News

Recent activity and updates from the Parent Council

Updated 12 February 2026: A number of updates from the Parent Council were shared in the Headteacher’s newsletter this week.

City of Edinburgh Council Education Consultative Forum (ECF) meeting

The ECF meeting for parent representatives from mainstream secondary schools in Edinburgh was held on 4 February.

At the JGHS Parent Council’s request, an item related to rising rolls in Edinburgh schools was added to the agenda.

Meeting report (opens as pdf)

JGHS rising rolls subgroup

The rising rolls subgroup has produced a document outlining the case for more space to be made available at JGHS, and has obtained information via an FOI request on the current use of teaching spaces at the school. Both documents can be access below:

Making the case for more space (opens as a pdf)

Use of teaching spaces at JGHS (opens as a pdf)

English Reading Circles – S1 & S2

A huge thanks to all parents and pupils who so generously contributed to the Book Drive. The final total raised was £1105!!

The donations mean that we have now been able to purchase all 160 of the books requested by the English department, (at a total cost of £642) and the campaign is now closed.

The PC worked with the JGHS Trust to raise funds for pre-owned book sets for S1–S2 English Reading Circles. Purchasing books through the Trust has allowed us to claim Gift Aid on donations, increasing their value.

Since the donations exceeded the total amount needed for this project, the Parent Council has asked the English department to extend the initial list and to consider including additional titles for children with additional support needs

One teacher will pilot the Reading Circles programme later this year, and the full prorgramme will be rolled out in 2026/27.

Online Resource – “The Chat”

The Parent Council encourages families to explore the new online resource that provides support for children as they learn about friendships, relationships and growing up.

theChat Website

The official launch on the new resource was on 4 February 2026.

Next Parent Council Meeting:

The next meeting of the Parent Council will be held online on Tuesday 24 March 2026, 7–8:30 pm via MSTeams.

If there are any issues that you would like to raise, please contact the Parent Council via email.

Email the Parent Council

HMIE Inspection reports for JGHS published

20 January 2026: Education Scotland have published the results of the inspection carried out at James Gillespie’s High School in October 2025.

The report and the summarised findings are available at the links below:

JGHS inspection report, City of Edinburgh Council, 20 January 2026

JGHS inspection report, City of Edinburgh Council, 20 January 2026 (Gaelic version)

JGHS summarised inspection findings, City of Edinburgh Council, 20 January 2026

JGHS additional inspection evidence, City of Edinburgh Council, 20 January 2026

In summary the inspectors found:

Strengths

The headteacher provides calm and aspirational leadership to the school community.
Staff and young people have developed inclusive, positive and respectful learning environments in which young people thrive.
Young people sustain very high levels of attainment across the senior phase.
Staff have worked well with a range of effective partners to increase young people’s learning pathways and opportunities for achievement.
Across the senior phase, young people achieve highly in Gàidhlig, with nearly all securing National Qualifications at appropriate levels.

Areas for improvement

Senior leaders should continue to develop the capacity of staff at all levels to embed recent improvements.
Staff need to ensure that young people experience a greater consistency of high-quality learning, teaching and assessment across the school.
Senior leaders should develop a more coherent and strategic approach to immersion education, with a focus on broadening the curriculum leading to qualifications and awards through the medium of Gàidhlig.

Reports from PC meeting on 25 March 2025

25 March 2025: Many thanks to those who joined the Parent Council meeting this Tuesday.

Agenda

Health and Wellbeing – Inclusion X – Ian Porter and Anna Kirkwood
Comment from Tracy Urquhart, Senior Manager Quality Improvement Officer, CEC
Update from the JGHS Parent Council
Headteacher’s report
Q&A

Meeting recording

Watch the meeting recording (opens on YouTube)

Summary of meeting discussion (from transcipt, opens as pdf)

Presentations

Inclusion X suport at JGHS (Anna Kirkwood and Ian Porter, opens as pdf)

PC report 25 March 2025 (Hilary Snaith, co-chair; opens as pdf)

Finance update 25 March 2025 (Kirstin Leighton, treasurer; opens as pdf)

Headteacher’s report 25 March 2025 (opens as pdf)

Policy documents

The headteacher mentioned a number of school policy documents in his comments. You can access a range of these policies on the JGHS website:

JGHS policy documents

Next meeting

The next meeting of the Parent Council will be on Wednesday 4 June in the school library at 7 pm – all parents and carers are very welcome to join us.

Former chair of James Gillespie’s Trust passes away

23 February 2025: At the end of January, the Parent Council recieved the very sad news about the passing of Sheena Purdom, the former chair of the James Gillespie’s High School Trust. The obituary below was written by Trust members.

Sheena Purdom,1948-2025: Chair, James Gillespie’s Trust

Sheena spent 13 years as a pupil at James Gillespie’s, at a time when it was an all girls school. She made lifelong friends and remained an active member of the local community. Sheena trained as a teacher and followed a career in education until she retired. She taught biology in several Edinburgh high schools, retiring eventually from Leith Academy.

