There is yet another alternative for parents who, for various reasons, choose not to enter their children in a public or private primary school.

Bloomfield Nursery, on Manse Road in Paget, has recently received planning permission to build a new classroom to help house students in their special, multi-age class of eight children in the primary one through to primary three levels. Bloomfield has already been running the programme for one year.

"It's for children who benefit from a more nurturing, smaller environment, who need an extra year (before heading to primary school) to enhance their confidence," said Bloomfield head teacher Caroline Gosling. "Or it's for those who have just moved to the Island and don't have a place on the private schools lists yet."

The class, which follows the UK national primary level curriculum and is taught by Bermudian teacher Carol Smith, includes violin and tennis lessons, as well as seasonal lessons with one of the Island's top learn-to-swim programmes, 'Aquamania'. "It's really adorable," said Ms Gosling.

A weekly newsletter keeps parents up to date on class activities, and the students also take French lessons.

She compared the class to primary-level home schools and a similar programme at Learning Express.

The primary class brings Bloomfield's total population of nursery and primary level children up to 60. Every class at Bloomfield Nursery is full with lengthy waiting lists already drawn up, except for the primary one class, which has limited spaces.

A storage room is also being constructed at the nursery, where the emphasis is "learning through play".

"It's a small change but it definitely fits a need," said Ms Gosling.