Over 200 delegates from Spain, the UK, France, Italy and Portugal enjoyed two days of presentations, workshops and seminars related to up to date educational issues and themes.

The conference offered opportunities for teachers, teaching assistants and administrative staff to share good practice and to discuss current curriculum and leadership initiatives in the UK. Guest speakers covered topics as diverse as "Boy Friendly Lessons" and "The Early Years Curriculum" and there were carefully tailored sessions for colleagues working with children between the ages of 3 and 18.

Teaching Assistants enjoyed seminars in which their role in the classroom was discussed and ideas were shared about the further development of the TA/teacher partnership. Colleagues working in the Spanish Studies area of the curriculum looked at new ideas in teaching methodology and the changes impacting on curriculum content.

Speakers and seminar presenters came from the UK and Spain and we had a small number of exhibitors, who presented a range of teaching resource materials for all age groups. Evaluation forms, collected at the end of the 2 day event, indicated a very favourable response to the conference programme and materials, the venue (King's College, Soto de Viñuelas) and the "domestic arrangements" for accommodation, refreshments and the excellent Gala Dinner, held at a hotel in Madrid.

Further COBIS conferences will be held in Amsterdam, Prague and London during the coming year. Each has a distinctive theme and information is available on the COBIS website www.cobis.org.uk .

Planning has already begun for the 2009 conference in Madrid. 

Mr. Trevor Hawes, one of the UK's leading experts on teaching and the learning brain, speaking to delegates at the conference.