Latest news with #QueenswayPrimary
BBC News
3 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
'Lessons learned' by Leeds council after school closure U-turn
A council has said it will learn lessons after it was forced to reverse its plan to close a primary City Council had intended to shut Queensway Primary, in Yeadon, after saying a decline in pupil numbers and financial pressures had put its long-term sustainability at the authority was forced to shelve the plan after parents launched a legal challenge over the way a consultation was carried out ahead of the a set of recommendations to improve future school consultations have been published in a "lessons learned" report by the council. The report found that parents, school staff and councillors felt the consultation period was not long enough, although meetings were held in the run-up to the also said the plan had caused "stress and upset for children, their families and the wider community", particularly as they faced a similar closure threat in added that it had also caused concern over the welfare of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. At a children and families meeting earlier, Otley & Yeadon councillor 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."Councillors were told that a wider "area-based" approach to the decline in pupil numbers would be taken moving Mark Duce, who has been at the school for four years, announced last week he and other staff had taken the difficult decision to leave the school due to a "lack of clarity provided regarding the long-term future of Queensway". Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Parents 'respect' head's decision to leave Yeadon school
Parents have said they do not blame a headteacher and his staff for deciding to leave a primary school amid uncertainty about its Primary School in Yeadon was due to shut at the end of the school year but the plan was paused after parents launched a legal challenge over the council's decision. Headteacher Mark Duce, who will not return in September, said because of the lack of clarity over the school's future he and other teachers had taken the "incredibly hard decision" to find new jobs. Vicky Lancaster, whose children attended Queensway, said: "The work Mark has done has been amazing, and everybody in that school, we all respect him and just want the best for him." The school, which had already fought off closure in 2023, was due to shut at the end of the summer term due to dwindling pupil numbers and financial specialist education lawyers for Irwin Mitchell successfully challenged the authority's decision based on "significant flaws in the consultation process".Since then, parents and staff said they had been left in limbo over its future while Leeds City Council was working on a report on options for its Lancaster said: "I have the utmost respect for all the teachers, and Mark especially, and I understand they've had to do what's right for them." The 40-year-old said she had already moved her son and daughter to another school."I felt very disloyal doing this but the council has given us no indication what's going to happen, so because of this I decided it was time for them to leave."She said the school community could "hold their heads up high" at what they had parent, Rick Ansell, said parents and teachers had been "backed into a corner where they're forced to choose between paying the mortgage, or staying and praying the school survives".Mr Duce, who has been Queensway's head for four years, said he had "so much guilt" about his decision to leave but had reached a point where the school's future was out of his control."There's so much guilt because we do not want to leave this wonderful school behind."But from a human and personal point of view, it's got to the point where the lack of clarity and the uncertainty continuing going forwards, I've had to make that decision to look elsewhere."He said the board of governors were working hard to find a replacement head and new teachers, but that he would not leave the school in a "weakened position".Leeds City Council said a report on the school was expected to be presented to the council's executive board in July.A spokesperson said: "As a foundation school, it is the governing body which is responsible for employment matters at the school, including the recruitment and retention of teaching staff. "The council continues to seek to provide support and advice to the school and is actively engaged with the head and governing body to ensure the school is appropriately staffed for September 2025." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Teachers to leave Yeadon school after closure threat
Teachers are set to leave a primary school due to its uncertain future despite a council reversing a decision to close it City Council said Queensway Primary School in Yeadon would shut at the end of this school year due to dwindling pupil numbers and financial the decision was put on hold after parents launched legal action. It is the second time the school has been threatened with closure since Mark Duce said he and other staff at the school had now made the "incredibly difficult" decision to leave amid the uncertainty. He said: "Despite the halting of the second consultation to close the school and due to the lack of clarity provided regarding the long-term future of Queensway at this stage, class teachers and myself have had to make the incredibly difficult decision to leave the school at the end of the summer."I am working alongside governors at present to ensure an effective leadership and teaching team is in place for September and will endeavour to share updates as soon as we are able to do so."We thank our parents and potential parents for their patience at this time."Fears were raised for the welfare of children with special educational needs after the council launched a consultation over the school's future. Law firm Irwin Mitchell then successfully challenged the closure decision, saying there were flaws in the consultation process, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Alan Lamb said the council should issue advice for parents of children to the school, which will now be open as normal in at an executive board meeting, he said: "What's been fed back to me is there has been a total lack of clarity. Very limited communication."However, councillor Julie Longworth said apologies had been given for the distress caused to teaching staff and families. "We have been in regular communication and conversation with the leaders in the school and also with the governors," she council said it has launched a "lessons learned" exercise to improve the way it would handle future school decisions.A report and recommendations will also be discussed by councillors on the Children and Families scrutiny board at a meeting on Wednesday 25 June 25. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
17-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Yeadon primary parents tell of 'sleepless nights' over school closure
Parents and carers have said they are "devastated" by plans to close a Leeds school, as they raised concerns over the impact on children with additional Primary School in Yeadon is set to shut at the end of the school year, after city councillors backed the move in a vote last week.A consultation was opened in January over plans to shut the school, which has just 72 children on the roll from a capacity of Lancaster, whose daughter is autistic, said the "most vulnerable" children would be affected by the closure. Primary school set to close despite parent protest A protest by parents and teachers stopped Queensway Primary from closing in Lancaster has two children currently at the school and a third who has moved on to secondary youngest daughter is autistic, she said, adding she was "devastated" at the prospect of the school Lancaster said she was worried "she's not going to be able to settle in as well as her brother".She said: "Is she going to go into a different setting where she's not going to cope and he's going to thrive, and I'm going to have to separate my children?" "It's cost me sleepless nights because I don't know where the children are going to go," Ms Lancaster said."They said they've read every letter and it's heartfelt, but if you'd read every letter and really felt this in your heart, you would know this is the wrong thing to do." 'Disappointed, frustrated, just devastated' Sibel Ansell said she was concerned about how another school would meet the needs of her son, who is also at Queensway Primary are specially trained in a different way of learning language, which her son uses, she was "originally placed in another school with his brother, and we quickly established it couldn't meet his needs, which is why we came to Queensway"."We are proof that the mainstream schools [councillor] Helen Hayden is trying to send our children to cannot cater for the children this school can."We're really disappointed, really frustrated and just devastated at this result."More than 90% of respondents to a consultation strongly opposed the closure, she said, making "the whole thing absolutely worthless". Foster carer Nicholas Humphrey said his own children had gone to Queensway Primary, as well as a number of looked-after currently attending had additional needs and an education, health and care plan (EHCP), he said, and "there is no plan for where she's going to go in the community, who can accommodate her"."This school has been a huge part of her family since she started school and it's been the one constant in her life... now they're asking us to put her into an unknown place, in an unknown period of time, where there isn't any provision existing," he said. Mr Humphrey accused the council of "smoke and mirrors", over a forecast deficit of £1m at the school over three years."There's no way they can rehome all of the children in this school, 40 or more of them with special educational needs, for less than a million pounds in the next three years," he Hayden, Leeds City Council's executive member for children and families, said closing a school was "not a decision we take lightly".She said the council understood the strength of feeling, and recognised the "tireless work of everyone involved" in improving the school's position."As a local authority, we have a responsibility to consider the viability of the school and as such, we are now seeking to progress to the next stage of consultation," she said."There will now be further opportunity for people to show their support or objection to the proposal during the new statutory notice period."Hayden emphasised that the authority would "work closely with all affected families" and provide "comprehensive and bespoke support" for children with additional needs or EHCPs, "to ensure their needs continued to be met."A final decision will be taken at the council's June executive board, and if approved, the school will close at the end of the summer term. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
