More than 1,100 students have applied to CedarBridge Academy, leaving school officials scrambling to process an unexpected mountain of paperwork.

While some 900 high school students were expected to continue their education at the Island's first senior school when it opened this September, The Royal Gazette has learned that some 1,058 students have already registered, some 60 others are waiting to be interviewed, and applications are continuing to pour in from students interested in the school's senior year programme.

The programme, also known as the sixth-year programme, will cater to: Students with a "strong'' academic background who wish to spend a year preparing for entry into college; Students who have graduated from high school, but wish to upgrade their transcript and take advantage of new facilities and courses; and Students who need additional courses in order to obtain the Bermuda Secondary School Certificate (BSSC).

Earlier this year, CedarBridge principal Ernest Payette told The Royal Gazette the senior school will accept high school dropouts, including some as old as 20.

But he stressed that mature students will have to sign a contract which will clearly spell out the terms of their admission.

"They will have to realise that they are there to work and to engage positively in school activities,'' Mr. Payette said.

"They will be slotted into the senior classes unless there are some courses they have not attained and need to take.'' Mr. Payette also revealed that there was a growing level of interest in the senior school from parents of students in private schools.

"I don't think there are any complaints with private schools,'' he said when asked why he believed there was interest from that sector. "In some cases it is a matter of finances and they see CedarBridge as a viable alternative.

"We have also talked to parents who want their children to have the greater range of programmes, such as design and information technology and business studies, that CedarBridge will offer.'' Chairman of the school's board Garry Madeiros admitted that school officials never expected so many students to apply to the sixth-year programme.

"We're overwhelmed by the desire to go into the sixth year,'' Mr. Madeiros recently told The Royal Gazette . "In actual fact, the sixth year -- according to the restructuring document -- was not suppose to start until the year 2002 (when the first group of middle school students reached their the last of senior school year).'' "However,'' Mr. Madeiros explained, "we felt very strongly that we should not wait that long to provide the opportunity for young people to stay there (at CedarBridge) for an extra year and who felt they wanted to improve or develop further in some of the courses so that they would be better prepared when they went to Bermuda College or somewhere else.'' Mr. Madeiros also explained that of the 1,058 students registered at CedarBridge, 16 were from local private schools, eight were attending school overseas, and 55 had been out of the public school system for a variety of reasons, including dropping out.

With the unexpected number of applicants, CedarBridge officials stopped arranging interviews three weeks ago.

He added: "There is no cut-off period for applications because people can always apply. But there was a cut-off as far as interview time. Three weeks ago we stopped setting up interviews because we've got so many interviews to do.'' Mr. Madeiros admitted that response to those interviewed earlier this year had not been swift. But he said responses were sent out last week to all who have been interviewed as of July 25.

"I don't think in our wildest dreams we expected to have so many people interested,'' he added. "So there is a number of those who have not yet been interviewed because we have so many interviews to do.'' The board is expected to take over the senior school at Prospect on August 4.

Teachers will start preparing their classrooms on August 25. And classes are scheduled to begin on September 15.