Leeds kids and parents have been left 'devastated' after receiving the news that their primary school could be shut down next year.
Families gathered outside Queensway Primary School in Yeadon on Monday afternoon, September 26, to fight against the plan from Leeds City Council to permanently close the school. Due to a falling birth rate, the school is no longer seen as a viable source of income.
But the families who love going to the school feel differently, and say Queensway has been fantastic in supporting their children - particularly those with additional needs. Many came together to wave placards and chanted 'save our school' as they told their stories outside the school gates.
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Rick Ansell is just one of the parents whose child will be affected by the school closing. He told LeedsLive: "Our youngest son Leo, who is four, joined the reception here just two weeks ago.
"Leo has additional needs, and although he's as yet undiagnosed, we knew he'd be happy and properly supported at Queensway. The difference in care, proactive support and communication between it and other schools is like night and day.
"Leo has only been at Queensway for two weeks and already, the difference in him is incredible - on his first day there, my wife said for the first time ever she didn’t have anxiety about leaving him - not worrying about another call from the school or being asked for a word at the school gates etc.
"Even in the few days we’ve been part of this school, it’s abundantly clear this is not only a family of passionate and knowledgeable staff who truly care, and have real relationships with the children and their families, but a truly vital community resource.
"The easiest way to articulate the difference between Queensway and other local schools when it comes to children with additional needs, is with everyone we’ve met, it just feels vocational at Queensway… they’re there because they love their work and it matters…it’s not just a job, every child is indeed different and so is every family - and that is celebrated."
Queensway Primary School last had a short inspection from Ofsted in 2017. Inspector Janet Lunn said a strength of the school was the leadership of special educational needs and that "the high numbers of pupils who have identified additional needs receive excellent support."
In her report, Lunn added that parents also praised the school for its works with children who have additional needs.
Mum Samantha Poole, 47, had also come along to protest with her daughter Nevaeh, nine. Samantha said: "I did have four children here but just have one at the moment. All of mine have got additional needs as well and were diagnosed with autism.
"It's a really nice community. The care and nurture they get here is so much better than some of the mainstream schools. It's a much better school for them so we want to save it.
"Even when you don't have a diagnosis they just seem to automatically do that wraparound care here. They seem to know to put stuff in place. It's an amazing school and they've done so much for my children. Without them, I don't know where my kids would be.
"We have to fight to keep it here. I'd be devastated to move my daughter."
"The school means a lot to me because I've been here since I was a little baby," Nevaeh said, and added that she would be upset if the school did end up closing.
"My friends and I would be separated. My bestest friend in the whole world would have to go somewhere else."
The letter submitted by the council said that Queensway has seen a "large fall" in demand for places in its reception class. It added that numbers are expected to "decline further" in future.
A consultation began on Monday that lasts four weeks. Within that time parents and others can write and share their views on the plans to close the school. If it does close, from July 2023, the children will have to go somewhere else.
Campaigners had attached banners to the railings and had handmade t-shirts, signs and hoodies as they protested. While LeedsLive were there, several locals drove past and beeped or shouted their support to the protesters.
Vicky Lancaster, 38, has two children currently at Queensway: Joey, seven, and Ava, five. Her eldest son Aiden, 12, is now at secondary school - but loved attending Queensway and has also been a big part of the fight to stop its closure.
Vicky said: "We're all very upset as parents and for the children. This isn't just any school - it's a huge community, like an extended family. My eldest son Aiden went here and he was actually diagnosed with autism through Queensway Primary School.
"That is something I'll be forever grateful for. Now he's gone on to a high school, which he loves, but he'd come back here in a heart beat.
"Ava and Joey have been coming here since they were two - they joined Kangaroo Kids here and followed it through. They've got a lot of strong bonds with the other children because they've known them so long.
"I'm attending two schools for drop-off already - the thought of maybe doing three would be terrible. The kids could be separated - there's no guarantee they would be together. That's a worry for a lot of the parents here.
"Also, a lot of SEN children attend this school - are the other schools going to be able to meet their needs? We just don't know."
"I had such great days here and have such great memories and bonds with friends and teachers," said Aiden.
"We just can't let them close this down. Hearing that they were going to close the school down my heart sank. I've had a great experience at this school and that's what we want our children to have."
A petition to save the school has already garnered nearly 3,000 signatures. You can see it and sign by clicking here. While the protest was ongoing, Leeds councillors were inside the school discussing the closure.
One mum and PTA member, Kelly Muldowney, has a particularly long history with the school. As well as having a child in year six and one in the preschool that leads into Queensway, she attended the school herself as a child.
"I'm absolutely devastated. As soon as I heard the news I burst into tears," Kelly said.
"I went to this school myself and my sister was one of the first pupils ever here when it opened - it means the world to me. The community feel here is lovely and is fantastic.
"If it does go ahead and shut down, I'll be walking a mile to take my child to school as I don't drive, and the length of that commute will be difficult for me to get to work on time.
"All the schools have had a tough time over the past few years but we got a new head last September and he's amazing. The staff here go above and beyond - they went around the houses during Covid delivering books and things.
"Looking at the things Mr Duce [Queensway's headteacher] has done in one year, imagine what he could do in five."
Headteacher Mark Duce also said the school was "completely shocked and devastated". He added that there were many children at the school needing "a huge amount of dedicated, specialist support" and that he would fight for the school's future.
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council told LeedsLive previously: "In recent years the Guiseley and Yeadon areas have seen a significant drop in the numbers of children being born, and there are several primary schools across the area with surplus places.
"We want schools to have sustainable numbers for the future so that they can meet the needs of their learners. As part of a wider plan to manage places across the area, we will be asking the local community for their views on a proposal to permanently close Queensway Primary School.
"A four week consultation will start on Monday 26 September and during this time, anyone with an interest in school places in the area will be able to find out more, ask questions and share their views with us. The Queensway school community has been informed about the proposal and we are encouraging them to take part in the consultation to help shape important next steps.
“We understand that parents and carers will have questions about what might happen, and we will be supporting them with information about this during the consultation.”
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