By Sean Coughlan BBC News Online at the ATL conference in Blackpool

Teachers have voted against a drift towards a six-term school year, saying that it will cause disruption for families and provide no clear benefits.

Children might be taken out of school during term, say staff

And they say the loss of the long summer holiday will make it even more likely that parents would take children out of school during term time.

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers, meeting for its annual conference in Blackpool, expressed "grave concern" at proposals for individual local authorities to change the pattern of the school year.

David Belfield of Cowplain Community School in Waterlooville, Hampshire, said that the six-term year offered the "illusion of change" but there was little evidence that there would be any benefits.

Stress

The reduction of the summer breaks would mean families and had to take summer holidays in a more concentrated period of time.

This, he suggested, could mean parents considering taking holidays when schools were still open.

David Belfield said there would be little benefit from changing the academic year

Schools and parents were not "psychologically ready" for starting the school year in August, he said. And a piecemeal introduction of a six-term year would cause complications for families with children educated by different local authorities.

Also speaking against the "undue haste" of the push towards a six-term year, Vicky Newman from Portsmouth said the changes would mean more stress with no clear gains.

There are already proposals for changes to the school year in Lincolnshire.

A teacher from the authority said the setting of a fixed end to the spring term would mean that schools would close for four days over Easter.

They would then return for four days and close again for a spring break.