Thank you all for coming and please remember to fill in your evaluation sheets and leave them with the registration desk.
Earlier on this year the Prime Minister talked about an age of austerity for the country. We are entering a different period in our history typified by reduced public spending, fewer civil servants and smaller government.
I think David Cameron referred to it as rolling back the nanny state.
But this so called age of austerity need not be a period of impoverishment in our society, and particularly in education.
As dedicated practitioners it is our commitment to learners to provide an enriching and rewarding experience to develop individual learning pathways and enable the personal development of others in a way which best suits their own needs.
Fully informed by research-based evidence, underpinned by a deep subject knowledge and professional assessment practice to ensure that every learner reaches her or his true potential as an effective member of a cohesive and inclusive civilised society.
There is no doubt that this government will bring with it much change to the way in which education is carried out in this country. New qualifications are promised and new curriculum are planned which will bring with them new working practices.
This change need not be a threat to good education if it allows us time to reflect on our professional practice, adopt new ways of working and challenge our tradition in an open, positive and constructive manner.
Education lies at the heart of our society. Underpinning social cohesion, ensuring equality of opportunity that carries with it a cost of provision.
But what cost equality and opportunity compared with social division and fragmentation.
Education will always remain a cornerstone of any government's policy due to its importance to our society, our economic well-being and our international competitiveness that cannot be traded down to a cost in simple economic terms.
And assessment lies at the heart of good quality professional education practice.
So thank you for your attendance, we wish you a safe and pleasant journey home and an enriching and educationally rewarding but not doubt challenging year ahead.