Students and staff from Norwich School have been left stranded in Washington after Hurricane Sandy disrupted travel plans. Picture supplied.

A group of nearly 60 staff and students from a school in Norwich face an uncertain return home because of storms hitting the east coast of the United States.

The 51 sixth-formers from Norwich School, along with seven members of staff, had been due to travel to New York as part of a trip for history, politics and art trip, but have been told to wait in Washington for the storm to pass.

Assistant head Peter Goddard told the EDP from Washington: “The pupils are understandably disappointed as we should be in New York visiting the Empire State Building, but instead are held up in our hotel in DC.”

The early stages of the storm had disrupted part of their trip in Washington, but Mr Goddard said the students were still “remarkably positive and filling their time talking and resting”.

Jonathan Thompson, an upper sixth-former, said: “While it has been disappointing, we are all hopeful that we will get to New York tomorrow, and are really excited about being there.”

The cancellation of transatlantic flights is also expected to delay the group’s return as airlines deal with a backlog of passengers.