Talks have begun on the potential closure of St Martin Primary School on the Lizard Peninsula.

Just two weeks ago Tom Harman, headteacher of the Keskowethyans Multi-Academy Trust that St Martin is part of, denied that there are plans to close the school, describing it as "a lovely site and it would be madness to not utilise it."

On Monday, however, all parents in the trust received a letter saying that its legal team was preparing a consultation document looking at various options and proposals - one of which would be the closure of St Martin.

Chair of the board of directors Pam Miller wrote: "In view of projected pupil numbers, directors have been exploring with our legal team the various options open to us, recognising that one of these options might be the closure of St Martin School."

Although the school has the capacity for 52 pupils, currently there are only 13 on the school roll and two of these will leave for secondary school in September, when no reception class pupils are due to join.

Mrs Miller said the trust expected to be able to publish the consultation document after the Easter holidays and there would then be four weeks of discussions with parents and the wider community.

She acknowledged that the school had agreed with parents at a meeting in February that no change would take place until the end of the school year and she said directors would "continue to do all they can" to honour that.

However, she recommended that parents of pupils in reception and years one and two at St Martin did take up the chance for their children to be taught at Manaccan School when their teacher moves there after Easter.

Mrs Miller said the directors appreciated it would be "a very difficult time" for parents and the community of St Martin, adding: "The directors are grateful to you for your patience and support during this very challenging time."

Mr Harman is stepping down as headteacher of the multi-academy trust when the term ends next Friday, to take up a role with the Standards and Testing Agency that oversees the National Curriculum, with current assistant head Wendy Sherlock taking over the running of the schools until the end of the school year.

Documents listed on Companies House also show that last summer the Keskowethyans trust was "in talks" with other multi-academy trusts "with a view to a potential merger" - although nothing further has been announced on that.

A Facebook group, St Martin-in-Meneage Primary School Community News, has been set up by a group of concerned parents in a bid to highlight their concerns and rally support from the village and former pupils.

One of the parents, David Murray, told the Helston Packet: "At the two neighbouring schools, Manaccan and Garras,numbers have fallen to similar low levels at some point in the past ten years or so; both these schools were supported by the school and the local community and both schools recovered in numbers.

"We want St Martin school to have the same opportunity to survive."

He added that many parents felt the academy had "not done enough to support the school" and was now "taking the easier option" of moving the teaching away, rather than trying everything possible to keep teaching at St Martin.