Council bosses say 'lessons learned’ from Yeadon school closure U-turn
Leeds City Council faced legal action from parents after proposing to shut down Queensway school in Yeadon this summer.
Council leaders have pledged to learn lessons after being forced into a U-turn over the closure of a primary school.
Leeds City Council faced legal action from parents after proposing to shut down Queensway school in Yeadon this summer.
A decline in pupils numbers led to a financial deficit at the school, which is set to lose its headteacher and other staff due to uncertainty over its future.
The council said Queensway would remain open after the closure decision was rescinded.
Now a set of recommendations to improve future school consultations have been published in a “lessons learned” report by the council.
Parents, school staff and councillors were involved in the report, which said they felt a consultation period over the school’s future was not long enough.
Meetings were held and pupils were listened to in the run-up to the closure decision. But the report said: “However, it was acknowledged that the proposal to close the school has caused stress and upset for children, their families, and the wider community.”
Concerns were raised over the welfare of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) if the closure went ahead.
It was the second time Queensway faced closure since 2022, when a similar proposal was scrapped following an outcry from parents.
Law firm Irwin Mitchell successfully challenged the latest closure decision, saying the consultation process was flawed.
The report said: “The consultation introduced uncertainty, which has affected pupil numbers and created concern among families.
“The process has had an emotional impact on staff, pupils, and families, particularly given the school’s previous experience with closure discussions.”
The report was presented at a Children and Families scrutiny board meeting on Wednesday (June 25).
Councillors were told a wider “area-based” approach to the decline in pupil numbers would be taken.
Otley and Yeadon Liberal Democrat member Ryk Downes said: “Parents were coming to me saying they couldn’t find alternative places for their children based on their SEND needs.
“We have got to sort out the problem of pupil numbers in Aireborough, But at the moment the solution isn’t there.”
Last week headteacher Mark Duce said he and other staff had taken a tough decision to leave the school.