A Royston physics teacher of nearly 40 years’ standing has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours for services to education.

Since starting at Meridian School in 1980, Georgios Meliniotis - known as George - has worked tirelessly to improve standards of education and led the way in the school becoming a specialist institution for maths and computing.

On receiving his honour, George - who is 72 and lives in Melbourn - told the Crow: "I feel absolutely great. It is still sinking in.

"I must say I am not alone in this - there are so many special teachers out there who deserve this."

Before he entered teaching, George was a research physicist for British Gas.

He undertook teacher training in London in 1974, and came to Meridian after he answered a job advert that "seemed like it was written for him".

"My main focus at Meridian was to introduce computing," he said.

"It took a lot of hard work. For a long time staff were wary of computing, and I was running courses for staff and students on the technology.

"Meridian was a comprehensive with children of all different backgrounds, and to teach them has been very rewarding. With each student there is a different approach and good teachers have an idea of that. I really love it."

During his continuing service to the Garden Walk school, George has held head of department posts in science, information technology and design, served as the assistant headteacher and as the specialist co-ordinator for maths and computing.

In the early 1980s, he was tasked with setting up North Hertfordshire's first schools computer network at Meridian. This was considered pioneering work at the time and the network grew from two basic computers through to a sophisticated network of more than 400 computers supporting all subject areas.

This role was above and beyond his full-time teaching commitment - and as a result, he led the successful bid in 2003 for Meridian School to become a specialist school for maths and computing.

George still teaches A-level physics at the school, and says he is not planning on retiring yet. "Meridian, now part of Royston Schools Academy Trust, is well placed to more forward with energy and momentum, into a very successful future," he added.