Changes to the public secondary school system that mean students are now doing an additional year have been running very smoothly since the start of the new term, parents and staff have claimed.

Principal of CedarBridge Academy Kalmar Richards said she had experienced no real problems with having the additional students in the school this year.

She said: "The S4 year has been running very smoothly. In terms of our scheduling, it has gone very well, and in terms of what we put in place to accommodate them space wise (portable classrooms), that has worked very well, too."

It took the Ministry of Education and the schools months to work out how they were going to accommodate the additional children at both CedarBridge Academy and Berkeley Institute when the senior three year stayed on this summer, instead of graduating.

As the new and larger Berkeley Institute school will now not be ready until September of next year, the two current senior schools were facing over-crowding problems when school began this autumn.

However, with the introduction of portable classrooms and changes to the curriculum, allowing the schools to run a two-shift system for older students, both have been able to ride through the changes.

Mrs. Richards said: "During the afternoon shift, there is more of a college atmosphere. It's wonderful. The students have not lost out in any respect."

And chairman of CedarBridge Academy's Parent Teacher Student Association Robin Richardson said, although parents last year were raising concerns about the S4 year and the lack of planning by Government, everyone now seemed contented.

"From what I have heard from students and teachers, the S4 year seems to be going smoothly," said Mr. Richardson.

"Now they have one lunch hour for the whole school, where as before I think it was different, but it all seems to be working out really well.

"From what I understand, everyone is happy."

The Royal Gazette did ask the Ministry of Education to comment on how well the additional senior year had gone so far, but no response was forthcoming.