Doncaster school head apologises after teacher forgets pupils' passports for France trip

Year 9 students at Thorne’s Trinity Academy were left stranded at Dover after the blunder was realised, with the bundle of passports being driven nearly 200 miles to Kent so the pupils could cross the Channel.

Trinity Academy Principal Victoria Gibson has now confirmed that the passports were left at school as the coach departed in the early hours of Monday morning - but said the students’ itinerary in France was still on track and the Year 9s were “very much enjoying the trip.”

She said: “This was an unfortunate oversight and we do apologise for any inconvenience.

"We immediately had the passports transported to Dover and to minimise any impact we booked the children into a PGL Tours centre so they could enjoy a host of activities while they were waiting and made sure they had plenty of refreshments and meals there and on the ferry.

“Our staff in France have confirmed that our fantastic Year 9s are thoroughly enjoying themselves at the chateau and on the packed itinerary of activities we planned for them, none of which they have missed.

“The trip is one of 23 running over the last few weeks of the summer term for all our year groups which have been organised as enrichment and reward for our hard-working students.

"Our staff go to extraordinary lengths to provide a range of wonderful experiences for students and I’m confident our young people have the resilience and character to take the delay in their stride.”

In a message sent to parents the school reported the sailing had been delayed due to ‘unforeseen circumstances.’

Despite the group of youngsters eventually making it across the Channel to start their £625 trip, which is due to run until Friday, angry parents were left fuming at the blunder.

One mum said: “A child asked the teachers shortly after leaving if they had the passports to which the teacher said ‘yes.’

"Next thing, I got a message from my daughter in the early hours to say they were in Dover but the teachers had forgotten the passports. I honestly thought it was a joke at first.

Pupils and staff set off from the school around midnight on Sunday, travelling through the night to get to Dover for their ferry trip across the Channel to travel to the Hotel Château de Grande Romaine, a PGL activity centre near Paris.

However, when the mistake was realised, the coach was diverted to Windmill Hill, another PGL outdoor activity centre near Bexhill.

Ironically, a letter sent to parents ahead of the trip about passports says: “Parents/carers should also bear in mind that ALL pupils will need to travel on their own passport.

"We will be collecting these at least one month before the trip to avoid the possibility of any individual losing, forgetting or not having been issued with their passport.

Please be reminded that a pupil will not be able to travel if they are lacking either the documents.”