The Curate Training Programme
In the Peterborough Diocese we aim to make Curacy Training as enriching a time as possible, laying further foundations after theological college for life-long learning, to which all in ministry are called. Curacy marks a new beginning and a precious time of life, full of changes and challenges, and enriches the privilege of living out our calling.
Overall, the main aim in curacy is to prepare clergy to be sufficiently skilled, experienced, resilient, and spiritually engaged to embark on the challenges and opportunities of the next stage of ministerial life beyond curacy.
Every curacy will therefore continue the work of formation for ministry which has already begun, and will develop and foster new skills and experiences through a combination of life in the parish, training days relevant to context, pathway and stage of curacy, reflection with curate colleagues, and a rigorous review process.
Whilst new skills and experiences certainly form a significant part of curacy, it is the underlying dispositions, character formation and spirituality which provides the strongest foundations for ministerial life. There is therefore a strong emphasis in curacy on the integration of character, understanding and skills, and a focus on helping to resource and prepare curates to work in a range of contexts, with self-understanding, maturity and insight, as well as on skills and experience.
The Curate Training Handbook
Our programme is set out in the Curate Training Handbook. There are two versions:
- The first handbook includes an overview of Curate Training in the Diocese of Peterborough, information about the annual review process deadlines, and information for Training Incumbents (TI).
- The second handbook contains relevant documentation, including criteria which are used for the Curates' Annual Reviews, and the Working & Learning Agreement used, amongst other things, to help clarify expectations between Curate and TI.
For those ordained deacon up to and including 2023:
For those ordained deacon 2024 onwards:
Handbook Part 1 - New Criteria
Handbook Part 2 - New Criteria
The Curate Training Diary
An overview of the training events from September 2024 - June 2025.