A national conference, which brought together leading figures from both education and building development, was held in Swindon today.
The town’s STEAM Museum was the venue for the annual EBDOG conference (Education Building and Development Officers Group), which was hosted by Swindon Borough Council and provided an opportunity for school place planners, capital programme managers, property managers and school architects to share experience and best practice.
Cllr David Renard, Leader of Swindon Borough Council, opened the event, which saw a total of 180 delegates from across the country attend. They also heard from two keynote speakers including Alan Wood CBE, who was honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to education and local government.
Jackie Smith MBE, CEO of the Brunel SEN Multi Academy Trust and Vice Chair of the Swindon Schools Forum, also addressed the conference, which featured a number of workshops and a closing question and answer session.
Delegates also heard from Department for Education (DfE) and Education Funding Agency (EFA) representatives who discussed the latest changes in government policy and funding arrangements.
Cllr Fionuala Foley, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “We were understandably delighted to host this year’s EBDOG conference and it was quite apt that it was held just a couple of days after our Cabinet approved to fund a brand-new primary school in Tadpole Garden Village.
“So many delegates flocked to Swindon full of enthusiasm and eager to share ideas and good practice and we had some fantastic speakers who were engaging and informative.
“It was also great for those attending to meet building contractors to review the latest developments in school building design and construction.”
Your Comments
Be the first to comment on this article
Login or Register to post a comment on this article