A headteacher has received an OBE at Buckingham Palace.

Peter McPartland, headteacher of Trinity Special School, was presented with the award on Thursday after being made an OBE in the Queen’s 2015 Birthday Honours list.

His OBE comes after 39 years of dedicated service to education.

Peter has been headteacher of the Dagenham Heathway school since 2007 which achieved three successive “outstanding” Ofsted inspections in 2007, 2009 and 2014 under his leadership.

“I’m proud to work in Barking and Dagenham and have been fortunate to be supported as a headteacher by pupils, their families, my staff, the school governors and of course the local authority.,” Peter said. “I am fortunate to have been given such wonderful opportunities.”