The Manx government has tabled a new offer to end the teachers’ pay dispute.

Leaders of one union welcomed the move which they said goes some way to address a range of issues - and ’bodes well’ for the future.

The NAHT will be balloting its members next week over the deal which includes a one-off lump sum of £2,850 for senior leaders and £1,850 for those on the upper pay range.

This will be funded by £1.5m of new money.

The deal also includes a commitment to review pay talks in any year in light of local conditions, discontinue appraisals, postpone external validations until August 2021 and to have union involvement in the Education Bill.

Rob Kelsall, national secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, which represents members in every island school, said: ’This is without doubt the best deal that could be negotiated at this time.’

The move follows intensive negotiations over the past four weeks between education unions and the Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC).

And it come follows the replacement of the department’s chief executive in the wake of a damning report which highlighted ’fractured’ relations between education officials and teaching professionals.

Teachers in the island having been taking industrial action short of a strike in a long-standing dispute over pay.

Mr Kelsall said: ’After weeks of intensive negotiations and constructive talks with DESC, we are pleased that we have now received a formal proposal which NAHT will put to our members on the Isle of Man.

’The proposal not only goes some way in redressing the injustice of the 2018-19 pay award but crucially addresses a range of issues not linked to pay which we believe will help to re-set the relationship between the department and schools.

’School leaders have been striving to ensure the best quality of education for children and young people on the Isle of Man.

’We welcome the new approach of the interim chief executive and his team and believe this bodes well for the future.’