£35,000 head teachers' conference a 'slap in the face' for Derby taxpayers
Philip Hickson said that the two-day and one-night event at Hoar Cross Hotel Spa Resort, near Yoxall, could have been held for free at the city council-owned Assembly Rooms.
But Andrew Flack, the council's corporate director for children and young people, said that the training conference was value for money and would not have been as productive without an overnight stay.
The annual conference on Thursday and Friday, October 9 and 10, was attended by 104 head teachers, six members of the council's children and young people's department, and a number of speakers.
Mr Hickson said he would call for an investigation into why so much was spent on staying at the plush hotel, which boasts a spa, a nine-hole golf course, tennis courts and a croquet lawn.
He said: "My instinctive reaction is that, at a time when people are hard-pressed, having their homes repossessed and losing their jobs, this is a slap in the face for the taxpayer.
"Someone has not thought this through properly. I will be bringing it up at the next council meeting and asking that an investigation is launched."
Mr Hickson said he could not understand why a venue in Derby was not found for the conference and suggested the Assembly Rooms or even school halls as alternatives.
"Even given those numbers, they could have used the Assembly Rooms," he said. "It could have been free or at least cost-reduced or concessionary rates.
"Schools have half-term this week. Why couldn't it have been held in one of their halls?"
Mr Flack said that each head teacher paid about £320 from their school's training budget to attend the conference.
He said: "The days ran roughly from 9am to 4pm and 9am to 3.30pm. From 4pm to 6pm on the Thursday, teachers could use the facilities.
"Since we started the conferences in 2002, it's made a tremendous difference to the working relationship between heads and between heads and the authority.
"It gives a concentrated weekend for the professional development of heads in the city. If you look at the cost of other conferences we are constantly being asked to attend, this is good value for money."
Mr Flack said this was the first time Hoar Cross had been used for the conference.
He said: "In recent years, we have been using the conference centre at Eastwood Hall at a similar cost.
"The city council organises the event but it could not have gone ahead without the head teachers agreeing to spend the money."
Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the national TaxPayers' Alliance, said the conference was a shocking waste of money. He said: "All available funding should go towards improving schools."
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