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The annual prize evening took place at the Winter Gardens in Margate. The event provides an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievement of many of our students and staff.

Mr Pullen praised the performance of the students at all levels throughout the school and added his congratulations to those individuals who achieved exceptional results.

He went on to explain that the building provides a state of the art environment allowing the use of the spaces to develop the vision outlined at the very start of the design and construction process. The house areas now allow us to move forward with the house system which will mean the school will have even more of a family and supportive ethos. Indeed these spaces will allow us to develop a more widespread approach to independent learning.

In his address Mr Pullen paid tribute to the staff 'I would like to highlight two members of staff in particular both of whom taught maths, Dr Long held a variety of positions here at Dane Court and ended his distinguished 36 years at the school as Assistant Headteacher. He had a genuine care and concern for all students in the school and was an excellent maths teacher who inspired the students that he taught. Yuan Van Gelder taught in the maths department for 30 years and like Dr Long secured good results while helping foster a love of maths from many of her students. We wish them both well in their retirement.'

Mr Luxmoore spoke of some of the key developments that had been implemented over the past few years and how they will contribute to making Dane Court Grammar School an ever increasingly important vehicle for making Thanet a place to be proud of – Building schools for the future provided impressive buildings for the students, a house system that will help us to develop leadership and collaboration amongst our students - and the International Baccalaureate, the most prestigious programme of study available internationally coupled with the IBCC initiative (International Baccalaureate Careers Related Certificate) being piloted by Dane Court provide some excellent examples of these ambitious developments.

Guest speaker Mr Anthony Smith added his congratulations to the prize winners saying: 'Sometimes we find it difficult to come to terms with success, with compliments and awards, pretending not to value them highly... but they matter. They need to be stored away with quiet pride, on the bookshelf and in the memory, for reassurance and encouragement, and for building confidence as you look along the path ahead at the peaks still to be conquered. You should never forget that, in 2011, an exceptional school chose to honour you. Let that knowledge give you the courage to set ambitious goals, always approaching them with determination, with resilience, and above all with hope. The world needs each of you, in some way, to make it a better place.'