Is there any research into the impact of different term structures?
This article on our service for school leaders looks at the research. One study found that a five-term year with intermittent holidays improved achievement and was positively received by pupils and parents. But studies into the impact of a longer or shorter school year noted that this often had a low impact or short-lived effects.
Academies and free schools can already set their own term dates. The government plans to grant all schools this power by 2015.