A popular private school is in a race against time to find a new home for the new Millennium.

The Montessori Academy is searching the length and breadth of the Island for a new school site before its lease runs out in 2001 at the Tivoli facility, off Middle Road in Warwick.

The news came after the school's plans to develop the site were rejected by landlords the National Trust, and despite a bid to thrash out a deal.

Now the school is stepping up its efforts to find a new site to possibly move into by 2001.

Principal Margaret Hallett said the move was a priority to enable the school to double its size.

"We will be here for the 1999 to 2000 school year,'' she said. "And we continue to search for another property.

"We are looking Island-wide. There is a great deal of reluctance to go too far one way or another. Everybody wondered about the baselands and there were some explorations, but it was decided it was too far for parents.'' Now the board of governors is looking in the central parishes for a suitable location.

"We have been looking for some time,'' said Mrs. Hallett. "It is important to be optimistic, something will come.

"There is no specific site at the moment, but we are keeping our eyes and ears open.'' Montessori has an option to renew its lease with the National Trust, but cannot build at Tivoli in order to increase the roll from 136 students to 300 -- and expanding the age range from 12 to 16 years.

The rejected plans involved demolishing a barn and replacing it with a two-storey, six-classroom building -- in addition to a new 99-year lease.

Although the National Trust recognised the improvements made to the 11-acre site by Montessori, it was not comfortable with the proposed lease extension and its ruling council rejected the plans in favour of sticking with the original lease agreement.

There were differing views within the Trust, with some believing the development was not obtrusive and fearing that it would be hard to find another tenant for the former farmhouse.

But others stated that the estate was left to be conserved in its original state, and development could jeopardise any future property donations.

The National Trust was left the former farm by Miss Gloria Higgs, who insisted that it must not be split up and that her animals received proper care.

Part of the Montessori plan included an animal zone and conservation areas.

National Trust director Amanda Outerbridge said they would be sorry to see Montessori go but added that they had needs that couldn't be accommodated at Tivoli.