lectures from teaching gurus and boys raising awareness about teenage pregnancy were some of the attractions at one of Britain's biggest ever educational conferences held in Southend.

More than 1,500 education staff attended the Southend Schools Excellence Cluster Spring Conference to celebrate the first anniversary of the scheme, which teams up 28 schools to share resources and teaching methods.

The event was held at three sites - the Cliffs Pavilion, Milton Hall Junior School and St Bernard's High School - and included lectures about how to best educate pupils.

The Excellence Cluster, one of the first of its kind in the country, attracts about £2.5million in funding a year from the Government.

Published Tuesday, February 21, 2006