Home Office U-turn means Syrian boy WILL go on Edinburgh school's trip

An Edinburgh schoolboy will be able to go on a trip of a lifetime to Spain with his classmates after an dramatic U-turn from the Home Office.

Canal View Primary School's P7A class is one of nine groups of students throughout the UK to win a trip to Majorca.

Syrian refugee, Mohammed, was initially told by the Home Office he did not have the correct documents to board the plane with the rest of the P7 class at Canal View Primary School.

The Wester Hailes school produced a stop motion film which won a Jet2 competition for a holiday to Sol Katmadu Park & Resort in Majorca.

Mohammed was due to be the only member of the class to not be able to attend the trip with the Home Office saying it would take three months for appropriate documents to come through.

This prompted Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South West, Joanna Cherry QC, to raise the matter at Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday in the House of Commons.

Prime Minister Theresa May told Ms Cherry that the Home Secretary will look into the case.

And less than 24 hours later the Home Office has made a dramatic U-turn on the decision, meaning Mohammed will be able to join his classmates in jetting off from Glasgow Airport for the Ultimate School Trip on April 20.

Ms Cherry tweeted: “Delighted my #PMQ has secured a Home Office U turn. Now they’re pulling out all the stops to ensure my constituent, Mohammed, can travel with his @CanalViewPSEdin friends.”

Canal View is one of nine centres throughout the UK to land the top prize which will see pupils take part in fun educational workshops with celebrity hosts including comedy double act Dick & Dom.

The class created an animation to advertise the hotel which made it into a shortlist among four other Scottish schools after impressing Jet2holidays and Emmerdale star Anthony Quinlan.

Canal View blew away the rest of the competition by receiving the most votes out of the whole UK.

The children will participate in workshops focusing on science, history, drama and crafts, as well as some holiday fun time during a two-night stay.

The school has also claimed £1,000 worth of school equipment vouchers for being among the original 45 shortlisted schools.

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