A DEDICATED headteacher has been honoured by the Queen for her work to help youngsters with special needs.

Judith Salter, head of Glenwood School, in Rushbottom Lane, Thundersley, has been appointed a CBE for her services to education. She travelled to Buckingham Palace yesterday to collect the insignia for her honour.

She was honoured after Glenwood, which teaches children with learning difficulties, was given its second successive “outstanding” rating by Ofsted, something which rarely happens.

A spokesman for the school said: “Everyone involved with Glenwood School is delighted Judith has been honoured in this way.

“She works tirelessly on behalf of the young people here and their families.

We’re proud her efforts have been recognised.”

Half the 120 pupils at Glenwood have autism, while others live with sensory or physical disabilities. During their latest visit in November 2014, Ofsted’s inspectors struggled to find any areas in which they felt Glenwood could improve.

Their only recommendation was that it could do better at sharing information about pupils’ next steps in learning.

At the time the inspection report came out, a modest Mrs Salter played down her own role, pointing instead to the work of staff, pupils and parents.

The school’s current buildings are old and too small and a new multimillion- pound complex may soon be built nearby in the grounds of Montgomerie Primary School.

Last month, Essex County Council gave the go-ahead for the infant and junior schools of Montgomerie to merge into a single building, with the infants’ building likely to be demolished to make way for Glenwood’s new home.

The move would allow Glenwood to almost double its school roll to 210.

! Last month, another Thundersley teacher, Ray Coe, was appointed an MBE at an investiture ceremony presided over by Prince William.

Former Deanes School teacher Mr Coe, 53, was honoured for donating a kidney to one of his pupils.