Welcome to the Diocese of Ely Education Directorate
This is the website for church schools in the Diocese of Ely. We support our schools and communities to achieve high standards of education.
Our Christian ethos enables a strong sense of community through learning, love and leadership for our children and families, of all faiths and none.
Our Christian vision is the rock on which our values stand, enabling all children to flourish.
Life in all its fullness
”I have come so you so you may have life in all its fullness.” John 10:10
Over a million young people attend Church of England schools and academies in England, with 15 million people alive today who went to one.
Regionally, this national church school system is overseen, monitored and SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) inspected by individual dioceses. The Diocese of Ely region covers a learner catchment of 1,500 sq. miles; Cambridgeshire, South Peterborough, West Norfolk and West Suffolk.
Our schools and academies serve the needs of all faiths and none and are open to children and parents from across the community regardless of background, perspective, religion or culture. They are not faith schools, but community schools. They are however part of our mission to educate children in an environment that reflects our Christian values in the communities we serve. Our schools and academies are thus very popular with parents of all faiths and none.
All Ely church schools and academies are state funded, with day-to-day operational responsibility & accountability falling to a legally designated 'Responsible Body' (such as the local authority, governors and trustees). Typically the school land and buildings are owned by the diocese and maintained by the schools.
Within the Diocese of Ely there are currently 84 Church schools and academies, collectively supporting over 30,000 parents, 15,700 learners, 2000 leaders and teachers, 1000 governors, and our much valued volunteers, clergy and church lay colleagues. The diocese currently also has a new secondary school in development stage, having already created and opened 4 new schools in recent years.
Multi-Academy Trusts
With the exception of three excellent stand-alone diocesan academies (St Bede's, All Saints March and Bourn), Church academies within the Diocese are members of the successful and thriving Diocese of Ely Multi-Academy Trust (DEMAT) and ACT Multi-Academy Trust. 
DEMAT was established by the Diocesan Board of Education specifically as a stand-alone legal entity and is one of the biggest academy trusts in the country (39 schools).
ACT Multi Academy Trust is our newest Academy Trust, established on 1 September 2023.
Both successful trusts, have their own Board of Trustees (including the DDE or the DDE's nominated representative). They also report to the Department for Education, as the majority funding body.