SCHOOLCHILDREN in Ilkley may switch to a new academic timetable with six terms a year instead of three.

Education bosses are understood to be keen on the idea, which could boost academic performance and free parents from the expensive business of booking holidays during peak time.

It would give teachers and pupils a two-week break in October to split up the long autumn term and the fifth term in May would be given over to exams and assessments.

The final term in June would be an opportunity for students to take part in more extra curricular activities and trips, as well as applying for university places and getting ready to transfer to secondary school.

One of the governors at Ilkley Grammar School and a district councillor, Martin Smith, said he broadly welcomed the idea after seeing the results of a study into the changes.

Coun Smith said: "There has been some work done in this area and it found an increase in pupil performance because of more frequent and shorter breaks."

He said that the concentration span of the pupils was not as interrupted as it was by longer breaks.

As the head of building management at the school, Coun Smith said he also thought that there would be more opportunities during the year to catch up on property maintenance.

Results of the changes being considered would include:

l The six-week summer holiday would be in July and early August.

l The new school year would start in mid-August.

l The Easter holiday would be reduced to a floating long weekend.

Because the new system is thought to increase pupil performance, it could find favour in the Bradford district because of the need to lift academic performance from the bottom of the national league tables.

The Education Policy Partnership, which make recommendations on schooling across the district, will soon debate a discussion paper on the issue.

Supporters of the six-term system hope it could be introduced nationally in the next three years.

The new director of education for the district, Phil Green, said: "At the moment terms are of different lengths. The autumn term is too long and children can get exhausted - especially in primary schools."

Coun Smith said: "My general view would be positive because we need to increase performance. Whatever small percentage we achieve in that direction is all for the best."

Jenni McDonough, the head teacher of Ashlands Primary School, Leeds Road, said she would have to discuss the matter with the local education authority and school governors before making a comment about the proposed changes.