Headteachers and parents have given their backing to proposals for the biggest shake-up of the school system for a century.

Education bosses are consulting schools across West Sussex on plans to replace the three-term year with six even terms, shortening the summer holiday but giving children longer breaks at other times.

Alison Beer, headteacher of Worthing High School, in South Farm Road, said: "I support the proposals, which I think will be beneficial.

"The terms will be more even and therefore the students and staff won't be so tired and recovery times will be shorter before we are back to teaching again.

"Over a long summer break a lot of students actually forget how to learn. Students won't be so switched off to learning when they get back."

The Independent Commission on the Organisation of the School Year is recommending that schools should switch to a six term year by 2005.

It is argued such a move will help raise standards in the classroom and reduce stress among teachers.

Under the proposals put forward by the Local Government Association, schools would still be open to pupils for 190 days, the same as the present three-term school year.

There would be two terms before Christmas with a two-week break in October and a two-week break at Christmas.

A fixed two-week holiday would occur in April, although pupils would still have bank holidays for Easter. Exams would be held in the fifth term and the sixth term would be devoted to cultural visits and activities.

The summer break would be reduced to five weeks and one day.

The new system means hay fever sufferers would be spared the inconvenience of doing exams in the height of summer, while A-level students would know their results before applying to university, doing away with the clearing system.

The proposals have been branded "anti-Christian" by some religious groups who believe the Easter break should be sacrosanct.

But Mrs Beer said: "I think there are opportunities to celebrate religious festivals within the school."

The proposals have also been controversial with the unions because of the threat to teachers' long-standing perk of a long summer break.

But Stuart Lee, head of Downsbrook Middle School, in Penfold Road, said: "I welcome the debate and agree that the views of parents are being sought.

"Serious thought should be given to lengths of terms. It's quite clear that most children, in my primary experience, do tend to tire towards the end of terms and therefore perhaps it would be beneficial to shorten the terms."

Sonia Turvey, headteacher of Whytemead First School, in Dominion Road, said: "In some ways it will be better, in that the terms will be of equal length, which will be easier for planning.

"With the system at the moment, some half-terms can be very long and little children get tired after eight weeks."

The October break is likely to be popular with families because it would give them more flexibility about when they go on holiday.

Mum-of-two Sarah Holder, of Addison Close, Lancing, said: "I think six terms is a really good idea. I have two girls aged eight and 12 and by the end of the long terms they have at the moment they are really tired.

"I also don't think they need such long summer holidays - although I am not sure the children would agree with that."