Introduction

Private schools in Bermuda are long-established. Several are over a hundred years old. In fact, Warwick Academy is one of the oldest schools in the western world.

Over the years the schools have changed substantially. Some have gone from private status to public and then back to private status. Each has its own character and the wise parent will seek out the school that best meets the needs of the child or student in question.

These schools all enjoy a strong reputation of academic excellence and offer broad-based programmes. With almost 40% of the school-aged population attending private schools there are certain admission pressures, particularly for boys, that are inevitable. Parents are advised to apply early for admission, not quite at conception, but the earlier the better.

A recent trend is the development of home schools – a misnomer, to a degree. These small schools are often started by individual teachers to meet the specific learning needs of individual children. Some enroll a few students and others a greater number, but this is now controlled, to a degree, by recent legislation. Private preschools abound and, again, are much sought after by parents.

Children who attend private schools are well-prepared for university abroad. Some parents seek boarding opportunities in the U.S.A., Canada or the U.K. and children exit the private schools at various grade levels.

A parent's choice of private or public education will be based on many criteria. Although many of the schools offer scholarships or financial aid, the cost of tuition can be a barrier to parents (in 2007/2008 the cost of private school tuition in Bermuda is estimated to be $7,000-$15,000 per student depending on which school they attend). However, many parents in Bermuda, regardless of income level, aspire to providing a private school education for their children.

The private schools receive no government funding and are sustained by student fees and by donations. Consequently the schools are able to choose curricula to suit the needs of the children. Some closely follow the U.K. education model right through to university entrance exams. Others take a North American approach. There are also hybrids of the two systems and stand-alones such as the Montessori system that is taught at primary level at Somersfield Academy. The following information provides an overview of each of Bermuda’s established private schools.

Navigate this page:

Introduction

Bermuda High School for Girls

Bermuda Institute

Mount Saint Agnes

Saltus Grammar School

Somersfield Academy

Warwick Academy

Bermuda High School for Girls

The stated aim of Bermuda High School For Girls (BHS) is to provide an educational programme of quality and flexibility thus ensuring that students are properly prepared to meet the foundation requirements of suitable colleges and universities whether they be in Bermuda, the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom. The educational system at BHS is based on the U.K. model and includes primary school (years 1-6), middle school (years 7 - 9), IGCSE/GCSE (years 10 and 11), and International Baccalaureate (years IB1 and IB2). Graduation from BHS is dependent upon receiving a passing average on the IGCSE/GCSEs. Both BHS and non-BHS students (girls and boys) may apply for the International Baccalaureate programme at BHS.

Bermuda Institute

The Bermuda Institute is owned and operated by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Its history dates back to 1943 when 17 pupils occupied one classroom in the basement of the building then known as Bay View Apartments. The school offers a North American-based education system including elementary school (kindergarten - grade 6), middle school (grades 7 and 8) and high school (grades 9 - 12). Throughout their 12 years of schooling, children are required to sit the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. In their 11 and 12th years they may sit the ACT, SAT and PSAT exams.

Mount Saint Agnes

Mount Saint Agnes Academy (MSA) is an independent Catholic co-educational school. The school was founded in 1890 by the Sisters of Charity of Halifax, but it is now owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Church in Bermuda. The education programme at MSA is based on the North American system and includes elementary school (kindergarten - grade 5), middle school (grades 6 - 8) and high school (grades 9 - 12). MSA is a student-centered school that stresses excellence in an environment of high expectations and high support. Its size is ideal with fewer than 500 students allowing individuals to be well-known and appropriately recognized for their unique and special talents. Above all, Mount Saint Agnes Academy is an academic institution that challenges students to reach their highest potential.

Somersfield Academy

One of Bermuda’s newest private schools, Somersfield Academy opened its doors to 72 children in 1991. After quickly outgrowing their original facility, a new school was built and a Middle Years Programme was introduced. Somersfield is co-educational. Students of Somersfield Academy reap the benefits of learning under two internationally recognized programmes, the Montessori Programme (preschool - P1, ages 3-6; P2 - P4, ages 6-9; P5 - P6, ages 9-11) and the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (ages 11-16). The MYP offers students rigorous, comprehensive and well-rounded academic preparation for moving on to the final two years of academic high school.

Warwick Academy

Founded in the 1600s, Warwick Academy has experienced centuries of change and evolution. Today the stated objectives of the co-educational facility are to provide an educational experience as good as any that could be obtained in any other place in the world with respect to academic development and achievement, social growth and orientation, and the development of international perspective. The school programme is broken down into primary school (P1 to P6), middle school (years 7 - 9), IGCSE/GCSE (years 10 and 11), and International Baccalaureate (years 12 and 13).