Ely Learning Framework
All the training we deliver as a Diocese is in the process of being incorporated into what we are calling the ‘Ely Learning Framework’. We’re calling it a ‘framework’ because all our courses at all levels will be organised in one structure so that anyone can see how their training fits in with all the other learning opportunities we offer. It’s also a progression framework. That means that there are routes from one training programme to another.
The diagram below is a progression map for the Ely Learning Framework. Clicking on the information symbols brings up a brief description. A further link in the pop-up opens up a new browser window with the information page for that aspect of the framework. To view the progression map full-screen, click on the icon at the top right of the map. To download a PDF, click here. There is a more general description below.
| Understanding the symbols and abbreviations on the progression map | |||
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Self-registration |  |
Safeguarding |
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Incumbent/diocesan approval required |  |
Church role training and other short courses |
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Incumbent/diocesan/national approval plus a funded place at TEI* required |
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Entry pathways |
| ALM | Authorised Lay Ministry |  |
ALM pathways |
| ACA |
Authorised Chaplaincy Assistant |  |
Authorised Chaplaincy Assistant pathway |
| LLM | Licensed Lay Ministry |
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LLM pathway |
| IME | Initial Ministerial Education |
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Ordination training pathways |
| CMD |
Continuing Ministerial Development |
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Leadership and CMD pathways |
Tracks and Stations
The multi-coloured ‘tracks’ in the map above indicate how you can move from one ‘station’ (the open circles of various colours) to another. As with stations in the real world, these also represent points where you can disembark. There is no expectation that you must progress. The map is just designed to indicate how you can progress as your sense of vocation unfolds, how you can join and where you can exit.
Entry-level Courses
Starting at the left-hand side of the map, we can see that there are a number of ways into our training framework.
Growing as a Disciple
Growing as a Disciple is also an open-access course (as shown by the traffic light icon showing a green light). It is run in-person (there is not yet a fully online version of it) but, as long as there are spaces, anyone who wishes to can join the course. This is also a ‘gateway’ course, in that anyone moving on to undertake training for Authorised Lay Ministry needs to complete this course, or an equivalent, approved programme in their parish. On the map, this way into our learning framework is indicated by the green track second from the top on the left-hand side.
Authorised Lay Ministry Training
Sometimes, for scheduling or other reasons, people training for Authorised Lay Ministry may begin their specialism course before completing Growing as a Disciple. This route is indicated on our progression map by the track at the top left. The orange track coming from ‘ALM’ to Growing as a Disciple (with the arrow pointing right to left) indicates that people coming into the training framework this way will still need to complete Growing as a Disciple prior to being authorised.
Short Courses
Our range of Short Courses (shown in yellow) is all open-access. That means that you can register for any of those courses yourself and study them online on this site. This way into the Ely Learning Framework is indicated by the yellow track – the third track down at the left-hand side of the progression map.
It may be that if a group, parish or deanery is running an in-person version of the course, they may want to target certain groups of learners, but in one way or another, anyone who wishes to can study that course. Some of the short courses have content that overlaps with what is studied in Growing as a Disciple or The Vocations Course. In this case, this learning can be accredited* so they need not repeat the material in these courses if they so wish.
The Vocations Course
The Vocations Course is designed for people exploring a vocation to Licensed Lay Ministry, Ordained Ministry or a Vocation to the religious life (as a brother or sister in a monastic community). Anyone can join this course, though we recommend that you at least speak with your incumbent before registering so that they know you are interested in exploring your calling. This route into the framework is shown by the green track which is fourth from the top on the left-hand side.
Foundations for Ministry
With approval from the Director of Lay Ministry, learners can join the Foundations for Ministry directly without first going through either a short course or the Vocations Course first. This route into the Ely Learning Framework is indicated by the green track fifth from the top on the left-hand side of the map. The Foundations for Ministry Course offers an excellent grounding not just for those embarking on Licensed Lay Ministry training, but also for people who will train for ordination, especially where it has been some time since they last engaged in academic learning. You will see that there is a track at the bottom of the map joining Foundations for Ministry to ‘IME’ (short for Initial Ministerial Education), indicating that this course or equivalent prior ministry experience or study is required to progress to train for ordination.
Young Leaders
Another set of courses at entry level, shown by the purple track at the bottom on the left-hand side is specifically for children and young people. This is the suite of courses designed to be offered in schools under the Archbishop of York’s Young Leaders’ Award. These programmes are offered at all school Key Stages and for students in sixth form. These offer a good foundation for later engagement with any of our entry-level programmes.
Safeguarding
The five light-pink-coloured ‘stations’ on the progression map indicate that progression onto any form of Authorised, Licensed or Ordained Ministry training requires the completion of safeguarding training. On the whole, any sort of training in ministry includes significant practice and not just theoretical elements, and so, we do require learners to ensure that their safeguarding training is up to date before they embark on their training programme or course. Occasionally, because of the availability of places on in-person safeguarding courses, it might be possible to join the ministry training programme and complete the safeguarding training soon after. This will, however, place some restrictions on what ministry practice can be undertaken.
Authorised Lay Ministry
As discussed above, people training for Authorised Lay Ministry will come into the programme either directly (completing Growing as a Disciple after their ALM course) or starting with Growing as a Disciple and proceeding to their ALM course after the discernment process. The requirement to pass through our Diocesean discernment process for Authorised Lay Ministry is indicated by the two amber traffic light symbols to the left of the ALM ‘station’. This means that these courses are not open-access – you cannot simply register for this training without being recommended to train by your incumbent and PCC.
