7 October 2024: The most recent newsletter from Connect is now available:
Annual General Meeting on 9 October 2024
28 September 2024: The Annual General Meeting of the James Gillespie’s High School Parent Council will be held on Wednesday 9 October at 7 pm in the school library. All parents and carers are most warmly invited to join us for this meeting.
The key business of the meeting will the appointment of the members and office bearers of the parent council, and presentation of the annual reports and accounts.
All carers and parents are very welcome to come to meetings of the Parent Council. If you would like to get more invovled with our activities and become a member of the PC for the upcoming session, please let us know before the meeting, or volunteer on the night.
The following people have indicated that they are willing to stand as the PC office bearers:
- Co-chairs: Tiziana Basciani, Hilary Snaith
- Vice-chair: Liz Hilton
- Treasurer: Kirstin Leighton
- Secretary: Padraic Kinsella
- Comms: Kate Pinault
- Refreshments: Julita Burgess
Draft agenda
- Formal business of AGM
- PC report for 2023/24
- Treasurers report for 2023/24
- JGHS Trust comments
- Appointment of office bearers and PC members
- Headteacher’s report – Neil McCallum
- Active School report – Eliot Ambrose
- Discussion, including school capacity issues, especially study space for S6; establishment of short life working groups; use of digital education and phone
- AOB
If there are other topics you would like to have raised at the meeting, please contact the Parent Council.
Reports
JGHS Parent Council Report 2023-24
JGHS Parent Council refreshments and fundraising
JGHS Parent Council Accounts 2023-24
Links to related documents
Roles and responsibilities of Parent Councils
Parent Council meeting information
10 September 2024: Many thanks to all the parents and carers who joined the meeting of the JGHS Parent Council this evening.
Update 2 December 2024: The meeting recording is now available on YouTube:
James Gillespie’s High School Parent Council meeting 10 September 2024
The slides presented are now available:
Welcome and introduction from the Parent Council (opens as pdf)
A summary of the information discussed by the Headteacher is also available:
Headteacher’s report 10 September 2024
Pupils and parent surveys June 2024
Information about the surveys discussed by Mr McCallum about pupil and parent experience at the school, carried out in June 2024, is available at the links below:
Results of pupil survey (opens as pdf)
Results of parent/carer survey (opens as pdf)
Parent Council meeting on 10 September 2024
7 September 2024: The next meeting of the James Gillespies High School Parent Council will be this Tuesday 10 September at 7 pm on MS Teams. All parents and carers are warmly invited to join the meeting.
The meeting agenda will be:
- Welcome and brief report from the Parent Council
- Report from the Headteacher on activities in the school including updates on:
- Results of school survey (Summer 2024)
- Website, communications and the school app
- Use of mobile phones in the classroom
- Facilities in the school, including changes to toilets and provision of study space for S6
- Open Q&A (questions can be posted in the chat)
The joining link for the meeting will be shared by the School via email.
If you have any questions that you would like to raise in advance of the meeting, please email the Parent Council:
Welcome back!
18 August 2024: It’s hard to belive that the new school sesssion has already started, but here we are!
The Parent Council hopes that all parents, carers and young poeple at James Gillespie’s High School enjoyed some rest and relaxation over the summer break, and managed to find at least a little bit of sunshine!
First meeting on 10 September 2024
The Parent Council will hold its first meeting of the School year on Tuesday 10 September at 7 pm. The meeting will be online via MS Teams, and the link will be shared in email from the School in the week of the meeting.
Details of the agenda will be posted on our website in advance of the meeting, and included in the Friday newsletter from the Headteacher.
We very much hope that you wil be able to join us.
Upcoming meetings for 2024/2025
The list of all our meetings for the year is given below:
- Tuesday 10 September 2024, 7-8.30 pm (online)
- Wednesday 9 October 2024 – AGM, 7-9 pm (in person at JGHS)
- Tuesday 26 November 2024, 7-8.30 pm (online)
- Wednesday 29 January 2025, 7-9 pm (in person at JGHS)
- Tuesday 25 March 2025, 7-8.30 pm (online)
- Wednesday 4 June 2025, 7-9 pm (in person at JGHS)
If you have any issues that you would like to see addresed by the Parent Council, or if you would like to get involved, please get in touch via email:
Learning Together – Engaging parents and carers
18 August 2024: Parent and carers may have seen the recent information on “Learning Together” – the City of Edinburgh Council’s strategy for engaging parents and carers in learning and school life.
You can read a copy of the document below:
Learning Together framework summary
The CEC is currently reviewing the strategy – if you have comments on the issues raised, that you would like to share with the Parent Council, please get in touch:
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.
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.
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:
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.
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:
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:
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.
JGHS Parent Council 