An "overwhelming'' desire by parents to get their children into Warwick Academy's primary one classes next September has forced the private school to stop taking applications for the year.

In an advertisement in yesterday's paper, the school stated that "due to the overwhelming number of applications already received for the September 1997 Primary One class we must reluctantly announce that this class is now closed to further applications for admissions, effective immediately''.

Head teacher Bernard Beacroft told The Royal Gazette the school had received some 175 applications for admission to its two primary one classes which can only accommodate a total of 50 students.

"It is very high,'' he noted about the number of applicants. "It probably is the highest we have had.

"Mrs. (Jane) Dyer, head of the primary school, interviews every single child with their parents. It is going to take her through January and into the middle of February. We just can't do any more.

"We're going to have a lot of dissatisfied customers, I'm afraid. But we placed the ad to save people the trouble of going through the application process.'' Warwick Academy, which reverted to a private school last year as a result of public school reform, opened its primary department four years ago.

It was originally a one-form entry section. But due to a growing demand for places in the primary section the school's board earlier this year decided to expand the primary level to two-form entry.

Warwick admissions The board also plans to build an extension to the primary school section which will include six classrooms plus offices and other facilities.

Mr. Beacroft said plans for the extension -- to be set up in the field area between Middle Road and the present primary school buildings -- were expected to be finalised soon.

And he stressed the board must get the building completed by September, 1998.

"We have a waiting list for each primary year group and all the places are full so it is difficult to get a new student into the primary level,'' he explained. "The only other point of entry is Primary Seven. There will 25 places available for entry in September, 1997. We will advertise very shortly for applicants.'' Primary Seven will change from two-form entry to three-form entry.

Asked why he believed there was such a demand for spaces in the school's primary section, Mr. Beacroft said: "One likes to think that the primary school at Warwick Academy is attractive and that parents think well of the school. That is very encouraging for Mrs. Dyer.

"Also I can only guess, there are people who are still feeling uncomfortable about what is happening in the public school system.''