Rebuild and management restructuring

The day began with a meeting with colleagues from across the council to discuss progress on the new building that will begin in 2013. Areas discussed included: Restoration of the 'A' listed Bruntsfield House; Relocation arrangements in Darroch, Design of windows, parking arrangements during the rebuild, alternative accommodation at the main school and staffing. As headteacher, an overriding priority for me during this planning period is to ensure that learning and teaching can take place with no interruptions during the rebuilding process.

In the afternoon I met with David Wright (Head of Schools) to discuss some of the details of how management restructuring is to be implemented at Gillespie's following interviews last Thursday. David's experience and insight, gained from having been a headteacher in two secondary schools, is beneficial as we try to get the best possible structure for Gillespie's.

After a few more meetings with staff to discuss various excursions, I met with Alex and Bethany (Co-chairs of our Student Council) to discuss feedback from the recent student council meeting. Requests made by students included: mirrors in girls' toilets; an alternative social space for S1s during lunchtimes, additional bins in the school, S1 lunch arrangements and access for S6 students to suitable study areas when they are not in classes during the day. All of these issues will be discussed/progressed with the appropriate staff in the next week or two. All in all, it was a productive day but I missed having the opportunity to meet with and interact with the wider student body.