Often it is very clear to people that serving as an ALM is a wholly sufficient way for them to be engaged in the ministry of their local church. For others, however, completing ALM training or practising as an ALM opens up an exploration of further vocation, either to taking a more leading lay role as a Licensed Lay Minister (LLM), or exploring a call to ordained ministry. Our progression framework here means that if the discernment processes in the Diocese or nationally affirm such a vocation, we work with our training partners to ensure that your prior learning can be taken into account in the design of your ministerial education programme. This is indicated on the map by the two orange tracks that proceed from the right-hand side of the ALM ‘station’, joining up with the LLM and IME stations.
Authorised Chaplaincy Assistant
This role is intended to support the work of Licensed School Chaplains (a specialised form of Licensed Lay Minister) in developing and deepening the partnership between parishes and their local Church of England schools where there is one. People can join this training programme without needing to complete prior training except for the necessary safeguarding courses (indicated by the light pink ‘station’ on the darker pink track). This is why it is shown as another green track coming in on the left-hand side at first; it is an entry point into the Ely Learning Framework. The training is more intensive than for Authorised Lay Ministry of other sorts, with eighteen units of study rather than the usual ten. That is why it is shown as a separate track rather than being grouped with other forms of Authorised Lay Ministry. The training for this role is also delivered online by Ridley Hall, Cambridge, rather than in-house and so a funded place is needed – indicated by the red ‘traffic light’ leading into the Authorised Chaplaincy Assistant ‘station’. Those completing this programme can progress to the training for Licensed School Chaplaincy, again delivered by Ridley Hall and again requiring a funded place, hence the red ‘traffic light’ symbol on the track connecting Authorised Chaplaincy Assistant to LLM.
Licensed Lay Ministry
There are similar opportunities for progressions for those who complete training for Licensed Lay Ministry. Many are clear that this is their distinct calling in God’s Church but others discover a sense of calling to Ordained Ministry at some stage during LLM training or after they have begun their ministry. Again, the prior learning LLMs have undertaken in preparation for their licensing is taken into account if they progress to train for Ordained Ministry. This is shown by the horizontal red track coming out of the right-hand side of the LLM ‘station’ and joining up with ‘IME’. The two red traffic light symbols to the left of the LLM station show that whether you are coming into this training having previously been an ALM or whether you come directly into training for this form of ministry, you need to have your calling affirmed by the Diocesan discernment process for LLMs and be funded for the course (with either the Eastern Region Ministry Course or Ridley Hall) from the Diocesan training budget.
As those who take leading roles in ministry in their local church or deanery, Licensed Lay Ministers will be able to take advantage of Continuing Ministerial Development courses, including the new Leadership Skills Courses and Programmes we are developing. This is indicated by the top and bottom red tracks that emerge on the right-hand side of the LLM station and join up with the purple leadership tracks.
Initial Ministerial Education
As with Licensed Lay Ministry training, progressing into ordination training, whether from another form of recognised ministry or directly, requires that your vocation is affirmed by the Church. For candidates for ordained ministry, calling is discerned through the Church of England’s national Shared Discernment Process. As indicated by the three red traffic light symbols on the tracks coming into the IME station. Funding for ordination training is coordinated nationally.
Initial Ministerial Education is delivered in two phases. Phase One (known as IME1) is delivered through one of the Church of England’s Theological Training Institutions (TEIs) – a residential college or regional training course. Phase Two (IME2) is delivered in parishes following ordination via curacy (where the newly ordained deacon serves as an Assistant Curate in Training under the guidance of an experienced parish priest – the Training Incumbent). In addition, in this Diocese as in most others we operate a programme of ongoing theological and practical ministry training delivered to each cohort of curates together. Though not directly indicated on the map, this programme is also available to all new Licensed Lay Ministers in their first three years of ministry following their initial licensing.
Ongoing Training
To provide for the ongoing training of both licensed and ordained ministers, following initial training, we are developing a series of programmes of continuing ministerial development and leadership training.
Continuing Ministerial Development (CMD)
We are in the process of reviewing what training recommendations come up most often through ministerial development reviews and developing training courses to be delivered in a variety of ways, but the equivalent of a day’s in-person training. These will be freely accessible for all Licensed Lay and Ordained Ministers. This is indicated by the purple tracks emerging from the top right of both the LLM and IME stations and by the green traffic light symbols. Materials from Bishop’s Study Days will appear on this site under this category but will be accessible to anyone.
Leadership Skills Courses
In addition, we have recognised as a Diocese that we have a strategic need to develop t and groupwork skills of Licensed Lay and Ordained Ministers so that they can better support, enable and accompany individuals, groups and teams in their own development and practice in faith and ministry. It is our intention to make these Leadership Skills courses freely accessible to those ministers who wish to develop those sorts of skills. As with the wider CMD programme, these courses will be roughly equivalent to a full day's training. The same track, station and traffic light symbols representing CMD also represent these courses.
Specialist Leadership Programmes
We are also recognising that Initial Ministerial Education cannot by itself offer all the preparation needed for some distinctive forms of leadership in the Church. We are therefore developing some intensive, week-long programmes to form and train people for these specialist types of leadership. Some will be reserved for clergy – such as our forthcoming Training Incumbent and Oversight Ministry programmes – but others may well be open to Licensed Lay Ministers too where they are in posts of significant leadership responsibility, including our Church Leadership and Collaborative Ministry Programmes. The map shows this more limited accessibility through a dashed track connecting LLM to Leadership Programmes and a solid track connecting IME to the Leadership Programmes station. As these may include some residential component, we will want to invest in people who demonstrate capacity for these forms of ministry, so they are not open access as other CMD training will be. This is indicated by the amber traffic light symbols on the tracks from CMD, IME and LLM to the final station at the right-hand side.
If you would like to talk about any aspect of the Ely Learning Framework, get in touch via email at learning@elydiocese.org.