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:

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:

Email the Parent Council

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:

Email the Parent Council

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.

Preparing for results day

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.

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

  1. Short report from Parent Council co-chairs – Tiziana Basciani, Hilary Snaith
  2. PC Treasurer’s report – Kirstin Leighton
  3. Presentation on the Empowered Learning Strategy at JGHS – Laura Stewart, DHT
  4. Headteachers report – Neil McCallum
  5. 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