Established in 2012, we embarked on a mission to deliver excellent, engaging and exciting RE in partnership with primary and preparatory schools throughout the UK. Thereupon REonDemand was created.
Our vast Religious Education resources for the primary classroom and beyond have been a response to the Covid crisis and has enabled us to continue supporting schools. Using locally agreed syllabuses and government guidelines we have created resource sets for five major faiths. These sets include many of the fabulous items we use in our workshops allowing staff to deliver hands on RE with confidence.
Workshops are generated by working closely with schools. We liaise regularly and create timetables, choose resources, precisely plan and finally deliver, ensuring our workshops are exactly as requested. Our planning procedure is meticulous to ensure accurate and appropriate material full in content, but also allowing time for necessary contemplation.
During many of our sessions, children are encouraged to reflect upon their experiences and nurture their own values and beliefs in order to develop the inner child. We engage them through a comprehensive repertoire of activities including a hands on approach to the artefacts, thought provoking drama, the sharing of special food, symbolism, and age old traditions.
Our vast Religious Education resources for the primary classroom and beyond have been a response to the Covid crisis and has enabled us to continue supporting schools. Using locally agreed syllabuses and government guidelines we have created resource sets for five major faiths. These sets include many of the fabulous items we use in our workshops allowing staff to deliver hands on RE with confidence.
Workshops are generated by working closely with schools. We liaise regularly and create timetables, choose resources, precisely plan and finally deliver, ensuring our workshops are exactly as requested. Our planning procedure is meticulous to ensure accurate and appropriate material full in content, but also allowing time for necessary contemplation.
During many of our sessions, children are encouraged to reflect upon their experiences and nurture their own values and beliefs in order to develop the inner child. We engage them through a comprehensive repertoire of activities including a hands on approach to the artefacts, thought provoking drama, the sharing of special food, symbolism, and age old traditions.
Workshops and Fully Resourced RE Days |
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REonDemand delivers fun packed creative RE activities and RE Days to suit your class, school or nursery, in exciting and unique packages designed to cover attainment targets from your locally agreed syllabus and to compliment your own school curriculum.
Jam packed with new experiences, music and culture, you enjoy a full choice of activities using excellent resources sourced from around the globe and delivered by specialist practitioners. |
We offer a variety of well acclaimed workshops and resources focussing on topics varying from the six major world religions as well as Chinese New Year, Saints' days, themed topics (e.g. Light) and anything in between. Our attention to detail ensures continuity, peace of mind and above all, valuable sessions for both the children and staff.
We are fully insured and hold up to date CRB/DBS certificates.
We are fully insured and hold up to date CRB/DBS certificates.
Cathy Lightowler
Creator and Lead Practitioner of REonDemand
I graduated as a Theologian and teacher from Westhill College, Birmingham University with a B.Ed Double Honours degree in Religious and Theological Studies with Education and QTS in 1999. Since then, I've taught in the classroom, always taking on the role of RE coordinator. I have been fortunate enough to work with SACRE writing RE units for the locally agreed syllabus and subsequently advising RE coordinators.
I went on to establish REonDemand to bring RE to life in schools where resources are limited and time is short. I am passionate about CPD opportunities by developing confidence in staff to deliver RE in a more hands-on approach. My expertise lies in my knowledge of articles of faith, using real life experiences and engaging techniques to enhance the children's awareness and understanding of religion and celebrations, preparing them for a global society.
In my spare time, I continue to teach, appraise, advise and monitor teachers in the North West and enjoy foreign travel with my teenage children and husband.
I went on to establish REonDemand to bring RE to life in schools where resources are limited and time is short. I am passionate about CPD opportunities by developing confidence in staff to deliver RE in a more hands-on approach. My expertise lies in my knowledge of articles of faith, using real life experiences and engaging techniques to enhance the children's awareness and understanding of religion and celebrations, preparing them for a global society.
In my spare time, I continue to teach, appraise, advise and monitor teachers in the North West and enjoy foreign travel with my teenage children and husband.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which religions do you cover?
In schools we specialise in all 6 major faiths – Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism and Christianity. We can workshop with other specific beliefs too if that is what a school needs help with. We are ‘on demand’, so what you need we will try our best to deliver. Our Learning Objective Resource Sets currently cover all major faiths except Christianity – we’re working on that one! These sets give you genuine artefacts required to complete nursery, primary and KS3 Religious Education.
2. Do you cover my area?
Yes. We are based in Cheshire but travel nationally. As the only workshop provider in the UK that covers all aspects of RE and all faiths to all ages, we spend half our time on the road! Our REsource CentRE also covers everywhere by courier.
