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The Parent Teacher Association at St Matthew's RC High School has been successful in being appointed an employer of young unemployed 18 to 25-year-olds.

Young people in the area have been providing extra support to the school and many other local schools through government-funded posts.

The initiative is in addition to the school's bid to gain the Investors in People accolade normally reserved for business and industry.

St Matthew's is progressing towards the awards which recognise the school's commitment to training and rewarding both staff and pupils.

The school has recorded its largest intake to date with 256 pupils enrolling in Year 7 last year and a successful bid to the government's Excellence in Cities fund helped boost literacy standards.

Cash from the fund was used to pay for a summer literacy school last July which accommodated nearly 50 year six pupils from feeder primary schools who joined St Matthew's in September.

As well as providing for the latest pupil intake, the school has been celebrating the success of its links with Loreto College and Mancat which is providing further education for the over 16s.

St Matthew's headteacher Brian McNulty said: "The first group of young people to graduate from Moston College under the Loreto/Mancat course produced very good results.

"We hope that this will provide a template for more extensive collaboration."