School leaders union NAHT has responded to the move by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company to rethink its decision to impose an adult-to-child ratio of one adult for every five children for group travel to the mainland – and instead agree to a 1:8 ratio.

Niamh Sweeney, NAHT’s regional head for the North West said: “We had feared that the proposals would make it impractical for schools on the Isle of Man to take pupils to the UK for educational trips due to the staffing requirements.

“We are grateful that the company has listened to our feedback, because while we take safeguarding pupils extremely seriously, local school leaders said there had not been any concerns about safety on board.

“This movement from Steam Packet is welcome. It will still require extra staffing, but not to the same extent, and this means that most school trips are likely to be viable going forward, with all the benefits they offer in enriching children’s education and cultural awareness.”