The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, will be attending the UK's biggest and most prestigious conference for education and childcare professionals from 6-8 January 2010 in York.

The NEEC 2010 event (formerly known as the North of England Education Conference) is expected to attract hundreds of children's services professionals and those helping to deliver Every Child Matters, as well as people involved in research and higher education, and senior politicians.

The theme of the 2010 conference is 'Unlocking Children's Potential'.

A number of internationally renowned experts in the field of education and children's services have already agreed to speak at the conference, including Sir Michael Bichard, Chair of the Soham Inquiry (who will be the Conference President); Baroness Estelle Morris, former Secretary of State for Education and Skills; Sir Andrew Motion, former Poet Laureate; Sir Roger Singleton, Chair of the Independent Safeguarding Authority; and Jonathan Bradshaw CBE, Professor of Social Policy at the University of York and Associate Director of the Social Policy Research Unit, Dylan Wiliam, Deputy Director, Institute for Education, and Yasmin Alibhai Brown, regular columnist on The Independent and London's Evening Standard.

The conference is being hosted by City of York Council, working in partnership with education and skills providers across the city, including the University of York, York St John University and York College.

Pete Dwyer, director of Learning, Culture and Children's Services at City of York Council, said "We are delighted that the Secretary of State is attending this prestigious event and are excited about the line-up of speakers we have now attracted to the city. We are even more confident that the event will add to York's reputation both as a city and as a place at the forefront of thinking on education and children's services issues"

Activities will be hosted at venues across the city including the Royal York Hotel, the National Railway Museum and York Minster.

York is a Beacon authority for school improvement and for its early intervention work. The authority achieved outstanding judgements in recent Ofsted inspections.

For more information please visit http://www.neec2010.co.uk/