Two primary schools on the Lizard Peninsula could have only infant pupils when they reopen after the summer holidays.

It's as plans are put forward to remove the junior classes from Coverack and Cury schools, following a fall in numbers.

However, due to the timescales involved, there is just a four-week period to make a decision and put forward a proposal to the Department of Education, if the changes are to be put in place for the new school year.

A spokesperson for the Southerly Point Co-operative Trust, the multi-academy trust that runs 17 primary schools and both the Helston and Lizard area's secondary schools, said this was the aim, to avoid disruption mid school year.

"The one thing we didn't really want was this 'coming out of the blue' consultation, but that's the position we found ourselves in," he added.

A public consultation has now launched with parents, who were invited to a meeting at each school just before the half term break.

The proposal would see education at Coverack and Cury finish at the end of key stage one (reception to year two). Pupils in years three to six would then move to another school to finish their primary education before going the secondary school.

The chosen partner schools are Mullion Primary School for pupils at Cury and St Keverne School for pupils at Coverack.

A funded transport link would be put in place to take the Cury pupils to Mullion and back, and in some cases there would also be transport provided for pupils in Coverack, depending on how far away the pupil lives in the catchment area.

However, parents would be free to choose which school they wished to send their child to for the junior years – although no transport would be provided to any alternative setting.

Explaining the thinking behind the plans, the trust spokesperson said: "Funding is dictated by the number of pupils attending. When pupil numbers fall the ability to provide quality education suffers.

"At both of those schools the current two-class model is not financially sustainable, due to the decline in numbers of pupils attending. The projected demographics aren't much better.

"The only option to keep all pupils in the school would be to teach the school as one class, which would result in reception children side by side with ten and 11-year-olds, and nobody gets a good education, and teachers are run ragged.

"You couldn't possibly have a class dealing with the youngest of the young whilst preparing ten and 11-year-olds to go to secondary school.

"Clearly it's a disappointment for a lot of people. But the trust is very much focussed on providing high quality education for children, and ensuring the school remains in the village, because if they shut the school it will be very difficult to reopen it." He added that this left the potential for junior classes to return in the future, if pupil numbers went back up again.

A further meeting will take place at each school for parents unable to make the first one. This will take place at Cury School as a drop-in on Tuesday, June 8 from 3.30pm until 6pm, and Coverack School on Wednesday, June 9 between 3.30pm and 6pm for parents, and for parish councillors from 6pm to 7pm.

The consultation paper will be published on both schools' websites.