Warwick Academy plans to adopt Britain's national curriculum when the school becomes private in September.

Principal Mr. Bernard Beacroft told The Royal Gazette the academic school will scrap the Bermuda Secondary School Certificate (BSSC) and GCE `O' Levels and replace them with an exam which tests students' knowledge and skills.

"We are adopting the UK national curriculum wholeheartedly because we no longer have to follow Government's syllabus,'' Mr. Beacroft said.

Exams such as the BSSC and the GCE `O' Level will be phased out after this year, he said.

Only current fourth-year students will be required to write GCEs next year.

Instead, Warwick Academy students will write the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGSE) run by the University of Cambridge.

Mr. Beacroft explained that the IGSE's grading system was similar to the GCE `O' Level.

But, he said, it would test much more than a student's knowledge.

"It tests skills and concepts and it provides students with a chance to have their course work included in their final grades.'' This was a part of the school's ongoing effort to raise its academic standards, Mr. Beacroft said, adding that the passing mark will increase from 50 percent to 60 percent.'' "I will expect all students to get an average of 60 percent or above each year,'' he said.

Warwick Academy decided to return to a private school, after 30 years, when Government announced that it wanted to make the top academic high school a middle school under its education reform plan.

The plan -- which is to be fully in place by 2006 -- will consist of five middle schools, two senior secondary schools and a complete comprehensive education system.

The system, Government said, was designed to, among other things, save male students who were "falling through the cracks''.

Warwick Academy to change its curriculum But Mr. Beacroft and Warwick Academy's board of governors opposed the move, saying it will lower the public school system's standards.

They therefore began making plans to go it alone.

The school launched a capital campaign to raise $2.5 million by the end of the year. But fund raising will continue into next year and beyond.

So far it has received $1.8 million in cash and pledges, Mr. Beacroft said.

More than 50 bursaries -- from the funds raised -- will go to financially-strapped students in the secondary level in September, Mr.

Beacroft said.

"We want to give preference to those who have been in the school longest,'' he said. "Obviously we don't have a bottomless purse.'' However, he added, that a "few'' bursaries will be given to those just entering the secondary level.

Despite the fact that students will have to pay $6,150 a year, Warwick Academy has received more applications from students than it can accommodate.

In September, the school will have 520 students, 200 in primary and 320 at the secondary level. The school currently has 470 students.

But Mr. Beacroft noted that the numbers hide a change in the school's population.

"In September we should have twice as many primary school children,'' he said, "and the secondary population should fall from 370 to 320 mainly because as a secondary school we were a four-form entry school.'' The high school has become a three-form entry school, with the last of the four-form entry classes leaving this year.

Mr. Beacroft said the purpose of changing to a three-form entry school was to provide room for the primary school.

There will also be an increase in the number of teachers to accommodate the increase in students, Mr. Beacroft said, giving the school a student-to-teacher ratio of 13 to 1.

While no changes will be made to the school's physical structure in the near future, he said there will be changes in the use of some rooms to accommodate the primary and secondary levels.