The chairman of Berkeley Institute's board of governors said on Friday he was keen to hear more about an idea to join the school in a federation with CedarBridge Academy.

Calvin White told The Royal Gazette: "I do think it's an interesting concept and we are anxious to hear more about it. We have been in contact with the (Education) Ministry and the Government to express our interest in meeting with them to hear more.

"We want to know what the ramifications of the recommendations are and how they envisage them impacting on the Berkeley Institute."

A team of education experts recommended the partnership after an in-depth review of the public education system found that one of the Island's two senior schools was failing and had only satisfactory leadership. The inadequate school was not identified.

The experts said self-governing federations should also be formed around clusters of primary schools and each middle school on the Island.

School federations have been used elsewhere in the world to raise standards — with varied results.

The first such partnership in the UK — between two senior schools at opposite ends of the spectrum in the town of Darlington — appeared to be producing results initially but was dissolved a year early when plans to fully merge the two schools into one super-academy caused a public outcry.

Standards at the failing school continued to slide and it was named the worst school in England last year. In other areas of the UK, however, federations have proved successful at improving results.

The Department for Education and Skills for England and Wales has pumped millions into such school partnerships and claims they are effective for: leadership development, a wide range of teaching experiences in a number of different contexts, staff retention, combating falling rolls, delivering a wider curriculum, providing access to extended services and recruiting governors.

Mr. White said the federation idea was one of a number of potentially good proposals in the report by UK professor David Hopkins and his team.

"I'm encouraged by the candour of the report. Finally someone has come out and said publicly what I think a lot of people have been thinking and believing for a long time."

He said he believed that teaching standards and leadership at Berkeley were good but said the school was open to ideas for improvement.

MP George Scott, chairman of CedarBridge's board of governors, could not be contacted for comment.