Teachers to leave 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 down.

Leeds City Council said Queensway Primary School in Yeadon would shut at the end of this school year due to dwindling pupil numbers and financial pressures.

However, the decision was put on hold after parents launched legal action. It is the second time the school has been threatened with closure since 2022.

Headteacher 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 Service.

Councillor Alan Lamb said the council should issue advice for parents of children to the school, which will now be open as normal in September.

Speaking 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 said.

The 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 25 June.

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