Teachers are warning that schools in the North East are close to breaking point because of the increasing number of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
ITV Tyne Tees has learnt that in several council areas, the number of children being given special educational needs plans has gone up by more than 100% in five years.
Special schools in the region are at full capacity. It means that mainstream schools are under pressure to try and support children in need of additional support, but teachers are warning that sufficient funding is not in place to do so properly.
One school struggling with this issue is Consett Infant School, in County Durham. It is a mainstream primary with 160 pupils. Sixteen of those children have additional needs.
Some require one-on-one support, meaning the school has had to renovate rooms onsite. The cloakroom has been transformed into a sensory room to support children who struggle to concentrate in a classroom environment.