Expectant parents can go on maternity or paternity leave if you have a child while training with us. We work with each student to identify what might be best for them, their family and their studies. New mums can take up to 12 months of leave and still receive financial support from the diocese. Students can take maternity leave throughout the academic year and restart their studies from where they were left off 12 months earlier. You can take less than a full year out if you choose.

We also encourage our students who become dads to take paternity leave, usually two weeks, but your formation tutor will work with you to ensure this fits your circumstances. Because ordinands are students and not employees, couples in training together cannot take paid parental leave.

It is important to us that new mums can still be as involved in college life as they want. If still breastfeeding, you are welcome to bring your baby and someone else to help on your regular teaching day or evening at college. The same is true for our residential weekends and week away throughout the year.

We do not currently have a creche in college or on the residentials. But we encourage all new parents to speak with their formation tutor about their circumstances or challenges, and we will try our best to find ways to help.

Training and entering the ministry as the parent of an autistic child can be daunting. We know it can be hard to explain and share the challenges and joys of life at home with others and discern how this will impact your future ministry.

That is why we host a group of students with children on the autistic spectrum at our residential weekends. It is open to anyone, whether your children have been formally diagnosed or are thought to be on the spectrum. You can also join if your children have other additional needs which may bring similar challenges and blessings for your study and work in the future.

These gatherings are places to encourage and be encouraged by other mums and dads walking a similar path to you. Our students openly share their experiences and pray for each other. A chaplain and St Mellitus College staff member also attend the group and can offer support. Ongoing advice and encouragement continue outside the meetings through regular group emails.

Please contact us if you have more questions or want to learn more about this group.

Your spouse, partner or other key supporter is welcome to come to college with you for your regular teaching day or evening. Please inform us about this in advance to ensure they can be catered for during our meals together. If your spouse or partner would like to join you regularly, we can offer discounted places to audit our courses or complete a fully accredited programme.

Each of our centres regularly holds social events and hosts visiting speakers, which spouses and partners are welcome to attend. We also have a special family day once a year, when they are invited to share in worship and lunch at college.

We are still learning how best to support families through training and would love to hear any feedback or suggestions. You can also click below to find some stories of St Mellitus College students who had children while training.

We have at the heart of our Christian faith the doctrine of adoption and so, perhaps, it is not surprising that we have a number of people training for ordination who are already adoptive parents or foster carers, or who sense a call to adopt or foster alongside the call to priesthood.

With the need for permanency and settledness for any adoptive and foster family, we recognise that there are particular challenges that training for ordination may present.

We host a group of students who are adopters and foster carers at our residential weekends, many of whom are parenting children with additional needs and so there is some crossover with the support group for parents of children on the autistic spectrum. As with that group, these gatherings are places to encourage and be encouraged by other mums and dads walking a similar path to you and where students share openly their experiences and pray for each other. One of our chaplains has strong and personal links with the charity Home for Good and hosts this group alongside current students.

Please get in touch with us if you have more questions or would like to find out more about this group.