Three West Sussex schools could be shut down as part of a major shake-up of education in the county.

Parents were today being consulted over a plan to end the old-fashioned system of intermediate schools in the Storrington, Midhurst and Petworth areas.

Consultation leaflets were being handed out at the 28 schools involved.

Education chiefs have stressed no decisions have been taken and any changes will not start until September 2005.

Most youngsters in the area attend a first school until the age of ten then move on to intermediate schools for three years before starting secondary school.

The county council is consulting over bringing education into line with much of England by doing away with intermediate schools, with children moving from primary to secondary schools at the age of 11.

If the plan goes ahead, all the first schools in the area will become primary schools with youngsters moving on to either Steyning or Midhurst Grammar schools.

The three intermediate schools - Rydon Community College at Thakeham near Storrington, The Herbert Shiner School at Petworth and Midhurst Intermediate - could all close.

Parents are being told keeping them as secondary schools would require "major capital investment."

The driving force behind the consultation was an inspection of West Sussex Education department last year by a team from the Government Office for Standards in Education.

It awarded the department a three star rating making it one of the best in the country but the inspectors asked for a review of the different ages of admission and school transfers, saying there was an impact on educational standards when pupils changed schools part-way through a key stage of the National Curriculum.

Assistant Director of Education Mike Lee said: "Ofsted said the system was not supporting schools in raising standards. It is not a cost cutting exercise. If there are any savings they will be put back into the schools in that area."

Council cabinet member for education Sally Greenwell said national evidence showed it was best to minimise the number of times children changed school.

She added: "This is a genuine consultation exercise and at this stage we are only asking people to comment on the principle of changing the age of transfer.

"If it is decided to go ahead, we will ask people early next year about detailed proposals and consultation meetings would be held with all the schools involved."

The county council says if it does press ahead it will ask the Government for grants towards the multi-million pound bill to extend many of the 23 primary and two secondary schools in the area to meet the needs of the new age range.