Argyll and Bute’s Biennial Headteachers Conference has developed over the years into an important professional development opportunity for the leadership of our schools. In the last Argyll and Bute HMIe Authority Inspection report (June 2005) this Conference was seen as an effective means by which the aims and objectives of the Education Service were promoted.

Over the years each Conference has been focussed on a central theme. This has enabled Argyll and Bute’s leadership to address many of the major developments taking place in scottish education.

The theme for the 2009 Biennial Conference is ‘Imagine, Invent, Create’. Building the Curriculum 3 states that important themes such as enterprise, citizenship, sustainable development, international education and creativity need to be developed in a range of contexts for our young people. The activities organized for our young people should encourage them to develop and demonstrate creativity and innovation.

“The OECD report Quality and Equity of Schooling in Scotland raises challenges for Scottish education – the need to address underachievement and to provide more choices and more chances for all our children and young people, particularly those from disadvantaged socio – economic backgrounds. This framework challenges all those involved in planning the curriculum to work as partners to provide more opportunities for vocational education and the need to promote greater flexibility and creativity. In addition there is a continuing need to ‘raise the bar’ to ensure that young people are challenged to achieve to their maximum potential.”
Building the Curriculum 3

The 2009 Biennial Conference has been organized to ensure that Argyll and Bute’s leadership have experience of taking creativity into new dimensions to address these challenges and requirements.