6 February 2025
Sarum College Ministry has once again received the highest level endorsement from the Ministry Development Board in its most recent Periodic External Review (PER) of the College’s programmes to prepare ordinands and licensed lay ministry trainees for their ministries.
“All the evidence we have seen points to a TEI that has a vision that is widely appreciated and trusted,” according to the report. Reviewers also commented that the College is “committed to valuing a diverse and varied church culture within the Church of England. It seeks to be independent and thoughtful about church issues and progressive in responding to them, including those things that lead to church growth.”
Strong, broad, generous and grown-up theology.
Picking up from discussions with students and in-class observation, the reviewers noted that students “were able to move seamlessly between the articulation of personal faith, the church’s mission and theological ideas,” adding that through and alongside the academic work, “students are equipped for a public-facing ministry and the demands that everyday life will entail.”
Part of the review process involved interviews and discussions with external ministry formation colleagues who collaborate with Sarum. The reviewers reported a “great deal of confidence in the college” citing a range of comments made by bishops or DDOs, including:
• ‘You can tell someone who has trained at Sarum – they are always proud of it.’
• ‘Sarum are good at encouraging reflection and drawing in insight from local communities through supervision arrangements.’
• ‘Strong, broad, generous and grown-up theology. Good formation in reflective practice enabling students to operate safely and well once they are ordained/ licensed. Commitment to development of rich life of prayer among students.’
“We are grateful to the review team from the Ministry Development Team for their thorough and reflective report,” says The Revd Canon Professor James Woodward, Sarum College Principal. “It is always good to see the quality of our learning and formation recognised and we shall attend carefully to the helpful recommendations. We are confident that this report offers us a firm foundation upon which to develop Sarum College as a regional hub and centre of excellence. This is a team effort and credit is due to Paul Burden, Jo Neary, Ian Macdonald, Beth Dodd and Jacquie Gallon for their exemplary work of enabling our students to thrive.”
“We welcome this report, recognising the work the review team put into exploring every part of our work at Sarum. It is a tremendous confirmation to receive their confidence in our training of women and men for lay and ordained ministries,” says The Revd Paul Burden, Academic Dean at Sarum College.
“This is a pleasing endorsement of the style and direction of the college. It is good that there is recognition of how we are developing both learning offers appropriate for ministry in the future, and models of partnerships which cross traditional boundaries and create new synergies and exciting possibilities,” says The Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, who chairs the Sarum College Board of Trustees. “Commendation of the quality of staff and teaching is well deserved, and it is important to note the strong endorsement of the strategy emerging through the trustees current plans for future development and priorities. The endorsement of our move towards becoming an independent TEI confirms both the quality of the offer being developed and the clear leadership of the Principal and capacity of the academic staff.”
“This report recognises the high standards and effective quality assurance processes operating in the college and it is a testament to the professionalism and commitment of the staff,” says Professor Liz Stuart MBE, who chairs the Sarum College Board of Studies.
About the PER
The PER is part of the Church of England’s quality assurance for its ministerial training institutions (‘Theological Education Institutions’ or TEIs), whereby the church conducts an external quality check of each TEI against national standards and expectations for ministerial training and formation.
On behalf of the church, review teams are asked to assess the TEI’s fitness for purpose in preparing candidates for ordained and licensed ministry and to make recommendations for the enhancement of its life and work. The reviewers’ report is made to the House of Bishops acting through the Ministry Development Board.
Church PER teams are appointed by the national Ministry Development Team from a pool of reviewers nominated by bishops and TEIs.
For TEIs that offer Durham-validated Common Awards programmes, representatives of Durham University’s Common Awards team will sometimes carry out their own academic quality assurance review in parallel with the church’s PER, to inform the university’s decision-making on: (i) renewal of the Common Awards partnerships with approved TEIs; and (ii) revalidation of Common Awards programmes that have been approved for delivery within TEIs.
Well deserved recognition from the Ministry Recognition Board, that affirms the approach taken at Sarum, that challenges and encourages it’s students, whilst at the same time providing the space, time and opportunity for them to flourish.
I know, because I am one of them.
Congratulations Sarum College. Well deserved!