3. How much do workshops cost?
This is totally dependent on where you are in the UK. Your quote is all inclusive of all the time it takes to plan your specific requirements, any craft material or food for the workshop, [ever increasing] petrol costs, the travel time there and back and board, if necessary, to enable a setting up time of 8am in your school. Any consecutive workshop days are significantly reduced as we are then local to you. Local schools in East Cheshire and South Manchester are able to book half days.
4. Where are your artefacts and resources from?
Our Hindi resources come from India. Our Buddhism resources come from Nepal and China. Our Islam resources come from Pakistan and the UK. Judaism items come from the Holy Land, America and the UK. Sikh resources are from India and Christianity items are from the Holy Land, France, the UK and Salvador. Many of these have been collected by Cathy on her studies and travels.
5. What qualifications do we have to enable good learning of religions we may not follow ourselves?
I am Cathy, the creator of REonDemand. I am a schools RE specialist and Theologian after graduating Westhill College, Birmingham University in 1999 with a BEd (Hons) with Religious and Theological Studies. I spent 16 years in the primary classroom as an RE coordinator and working with groups, such as St Gabriel’s Trust, on schemes of work for Tameside, as well as advising and monitoring local teachers on RE and travelling and immersing in different cultures around the world. After a study into how RE is delivered in schools around the country and the subject knowledge, resources and time allocated to it, I found a gap that needed to be filled. Two years of research, interviews with faith leaders, their families and congregations, and planning and collecting artefacts followed to create REonDemand. A one-stop-shop for schools to access and bring RE to life. With classroom management skills, SEN adaptions, specialist knowledge and all aspects of faiths to cover, REonDemand has grown from not just workshops but also provides schools with the necessary resources, some of which we use in workshops ourselves. This was a reaction to the Corona virus, when we couldn’t come in to schools but teachers still needed support. There has been some element of learning on the job too! Every school asks for something different but we have the time to deal with this which is something we know teachers need more of.
And finally...
6. Is it ARTEFACT or ARTIFACT?
The jury is still out, but we use an 'e' as that is the original British spelling.... however we are happy to debate this!
In schools we specialise in all 6 major faiths – Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism and Christianity. We can workshop with other specific beliefs too if that is what a school needs help with. We are ‘on demand’, so what you need we will try our best to deliver. Our Learning Objective Resource Sets currently cover all major faiths except Christianity – we’re working on that one! These sets give you genuine artefacts required to complete nursery, primary and KS3 Religious Education.
2. Do you cover my area?
Yes. We are based in Cheshire but travel nationally. As the only workshop provider in the UK that covers all aspects of RE and all faiths to all ages, we spend half our time on the road! Our REsource CentRE also covers everywhere by courier.
3. How much do workshops cost?
This is totally dependent on where you are in the UK. Your quote is all inclusive of all the time it takes to plan your specific requirements, any craft material or food for the workshop, [ever increasing] petrol costs, the travel time there and back and board, if necessary, to enable a setting up time of 8am in your school. Any consecutive workshop days are significantly reduced as we are then local to you. Local schools in East Cheshire and South Manchester are able to book half days.
4. Where are your artefacts and resources from?
Our Hindi resources come from India. Our Buddhism resources come from Nepal and China. Our Islam resources come from Pakistan and the UK. Judaism items come from the Holy Land, America and the UK. Sikh resources are from India and Christianity items are from the Holy Land, France, the UK and Salvador. Many of these have been collected by Cathy on her studies and travels.
5. What qualifications do we have to enable good learning of religions we may not follow ourselves?
I am Cathy, the creator of REonDemand. I am a schools RE specialist and Theologian after graduating Westhill College, Birmingham University in 1999 with a BEd (Hons) with Religious and Theological Studies. I spent 16 years in the primary classroom as an RE coordinator and working with groups, such as St Gabriel’s Trust, on schemes of work for Tameside, as well as advising and monitoring local teachers on RE and travelling and immersing in different cultures around the world. After a study into how RE is delivered in schools around the country and the subject knowledge, resources and time allocated to it, I found a gap that needed to be filled. Two years of research, interviews with faith leaders, their families and congregations, and planning and collecting artefacts followed to create REonDemand. A one-stop-shop for schools to access and bring RE to life. With classroom management skills, SEN adaptions, specialist knowledge and all aspects of faiths to cover, REonDemand has grown from not just workshops but also provides schools with the necessary resources, some of which we use in workshops ourselves. This was a reaction to the Corona virus, when we couldn’t come in to schools but teachers still needed support. There has been some element of learning on the job too! Every school asks for something different but we have the time to deal with this which is something we know teachers need more of.
And finally...
6. Is it ARTEFACT or ARTIFACT?
The jury is still out, but we use an 'e' as that is the original British spelling.... however we are happy to debate this!