TWO schools are set to be merged after falling numbers of pupils saw them face a £1.6m budget deficit.
Westfield Infant School and Westfield Junior School in Yeadon will become a single primary for three to 11-year-olds from September.
Council leaders decided to press ahead with the move after a falling birth rate left the schools with surplus places.
Leeds City Council’s executive board was told the infant school on Westfield Grove faced a financial deficit of £815,900 by the end of 2027/28.
The junior school, on New Road would be an estimated £850,500 in deficit if the merger did not go ahead.
Labour’s Helen Hayden, executive member for children and families, said: “The proposal has been brought forward by the governing bodies in response to falling pupil numbers and the resulting financial pressures.”
An initial consultation on the merger was launched last November ahead of statutory notices being published in April.
Coun Hayden said no objections were raised during a further four-week formal consultation period.
She praised staff at the two schools for their work drawing up merger plans.
Coun Hayden said: “It’s not easy amalgamating schools. I would like to thank them for their vision, their cooperation and hard work.”
An executive board report said births in the Guiseley, Yeadon and Rawdon area fell from from 402 in 2016/17 to 258 in 2024/25.
It said: “With lower numbers of pupils in the area, both schools continue to face challenging budget positions, which is putting the sustainability of both settings at risk.
“An amalgamated Yeadon Westfield Primary School would offer greater financial security for the school, providing stability for pupils, staff and the local community.”
The newly-formed primary would be open from September under a single headteacher.
Both school buildings will be used for teaching until 2029, when pupils are all moved into the junior school building.
The report said: “The junior school site is preferred as it is a larger site with more play space and sports facilities.”
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