My 9 yr old twins should be going away on their first ever school trip abroad in early May. I've paid already for them to go (the most expensive trip they'll have ever had). As they've never yet been abroad, they don't have passports (can't afford foreign hols as a single mum). Was planning to get them passports in the next month.
Shock, horror! Only just found out a few minutes ago that the school need copies of all passports by a week on Monday after the half-term break!
Those of you who have had DCs on school trips abroad, before, do you know - or indeed any teachers on this list know - if this is just a way of planning ahead for the school and there might be some leeway as to when they need passport copies? or - will they now not be able to go????
Twins are both in inconsolable tears tonight and school uncontactable, as it's half-term and the letters given to the children today, about this have only just been discovered at the bottom of their bags! So we can't even find out whether or not they can go on the trip.
If they can't go, would I be able to get the money back - a massive amount for me? or will the school have booked all places without returnable funds?
Would anyone reading this know any way around this or will we just have to accept that they'll eb the only children in the class - and I think ever - not to be able to go? 
The entire Yr 5 is going.