SCHOOL support staff and parents protested in Leeds today, demanding an end to poverty pay, more funding to teach children with special educational needs and the building of more specialised schools.

General union GMB says teaching assistants on the lowest pay grade for their job suffer “poverty pay” and that the placing of special needs children in mainstream schools can cause huge problems.

The protest took place outside Leeds Civic Hall, where Leeds City Council was due to discuss special needs educational provision.