Our readers have narrowly backed the idea of a shorter summer holiday for Norfolk schools, after headteachers revealed they were considering re-organising the school year.

Primary and secondary headteachers, and college principals, have set up a working group to examine moving from a three-term to a six-term school year, with the summer holiday cut from six to four weeks, and holidays between terms lengthened.

Nearly 650 readers took part in our online poll, with 54% backing a shorter summer holiday, and 45% against.

Education minister and South West Norfolk MP Elizabeth Truss said the proposal was 'interesting', and added: 'When students start again in September, because they have been on holiday they can have lost some of the learning they have had over the previous year.'

She also said that if the county's school holidays were staggered with those elsewhere in the country, holiday costs could fall.

Many readers commented on our website. Norfolk John said: 'School holidays are far too long. Two weeks at Christmas, a week at Easter and two weeks in the summer, with a further two weeks that can be taken anytime would be ideal. That's still seven weeks a year and would stop parents and teachers moaning about the cost of package holidays during the school holidays.'

So_Many_Haters! said: 'Of course, it won't make any difference to the holiday prices - companies will look at when the shifted high-demand is and make sure they charge twice as much for that period. Plus, it'll reduce the period of choice for parents to take their kids anywhere, leading to a tighter squeeze on prices and availability, probably leading to even higher prices.'

Does the long summer holiday affect you? Email martin.george@archant.co.uk