Reports from Parent Council Meeting 31 January 2024

9 February 2024: Many thanks to everyone who was able to join the meeting of the Parent Council on 31 January. It was a full and fruitful session. 

Presentations

You can now access copies of the presentations given via the links below (links open as pdfs). 

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please get in touch

Email the Parent Council

Parent Council meeting on 31st January 2024

The next meeting of the Parent Council will be on Wednesday 31st January 2024. The meeting will be held in the school library at 7pm.

Agenda

  • Brief report on activities from the Parent Council
  • Apologies and minutes of AGM
  • Update on Active Schools – Eliot Ambrose 
  • School Improvement Plans – Neil McCallum 
  • Curriculum and coursing – Deirdre O’Brien 
  • Headteacher updates – Neil McCallum
  • Open Q&A

If you have any questions or issue that you would like to have addressed at the meeting, please get in touch with the PC by email:

Email to Parent Council

Links to the current JGHS improvement plans and the JGHS Standards and Quality report from 2022/23 can be found below:

JGHS School Improvement Plan 2023/24 (opens as pdf)

JGHS School Improvement Plan 2023/24 Priorities (opens as pdf)

JGHS Standards and Quality Report 22/23 (opens as pdf)

The Connect March Newsletter is now available!

12 March 2024: The March edition of the Connect newsletter is now available.

This month’s edition includes:

  • New informal online catch-ups for Connect Members
  • Launch of the Connect Parent/Carer Digital and Online Survey – take part here
  • Information about live online information sessions, including:
    • Parent Council Essentials 12 March 
    • Reaching Out to All Families 26 March
    • Money Matters for Parent Groups & Treasurers 30 April
    • Dealing with Challenging Situations 7 May 
    • Reboot and Refresh your Parent Group 21 May
    • Chat with Connect for Parent Groups – Reflect 4 June
  • Consultations, Calls for Evidence and Connect Submissions
  • Fundraising advice
Read the newsletter and find out more

Recording of Parent Council meeting now available

7 December 2023: Many thanks to those who attended the parent council meeting held last Tuesday 28 November.

The recording of the meeting is now available, along with the introductory slides from the PC acting chair, the presentation from Mr Cockcroft about Support for Learning activities in the school, and the headteacher’s report.

Recording of the meeting on 28 November 2023 – opens link on YouTube

Opening comments by PC Acting Chair – opens as pdf

Support for Learning at JGHS November 2023 – opens as pdf

Headteachers’ report – opens as pdf

Next meeting

Our next meeting will be held in the school on Wednesday 31 January 2024 at 7 pm.

Tackling youth vaping survey

1 December 2023: The UK Government are currently consulting on the additional steps which they can take to create a smokefree generation by tackling youth vaping 

Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping: your views – GOV.UK

This consultation seeks feedback on the proposed measures, to inform future legislation.

There are a number of options proposed on youth vaping, to ensure the UK Government and devolved administrations take the most appropriate and impactful steps, building on existing evidence.

Have your say

You can give your views by completing the online survey:

Creating a smokefree generation survey

The consultation closes on Wednesday 6 December 2023.

Updates from Locality Meetings, November 2023

30 November 2023: The ASN Mainstream Locality Meeting for City of Edinburgh Council and representatives from area Parent Councils, met on 16th November 2023.

A copy of the presentation made is available below, along with minutes from the meeting:

Digital Learning Update for Localities – opens as pdf

ASN Mainstream Locality meeting minutes – opens as pdf

The NW/SW Locality Meeting and the NE/SE Locality Meeting took place on November 21st & November 22nd 2023, respectively. The minutes for these meetings are available below:

NW/SW Locality Meeting minutes – downloads docx

NE/SE Locality Meeting minutes – downloads docx

Latest newsletter from Connect now available

Connect, the body supporting Parent/Carer-Teacher forums in Scotland, has just published its November newsletter.

This edition has news and information about a range of items including:

  • Call for submissions to the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Skills Committee on Additional Support for Learning
  • Connect Parent/Carer Survey: Learning for Sustainability
  • New resources for Connect Members
  • Education News
Read the newsletter

Scotland’s Next Steps in Education Reform

National bodies: qualifications and assessment

This week, the National Parent Forum of Scotland (NPFS) launched a survey to gather input from parents and carers across Scotland as a follow-up to conversations around education reform that have been ongoing throughout the last 12 months.

Have your say

This survey focuses on creating a new national body responsible for qualifications and assessment. It will remain open until Friday 8 December 2023.

Complete the NPFS survey

Register to participate in one of the NPFS focus groups

For background and further information, you can read the Scottish Government’s consultation paper on establishing a new qualifications body:

Education Bill provisions: consultation

You can also complete the official Scottish Government survey here:

Education Reform: A Consultation on the provisions of the Education Bill

A+ Group to continue at JGHS for 2023-24

17 November 2023: The A+Group supporting pupils of colour and their families at JGHS has just received funding from the JGHS Trust for the 2023-24 session. The group will meet on Zoom throughout the year, and the new meeting dates will be shared with parents and carers very soon.

Read the 2023 report from the A+ Group about their activities – August 2023

The A+ Group has also shared information about a number of other activities around anti-racism and equality in which parents may also like to be invovled.

City of Edinburgh Council Parent Equalities Reference group

Edinburgh Council Parent Equalities Reference group is looking for inputs from any Parents/Carers who would like to have a direct say in the City of Edinburgh Council’s Schooling & Equalities work.

They particularly welcome parents and carers from under-represented groups.  The role of the Reference Group is to give an ‘on the ground’ view to inform the authority’s Equalities work and provide a link with parent councils and community organisations.  It will meet 4 times per school session. 

Any parents who are already supporting or would like to support Equalities work in their school / Learning Community and are interested in sitting on the Parent Equalities Reference Group are welcome to contact nikhat.yusaf@ea.edin.sch.uk for more information.

Support for Palestinian children & families at JGHS

A+ Group member Ms Sara El-Awaisi has set up a meeting with the Senior Leadership Team of the school.

The meeting will be exploring how the school can provide support to Palestinian children & families within our school community, particularly those with family in Gaza right now.

JGHS Race Equality & Anti-Racist working group

A new ‘Race Equality & Anti-Racist working group’ is being started at JGHS.

The first meeting will take place on Tuesday 21 November at 12.15 pm in the school. The A+ Group, Grace Dempsey from Intercultural Youth Scotland, the JGHS Lead for Equalities, Ian Porter, Anti-Racist Club tutors, and a representative from the city council’s EAL (‘English as an Additional Language’) team, will be attending the meeting. 

If you are interested in participating, please contact A+ Group Coordinator Zaki El-Salahi

Related posts from JGHS

Antiracism activities at JGHS – posted February 2023

Intercultural Youth Scotland – posted March 2023

Parent Council meeting on 28 November 2023

13 November 2023: The next meeting of the Parent Council will be on Tuesday 28 November at 7 pm. The meeting will be held online and the link will be circulated by the school beforehand.

Agenda

  • Presentation by Rob Cockcroft, Head of Support for Learning
  • Headteachers Report, Neil McCallum
  • Parent Council report, including update on office bearers of the Parent Council
  • Open Q&A from meeting attendees

If you have any questions or issue that you would like to have addressed at the meeting, please get in touch with the PC by email:

Email to Parent Council