Teachers at North Yorkshire special school say they're desperate for more funding

Teachers at a special educational needs schools in North Yorkshire say their budgets are so tight they can't even afford sand in their sandpits.

Members of the National Education Union are striking again today in a row over pay and funding.

Jo Giles is a teacher at Springwater Special school in Starbeck near Harrogate: "As teachers we trawl charity shops nearly every weekend and school holiday. We pay for things out of our own money, if you don't do that, what have our kids got to use. Our children in special need school need to be able to see, hear and feel, touch resources."

She says funding has been cut at a time when demand has soared. That means the school is running out of space for all the pupils who need help: "We have children who have autism that go into crisis, they need to be able to break out somewhere to be able to self regulate or we can regulate them, but there isn't anywhere. We are on the corridors."

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "Any strike action is hugely damaging. We have made a fair and reasonable pay offer to teachers recognising their hard work and commitment.

"Thanks to the further £2 billion we are investing in our schools, next year, school funding will be at its highest level in history."

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