John of Gaunt headteacher Andy Packer waved goodbye to his last group of Year 11 students at their prom last Friday evening, in a classy ceremony held at Leigh Park Hotel in Bradford on Avon.

Pupils dressed in their best evening wear and arrived in a variety of intriguing vehicles, with one couple arriving in a fire engine and others going for the more traditional sports cars.

The event also included awards for best dressed and best couple, which were presented by Mr Packer, who will also leave the school in July.

He said: “It was nice for me to stand back and see how far they’ve come.

“It’s an evening I have always enjoyed, but this year felt extra special, not just because I’m leaving, but because they are a truly splendid group of youngsters.

“I’m very proud of them.”

Leigh Park Hotel was also the scene of Clarendon Academy’s star-studded sixth form prom last Thursday, where Hollywood-style stars, with each leaver’s name on, littered the room.

Students in the sixth form at St Augustine’s Catholic College also made sure they arrived in style for their prom at Bailbrook House Hotel in Bath on Tuesday.

The pupils from all three schools are now waiting for the exam results in August: some will return to school to study for A-levels while others will be off to college, apprenticeships, university or the world of work.