Sheena was always keen to support those who needed an extra helping hand and after retirement, while her daughter was still a pupil at Gillespie’s, she volunteered on the Parent Council, and later represented them on James Gillespie’s Trust. In recent years she has served as a Trustee, giving her time and expertise where it was most needed to support the young people and staff at JGHS. She was always keen to ensure all pupils were able to participate in school activities and that financial barriers were removed wherever possible.

Her time as a Trustee culminated with three years serving as chair of the Trust until she stepped down in November 2024. Sheena made a real difference to so many young people and her legacy will continue as the needs and interests of young people will continue to guide the decisions of the Trust in future.

Sheena has a special place in our hearts and she will be sorely missed.

Funeral service on 28 February 2025

Her funeral service will be held in the Mortonhall Crematorium at 2pm on Friday 28 February 2025. This will be followed by a celebration of Sheena’s life for friends and family at the Braid Hills Hotel. Family flowers only please. Donations will be collected for Air Ambulance Scotland and Guide Dogs.

About the James Gillespie’s Trust

James Gillespie’s Trust was established to harness the tremendous goodwill that is felt for James Gillespie’s High School and to support the work of the school through various educational schemes and community projects.

The Trust provides support and funding for educational and extra-mural activities within James Gillespie’s High School and its community and fosters strong links with past pupils through its alumni section.

James Gillespie’s Trust

Update to SQA exam timetable for 2025

3 February 2025: The SQA issued a revision to the exam timetable for this year on Monday 3 February.

The revision includes a number of alterations to the dates of presentations, including a new date for Higher Psychology, which will now take place on Friday 25 April, rather than Wednesday 7 May, as previously. Higher English remains on Wednesday 7 May.

Full details of the new schedule are now available.

SQA Timetable 2025 (opens as a pf)

Information provided to Daniel Johnson MSP, and forwarded to the Parent Council shows that in the new timetable:

the number of coincident exams has decreased by 47%
the number of occasions where learners sit two exams in one day has decreased by
38%
there are now nine days where 100% of learners have one exam a day (up from
eight)

Related info

Letters sent by the PC to the SQA and others requesting timetable revision, and responses received, are available on the Deputations page

PC deputations and campaigns

Report from Parent Council meeting 29 January 2025

30 January 2025: Many thanks to those who were able to join the meeting of the Parent Council on Wednesday 29 January.

We were joined by Headteacher Mr Neil McCallum, Science Curriculum Lead Mr Iain Coltart, and CEC Councillors Steve Burgess and Pauline Flannery.

The meeting discussed a number of issues including:

concerns about rising rolls and school capacity, and recent engagement with the City of Edinburgh Council
co-scheduling of SQA Higher exams in English and Psychology
presentation by Iain Coltart about the delivery of science teaching and S1-S6 pupil pathways

Added 5 February 2025: The minutes of the meeting are now available:

Minutes from JGHS parent council meeting 29 January 2025 (opens as a pdf)

Presentations available

The presentations by Mr Coltart and the PC Co-chair, the finance update from the Parent Council, and the Headteacher’s report are available now:

Parent Council report and comments, 29 January 2025

Science teaching at JGHS, January 2025

Parent Council finance update, January 2025

Headteachers report

Due to lack of time during the meeting, Mr Mr Callum shared a written report with responses to a number of issues raised by the PC, including:

SQA exam diet – Higher English and Psychology
Capacity engagement
English texts
S1 residential
Pupil bulletin
Double periods
Streaming
Reporting
SLWG on phones, homework and communications
School news

Headteacher’s report 29 January 2025

Links to recent deputations to the City of Edinburgh Council about school capacity, and the letter to Daniel Johnson MSP and others about the SQA timetable are also available:

Parent Council deputations

Update 3 February: the Parent Council is pleased to note the revision to the SQA timetable published today, which has addresed the issue of co-scheduling of Higher English and Psychology.

Update to SQA timetable for 2025

Next meeting

The next meeting of the Parent Council will be on Tuesday 25 March at 7 pm, and will be held online.

We will hear from DHT Mr Ian Porter about the health and well-being support provided for pupils and JGHS.

Report from “theChat” project now available

28 October 2024: Earlier this year, theChat project engaged parents and carers to discuss how to support better to communication with young people about sexual health, reproduction and parenthood.

The project was carried out Scotland-wide, on behalf of several NHS health boards.

Conversations with parents – called ‘chats’ – and a national survey have provided insight into life at home and how parents want to support their child from the early years, through childhood and into the teenage years so that they are equipped to be healthy, happy and safe in their friendships and relationships.

A group parents and carers from JGHS participated in one of the ‘chats’ in the Spring of 2024.

theChat report

The final report from the project has just been published

theChat final report

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.

Email the Parent Council

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
1. PC report for 2023/24
2. Treasurers report for 2023/24
3. JGHS Trust comments
4. 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.