Parent Council - AGM 2026
The Brannock High School Parent Council Annual General Meeting will take place on Thursday the 8th October at 19:00 in the classroom opposite the Bistro,
in accordance with our constitution.
The Parent Council plays an important role in supporting the school, representing the voice of parents, and working together with staff to enhance the learning environment for our children. This is a great opportunity to:
Contribute your ideas and experience.
Help strengthen the school community.
Take part in shaping projects, events, and initiatives.
If you would like more information on what being a member of the Parent Council involves, please feel free to get in touch with one of the current members.
There are no special requirements for Ordinary members and we encourage you to come along and find out more. As a member of the school’s Parent Forum, you are entitled to put yourself forward for membership of the Parent Council.
You don't have to be an elected member of the Parent Council to have your voice heard - Anyone can come along to to the AGM, or any of our meetings, and let us know what we can do better, or how you might be able to help us.
The agenda is attached here;
Notes of interest - Office Bearers.
We currently have notes of interest interest from the following people in taking up positions as office bearers.
Vicki Lavelle (current Chair)
I have been Chair of the Parent Council for the last two years and I would like to continue as Chair for the upcoming year.
Over the past two years, I feel we have really found our stride as a Parent Council, with a fresh focus and plenty of positive involvement in important areas such as school policy and staff recruitment. I’m really proud of the progress we have made together and the momentum we have built as a team.
I have also worked hard to develop a positive and productive working relationship with the school. I feel this is particularly important to the work of the Parent Council. While our role is to make sure parents and carers have a voice and to raise concerns when necessary, I believe the best outcomes come from having an open, respectful and constructive relationship with the school, where we can ask questions, challenge where appropriate and work together to find solutions that benefit our young people.
My oldest child is now in S3 and I now have a child in S1, and I have been involved in Parent Councils for around nine years through one of the feeder primary schools. During that time, I have taken on all of the office bearer roles and I am now in my sixth year as Chair at New Stevenston Primary. That experience has shown me how valuable it is for parents and carers to have a voice, and how much we can achieve when we work in partnership with the school for the benefit of our children.
For the past four years, I have also been part of the North Lanarkshire Council Parental Engagement Strategy working group. I continue to be involved in supporting its rollout across the authority, helping to strengthen the connection between families and schools.
Looking ahead, I would be delighted to continue as Chair and build on the work we have started together. I want to continue ensuring that parents and carers have a strong and meaningful voice, that their concerns and ideas are listened to, and that the Parent Council plays a constructive role in identifying areas where improvements can be made. I believe we have built a strong foundation over the past two years, and I would like to continue working with the Parent Council, the school and the wider school community to help bring about positive change for all our young people.
Kirsty Walker (Vice Chairperson)
My name is Kirsty I have been vice chair of brannock PTA for last year
and I have a daughter in the LCSC unit (4 th year) I have been part of Brannock PTA
since my daughter started in first year. I am an older parent with older children and
grandchildren and 28 years plus of being involved in PTA’s, 5 years being chair, at my
daughter’s primary school. I feel the LCSC needs a parent from LCSC to represent and
fully understand the challenges it brings with an additional needs child also with being
a parent outwith catchment it can be very daunting when you know no-one so I can
empathise on both fronts. I am a carer for my husband and my daughter who both
have complex needs so I think this helps me to think out of the box, hoping to never to
judge, and helps to be compassionate and approachable. I have been involved and
coordinated many school events over the years as well as helping in the schools. I help
many with forms and points of contact for help with additional support needs and never
shy if anyone wants a coffee a chat or just to vent . I feel I can bring something
different to the committee with being a mum a grandparent and a carer . I hope to
remain as vice chair and continue helping our full school as one big family
Alyson Thomson (Treasurer)
My son has just started in S2, I work full time for a financial services company and am a panel member for Children's Hearings Scotland. I have been considering getting more involved in school as I am very aware how much of a protective factor it is for some young people. I also want to help, in any way, making it a safe place for children and somewhere they can achieve, even if that isn't necessarily academically.
Elaine Greenshields (Secretary)
My name is Elaine Greenshields. I would like to put myself forward for the role of Secretary as I would like to continue being actively involved in the Parent Council and contribute to the school community.
I have been part of the school community for a number of years and have developed a good and positive relationship with the school and staff during that time. I value the importance of parents and the school working together and would like to play a more active role in supporting this through the Parent Council.
I am currently the Manager of a committee-run nursery, where I work closely with our voluntary management committee and office bearers. This has given me a good understanding of how committees operate and the important role of office bearers, including the Secretary.
Within my own setting, the Secretary supports the Chairperson with meetings and agendas, maintains records, deals with correspondence, takes accurate minutes and records action points, and helps to keep parents and staff informed. As Manager, I work closely with our Secretary and committee in these areas and understand the importance of good organisation, clear communication, confidentiality and making sure agreed actions are followed through.
My own role involves communicating with parents, staff, committee members and other professionals, maintaining accurate records and documentation, organising meetings and ensuring information is communicated appropriately. I am organised, reliable and flexible and am used to working as part of a team.
Having been a parent within the school for several years, I also understand how important it is that the Parent Council represents the views of the wider parent body and works constructively with the school.
I feel that my professional experience, alongside the relationship and understanding I have developed with the school over the years, would allow me to contribute positively to the Secretary role. I would be happy to give my time and experience to support the Parent Council, the school and our families.
Martin Dean (Secretary)
Having served on the Parent Council for over three years, including my current term as Secretary, my primary focus remains encouraging direct, transparent, and accessible communication between parents, carers, and the school.
This past year, we have made significant progress in keeping families informed and involved. Through persistent advocacy, we successfully established regular school communications—including brand-new weekly updates from school and more timely alerts regarding careers fairs and other key events.
To make information as open as possible, I created and continue to maintain our dedicated website, providing all parents and carers with easy access to agendas and meeting minutes. Alongside physical and online suggestion boxes, these platforms ensure everyone has a simple, accessible way to stay informed, connect with us—anonymously if preferred—and ensure anyone can raise a topic and know it will be discussed.
Behind the scenes, I renew statutory licenses, schedule and manage agenda deadlines, and accurately record minutes to ensure every topic discussed is captured and available for those who are not able to attend meetings but wish to stay informed.
My priority continues to be creating an organised, open, and responsive environment where all families feel heard, supported, and empowered to help our young people thrive during their time at Brannock.
The AGM will be followed immediatly by our normal Parent Council Meeting.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Brannock Parent Council
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