

Email the Parent Council

There will also be the opportunity to raise questions via the Q&A typed chat facility on the night.

Finance report

Details of the bank account activity since the previous Parent Council meeting on 31 May 2023 is available:

Finance report for 5 September 2023

Meetings for 2023/24

This year’s PC meetings will once again be mixture of online and in-person meetings:

Tuesday 5 September 2023 (online)
Wednesday 11 October 2023 – AGM (in person)
Tuesday 28 November 2023 (online)
Wednesday 31 January 2024 (in person)
Tuesday 19 March 2024 (online)
Wednesday 29 May or 5 June 2024 (in person) – to be confirmed

Welcome back to school!

16 August 2023: It’s hard to believe that nearly 7 weeks of holidays are over already. We hope that you were able to find time to rest, relax and recover over the summer, despite the rather soggy conditions that prevailed for much of the time, and that you are ready for all the new school year will bring. Welcome back!

First meeting of the year

The Parent Council will be hosting meetings both online and in-person over the 2023/24 session.

The first meeting will be held online on Tuesday 5 September at 7 pm. All parents and carers are very warmly invited to join with us; the link to join the meeting will be sent by the school.

If you have any questions or points that you would like to raise, please get in touch by email. And if you are interested in getting more involved, and would like to join the Parent Council, we’d also be delighted to hear from you.

Email the Parent Council

Future meetings

The dates of the meetings for the rest of the year are below:

Wednesday 11 October 2023 – AGM (in person at the school)
Tuesday 28 November 2023 (online)
Wednesday 31 January 2024 (in person at the school)
Tuesday 19 March 2024 (online)
Wednesday 29 May or 5 June 2024 (in person at the school) – to be confirmed

Reports from Parent Council meeting on 31 May 2023

2 June 2023 (updated 12 January 2024): Many thanks to all those who were able to attend the Parent Council meeting on 31 May.

Attendees heard presentations about the Pupil Equity Fund, attendance at JGHS and supporting pupils in gaining qualifications, the Headteacher’s report, an update on the work supporting mental health in the school, information about the JGHS Trust and a review of Parent Council finances.

Links to presentations and updates made on the night are now available, and a copy of the minutes are available below

Attendance at JGHS and support for pupils

Summary of parent survey on equity

Head Teacher’s report

Mental Health and Well-Being at JGHS

Minutes of the meeting on 31 May 2023

Links to information about management of Parent Council finances can be found on our Useful Files page

Useful files

This was the final Parent Council meeting of the 2022/23 session. The first meeting after the summer will be held online on 5 September.

Agenda for JGHS Parent Council meeting on 31 May

Updated 30 May 2023: The last meeting of the JGHS Parent Council for this school year will be on Wednesday 31 May at 7 pm in the school library.

Agenda

Welcome
Pupil Equity Fund, attendance and supporting pupils in attaining qualifications
- Presentation and Q&A
Minutes of last in-person meeting (1 February 2023)
Review of Parent Council Finance
Connect Guidance and Checklist
- Catering supplies
- Report from JGHS Trust (PC representatives)
Parent Council Update
Headteacher’s Report
Dates/Format of meetings for 2023/24
AOB

More information about the JGHS Trust, and details of the financial guidance provided to Parent Councils can be found below.

About the JGHS Trust

Information about the JGHS Trust

JGHS Trust Annual Report 2021/22

JGHS Trust website

JGHS PC finance update

Financial guidance provided to Parent Councils by Connect

JGHS PC Money Matter finance health check May 2023

JGHS PC completed finance health checklist May 2023

Finance report for Parent Council meeting 31 May 2023

Get in touch

If you have any questions or issues that you would like to raise at the meeting, please contact the Parent Council by email:

Email the Parent Council

Previous and future meetings

This is the last meeting of the Parent Council for this school year. Details of the previous Parent Council meetings are available on our website:

Parent Council meeting on 1 February 2023

Parent Council meeting on 21 March 2023

Minutes and notes from past meetings

You can read the minutes of all parent council meetings back to 2015/16 here:

Parent Council meetings

Meetings for AY 2023/24

The provisional dates for meetings in 2023/24 are below:

Tuesday 5 September (online)
Wednesday 11 October (in person)
Tuesday 28 November (online)
Wednesday 31 January (in person)
Tuesday 19 or 26 March (online)
Wednesday 29 May or 5 June (in person)

Next meeting of Parent Council on 31 May 2023

19 May 2023 update: A note that the next meeting of the JGHS Parent Council will be on Wednesday 31 May in the school library.

The agenda will include:

Presentation on the Pupil Equity Fund) attendance and supporting pupils in attaining qualifications (Tania Peters, Senior Development Officer)
Discussion on managing PC finances
Report on Parent Council activities
Headteacher’s report

If there are any questions or issues you would like to raise at the meeting, please contact the Parent Council by email:

Email the Parent Council

We look forward to seeing you!

Connect – money matters for parent councils

27 March 2023: Connect, the body supporting parent councils and other parent groups in schools, has produced some useful guidance for financial regulation.

Financial guidelines for Parent Councils from Connect

Money Matters Health Check for Parent Groups

Money Matters Guidelines for Parent Groups

The JGHS parent council will be reviewing these documents, and discussing how the guidance will inform our own handling of parent council financial processes, at the our next meeting on 31 May.

More about Connect

Recording of Parent Council meeting on 21 March 2023 now available

21 March 2023: Many thanks to those who were able to join us for the James Gillespie’s High School Parent Council meeting on Tuesday 21 March.

Agenda

Welcome from Parent Council Chair – Sarah Scott
Parent Council Report – Sarah Scott
Science Curriculum at JGHS – Iain Coltart, followed by Q&A (slides available below)
Headteacher report – Neil McCallum, followed by Q&A

The recording of the meeting is now available:

Watch the Parent Council Meeting 21 March 2023 on YouTube

Note of JGHS parent council meeting on 21 March 2023

View presentation from Ian Coltart

Headteacher’s Report 21 March 2023

Next Parent Council meeting is on 21 March 2023

6 March 2023: The next meeting of the James Gillespies High School Parent Council will be on Tuesday 21 March at 7 pm via MS Teams. The joining link will be circulated by the School in the week of the meeting.

Focus on science teaching

There will be a special focus on science teaching at this meeting, with presentation from the Curriculum Leader Mr Iain Coltart.

There will also be the usual updates from Headteacher Mr McCallum and from Parent Council Chair Sarah Scott, and the opportunity to ask questions via the Q&A panel.

We very much hope that you will be able to join with us

If there are any questions you would like to have addressed, please send them to the Parent Council ahead of the meeting and we will forward them to the School.

Email the Parent Council

Previous meeting

Details of the previous Parent Council meeting can be found here:

Parent Council meeting on 1 February 2023