Refurbishment work at one of the Island's middle schools will not be finished in time for the start of the new term - meaning hundreds of pupils will have to be bussed to Warwick Camp for lessons.

The Ministry of Education announced yesterday that building work at Spice Valley Middle School has taken longer than expected and alternative arrangements are being made for students for the return of classes.

Spice Valley, which has about 280 pupils, has been undergoing extensive construction work over the summer to improve classroom, laboratory and library spaces.

Existing rooms have been refurbished and construction work will provide more facilities, including a new library.

Almost $6 million is being invested into the school site, with some minor refurbishment to follow next summer.

But Education Permanent Secretary Michelle Khaldun said the building work took longer than expected due to some unanticipated amendments needed to accommodate additional computer facilities in the new library and to ensure that the refurbished rooms can be used for a wide range of subjects.

Although most of the classrooms will be completed before the start of term, she said student safety was of paramount importance and the Ministry had decided that students should not return to school while construction work is still ongoing, no matter how minor.

Alternative arrangements have been made for students until construction work on all classrooms is complete and the school has been fully cleaned and prepared for classes.

Classes will be held, instead, at Warwick Camp, which is now being prepared for students, for a maximum of two weeks at the start of term.

Ms Khaldun said: "As a result of the work at Spice Valley, students and teachers will have a much better environment when they return.

"Having made this investment in the school buildings, we wanted to make sure that the work was done properly. Unfortunately, that has added a delay into an already very tight schedule.

"This will not significantly impact on students, however, and lessons will go on as normal. And, I am sure that students, teachers and parents will appreciate the need for this work when they see the significant improvements to the school site."

Ms Khaldun said the decision to move classes to Warwick Camp followed consultation with the school's principal Patricia Holder, and discussions with the Bermuda Union of Teachers, the Association of School Principals and the school's Parent Teacher Association.

Buses will be provided to transport students to the temporary site when they return on Monday, September 10, and more information about the transportation will be provided to parents before the start of term.

Jonathan Baxter, President of BermudaTech Construction, which is carrying out the work, said yesterday that he was unaware that students would not be at the school when term begins, but said work was going to plan.

He said: "We were not notified. As far as I was concerned, we were still in a position (to open).

"Everything is running to plan. The deadline was extremely tight - there has been an awful lot of work going on overhauling and expanding the school. Regardless of what happens, we have to stick to our schedule."

Vice-President of the National Parent Teacher Association the Reverend Leonard Santucci said he did not believe the temporary move would cause problems or have a lasting effect on the pupils.

He said: "I'm somewhat sympathetic. The size of the physical plant conversion has been major. I would hope that everyone would act in as responsible a manner as possible under the circumstances."

Minister of Education Senator Milton Scott yesterday said he was happy that the summer construction on most school sites was on schedule for completion before the start of term.

He said officers from both his department and Works and Engineering had visited the sites last week, and, with the exception of Spice Valley, every school would be ready on time.

He said: "This is quite an achievement, given that there was a considerable amount of construction work needed to ensure that Primary Three classes could be reduced in September.

"Several sites needed new classrooms to cater for smaller class sizes. Officers of the Ministry of Works and Engineering have worked in close co-operation with the various contractors to ensure that tight deadlines..... have been achieved.

"In addition, this type of work always encounters unforeseen problems that introduce delays. At Prospect Primary, for example, a huge tree root had grown into the drainage system with the result that tree surgeons had to be called in."

He said in that case, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries reacted promptly and advised that the tree be felled. But, despite the delay, by the start of term, Prospect Primary will have a new classroom, a covered walkway and a partition to create a separate art room in the upper school.

Other work carried out this summer includes a conversion of classrooms into a library at Harrington Sound Primary, a new room and storage space at Elliott Primary, a new library at West Pembroke, and new classrooms at Gilbert Institute and Southampton Glebe Primary.