THE death of a school's headteacher signalled the end of an era, pupils were told yesterday.

Susanne Davison, acting headteacher of Polam Hall School for Girls, in Darlington, paid tribute to Helen Hamilton, who died earlier this year after a short illness. She had been headteacher at the independent school for 16 years.

She was speaking during the school speech day, at which Helen Richardson, an ear, nose and throat consultant surgeon at James Cook University Hospital, Stockton, presented the prizes.

Ms Davison, started proceedings by giving a speech about the past year and how the school had coped since the sad death of Mrs Hamilton.

She said: "We welcome our new headmistress, Miss Green, in the New Year and we look forward to supporting her as she takes over the mantle steering Polam Hall forward."

Earlier, a summerhouse given to the school by Mrs Hamilton's family in her memory was opened.

Prizewinners were:

Lower fourth form - Lucinda Thompson, Lucy Downes, Jade Clark; progress - Lucy Watson.

Upper fourth form - Claire Graham, Rachel Alban, Gemma Lyne; good achievement - Grace Long, Kristina Gallagher; progress - Grace Beevers, Katy van den Dries.

Lower fifth form - Jessica Robb, Stephanie Hannigan, Philippa Hudson; progress - Rachel Booth.

Middle fifth year - Sally Hannigan, Chloe Leen, Ayesha Malik, Clare Montgomery, Susan Scott; good achievement - Rebecca Leung; progress - Rachael Dwyer, Vivien Lui.

Upper fifth achievement at GCSE (Seven or more grade A and A*) - Holly Ainsworth, Lauren Airey, Jessica Auton, Deborah Cullinan, Louise Hughes, Ashley Lau, Cori Ling, Louise Lister, Fatima Malik, Maghan McIntosh, Stella Sam, Frances Walker.

Lower sixth, best overall - Heidi Ip, Helen Earle, Hannah Elliott; best progress - Nancy Yu.

Upper sixth achievement at A-Level (minimum of A, A, B grades) - Rebecca Atkinson, Emma Bean, Katherine Chung, Victoria Davies, Amy Harrison, Cindy Ling, Katie Liu, Laura Morland, Amy Pearce, Rachel Weerasinghe, Fiona Wong, Mandy Wong.

Sports Trophies:

Junior victrix ludorum - Jacqueline Phillips; Senior victrix ludorum - Clare Montgomery; Junior tennis doubles championship - Rebecca Airey and Jacqueline Phillips; Senior tennis doubles championship - Deborah Cullinan and Sara Wood.

House trophies: Junior hockey - Swale; junior lacrosse - Tees; junior rounders - Tees; senior hockey - Kent; senior lacrosse - Kent; senior netball - Kent; senior tennis - Tees; senior rounders - Skerne; interhouse swimming gala - Swale; house sports cup (sports day) - Kent; house points cup - Kent.

Awards - Arts Shield - Erica Stahl; English Cup - Laura Morland; Mathematics Cup - Katie Liu; Modern Languages Cup - Amy Harrison; Science Cup - Rachel Weerasinghe; Social Sciences Cup - Fiona Wong; Cross-Curricular Cup - Rebecca Atkinson; Civics Cup - Rebecca Atkinson; Thomson Cup (for progress at GCSE) - Idy Ba; Kay Rumney Cup for progress in languages at GCSE - Edwina Gill; Barclays Bank Business Studies Awards - Cori Ling; Cawson Shield (for string playing) - Rebecca Atkinson; Parker Bowl (for singing) - Meghan McIntosh; Helen Wilson Drama Cup - Laura Morland; Bhogal Cup (speech and drama) - Laura Morland; Art Cup - Eleanor Riley; Rawcliffe's Technology Trophy - Philippa Hudson; Anna Billington Cup (for endeavour in sport) - Sarah Britton; Pearson Cup (for all-round achievement in sport) - Kate Ramsdale; Turnbull Cup (for distance running) - Lauren Peacock; Hockey Player of the Year - Katie Wray; Lacrosse Player of the Year - Sara Wood; Netball Player of the Year - Rachel Campbell; Tennis Player of the Year - Leanne Wytcherley; JE Ridley-Howlett Cup (community service) - Laura Dunning; Judith Carswell Cup (services to boarding) - Katherine Chung; Ann Oliver Award (for determination in difficult circumstances) - Zoe Robinson; School Games Captain's Award - Kate Ramsdale; Staff 1930 Award - Victoria Davies; Deputy Head Girl's Award - Antonia Katsambis; Dux Award - Charlotte Steel.