Salford's Langdon College has set up a yeshivah study programme for young adults with special needs.

Seven strictly Orthodox men will be among the first residential intake in September. Business studies, IT and mathematics classes will be provided, alongside tutoring in advanced kashrut and Jewish texts. The experimental programme is designed to fill a gap in special needs education in the Charedi community.

College governor Joy Wolfe helped to develop the programme with Charedi advisory charity Interlink. "We are being very conscientious in meeting the needs of these new students," she said. "We will be liaising with local rabbis and yeshivot to add supplementary religious studies."

Interlink's Nava Kestenbaum said the project was "an example of communal work that can serve needs right across the community. There has been a very positive response."

Langdon is raising funds for the broadened religious education and a project co-ordinator's salary.