Private schools opened last week with an increased number of students.

And the student population at one school topped the 1,000 mark three to four years before it was expected.

The Royal Gazette has learned that enrollment at Saltus is 1,037, marking an increase of 62 more students compared to the last school year.

Saltus spokesman Dan Blagg said the increased enrollment reflected the need for additional classroom space which has been provided at Cavendish and the Junior School.

There are now 450 students at the senior school, 331 at junior level, and 256 at preparatory level.

But Mr. Blagg pointed out that the class size range at the junior and preparatory levels had decreased from 25-plus to 20 to 23. And most classes at the senior level have 20 to 21 students.

"The waiting list has been cleared considerably,'' he said. "And the total number of children from companies that supported our expansion is 26. That's just two percent of the student population.

"We have benefited enormously from their support.'' On September 22, the school's new buildings -- which include five new classrooms, a new learning support centre, new changing rooms, and a new computer centre -- will be officially opened.

"We were a school, with a major construction undertaking, which opened on time,'' Mr. Blagg boasted.

He also noted that students at the senior two and junior seven levels began using laptop computers last week.

The school is one of a few in the world using Toshiba and Microsoft Corporation's Learning Through Laptops programme. The "SchoolNet'' is a teaching centre which links by fibre optic cable to the new Library Research Centre, class, staff, and administration rooms.

Meanwhile Warwick Academy, which is also undergoing expansion, reported an increase of 50 more students this year.

With 675 students, principal Robert Lennox said: "We're full and buoyant.'' The expansion at the primary building was very much needed, he added.

"We have a large waiting list at every level. In fact, at the end of last year we advised people not to keep applying. We have a healthy waiting list and we expect that will continue.'' Mount Saint Agnes Academy head teacher Sister Judith Rollo said the Catholic school also remained in demand.

"We still have them knocking down the door,'' she said. "We get calls daily.'' But Sister Judith said there were no plans nor place to expand the school.

With an enrolment of 545, the smallest class at the elementary level has 35 students.

The average class at the high school level has 32 students.

Asked if this has posed a problem for teachers and students, Sister Judith said: "They are coping well because they (the students) are well behaved.'' She added that students and teachers were looking forward to the year ahead.

During Tuesday morning, teachers gathered for a mass at St. Theresa's Cathedral.

And on Thursday high school students attended a prayer assembly in which they heard about the importance of goals and that honesty and integrity far outweighed receiving good grades.

"We really stressed what it meant to be a person who believes in God and God's direct plan for them to achieve,'' Sister Judith said.

A mass will be held for the elementary school students later this week.

Montessori, which only takes in students from three to 12 years old, is also full to capacity with 136 students.

And principal Margaret Hallett stressed that the progressive waiting list is still "very strong'' with some 80 children on it.

The school has a class size ratio of 12 students to one teacher.

"We are definitely very stable,'' she said.

But she noted that the likelihood of the school moving to the baselands, which was under consideration, was very low.

"We're just so full we're certainly trying to keep things on an even keel,'' she said.

As the new head of the school, Mrs. Hallett added: "I've had wonderful support from parents and the board. I'm extremely thrilled with the way things are going.'' Head teachers at Bermuda High School for Girls and Bermuda Institute could not be reached for comment.