Manchester Mesivta headmaster Phaivish Pink is working to combat a shortage of highly-qualified Jewish studies teachers in Manchester schools.

On Sunday, the Torah Teachers Training Scheme, which he directs, organised a seminar in advanced classroom management skills for 25 local teachers. "There is no government requirement for kodesh staff to be qualified," Mr Pink pointed out. "But there is a growing recognition that professionally qualified kodesh staff are better and more effective."

Sunday's session was sponsored by Manchester UJIA, whose director of UK programmes Sally Halon said the training was important because Jewish studies was "not funded by the government and a lot of the teachers are not fully qualified".