Chair of Governors at Grantham Additional Needs Fellowship (GANF) Pamela Powell has been awarded a British Empire Medal in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours List published on Friday.

Mrs Powell, who is also chair of Governors at Chapel St Leonards Primary School and Woodlands Academy in Spilsby, has been recognised for her services to education.

She retired as a headteacher in 2009 after working for 40 years in a variety of Lincolnshire primary schools.

She told Schools Week: "There's a lot more to the role than there used to be.

"We are all volunteers giving up time to be governors because we care about education, and so it's nice to be recognised for that."

GANF comprises of two Grantham-based schools, Ambergate Sports College and Sandon School.

The schools cater for pupils between the ages of three and 19 with wide ranging moderate to severe learning difficulties and complex needs - many are on the autistic spectrum, with others having ADHD and varying degrees of developmental delay, and some with profound and multiple learning difficulties.

On the GANF website Mrs Powell says of her role: "I enjoy supporting the dedicated team of people who are working hard for the benefit of all the young people attending GANF schools.

"I am impressed by the standards achieved in the schools and the ethos of care and support displayed. My aim is to enable this to continue."