Founded in 2010 by Dr. Peter Vardy and his wife Charlotte Vardy, Candle Conferences aims to provide high-quality events for students, CPD opportunities for teachers and resources to enrich and extend learning in areas connected to Religious Studies and Philosophy. We ensure that our events are always pacey, enjoyable, relevant and excellent value for money - but most of all, that they represent content clearly and accurately. Teachers bring their students back to Peter's events year after year for a reason! Dr. Peter Vardy was the first Anglican Vice Principal of Heythrop College, University of London from 1999-2011. Noted for his skill and energy as a speaker, Peter has inspired up to 12,000 young people per year for the past 25 years and is a leading expert in Religious and Values education who has advised governments, NGOs, charities and schools on policy. The author of some fifteen books, widely used by RS departments across the UK and much of the rest of the world (including in translation), Peter also originated the "five strands approach" to Religious and Values Education (RE/RaVE) which has been widely adopted in Australasia, where he runs series of events twice a year. He is familiar from the Dialogue Educational Videos on the Arguments for the Existence of God and from his many contributions to radio and the newspapers. Charlotte Vardy combines teaching Religious Studies across the age and ability range in a local outstanding Church School with her work in managing Candle. Previously Director of Studies and Head of Religious Studies and Philosophy (twice) in the independent sector, she is a highly experienced and effective teacher and manager who has also been Oxbridge Tutor and Gifted and Talented Coordinator. Charlotte tutored at Heythrop College, University of London between 2004 and 2011 and since then has written four textbooks and innumerable teaching resources. As an educational consultant and teacher-trainer, she has worked for organisations including the Gipsy Hill Federation, the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, CTVC (True Tube) and Microbooks, examination boards including CIE and CCEA and The Coexist Foundation (2007-2015). Charlotte led our response to the DfE consultation on changes to the Religious Studies specifications at GCSE and A Level in 2014 and presented a fully developed alternative, developed and endorsed by 100+ teachers, in person at the DfE in December 2014. Candle Conferences’ student events for GCSE and A Level Religious Studies and A Level Philosophy are the most popular in England, with well over 11,000 young people each year taking part. Our bespoke events can be run in a place and at a time to suit you and cover a wide variety of topics at different levels; whether you want a whole staff INSET day on Christian Ethos or a workshop for Gifted and Talented Year 9's, we can arrange it for you. Candle Conferences also works with charities, such as The Coexist Foundation, to improve access to quality learning experiences by running essay-competitions, free INSET and events from time to time.
