A DEDICATED Inverclyde teacher has been honoured by the Queen at Buckingham Palace for services to education.

Delighted Patricia Scott, who used to work at Notre Dame High in Greenock, was awarded the MBE by Her Majesty at a glitzy ceremony in London.

The 57-year-old is currently the head of St Luke’s in Barrhead and was given the accolade in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to her profession.

Mrs Scott has been head teacher at the East Renfrewshire secondary for nearly eight years but has been with the school for 30, joining in 1984 as principal teacher of PE before being promoted to assistant head, then depute, followed by the top job in January 2007.

She told the Tele of her delight at the royal occasion.

Proud Mrs Scott said: “It was a wonderful, super day.

“The atmosphere at Buckingham Palace, going through the front gates and on to the red carpet, was really special and beautiful.

“The Queen was lovely — serene and smiley and absolutely professional.” Mrs Scott, who now lives in Kilmacolm, taught PE at Notre Dame many years ago and her family still live in Gourock.

During the ceremony, Her Majesty admired Mrs Scott’s outfit — it included a Scott tartan wrap pinned with a poppy brooch, in honour of the 100th anniversary of the First World War this year.

Mrs Scott said: “The Queen said to me, ‘you’re a head teacher aren’t you? You are one of those schools that just go up and up and up’.

“I told her I was very proud to be the head teacher of St Luke’s High School.” Before receiving her award, Mrs Scott and her fellow recipients had to wait to find out which member of the royal family would be present on the day — and she was thrilled when she discovered it would be the Queen herself.

Mrs Scott said: “We were told by staff that it would be the Queen, and that we were lucky, as she doesn’t do this as much now.

“It was wonderful.” The head teacher travelled to Buckingham Palace with husband Douglas and her sisters Kathleen and Veronica.

She has been taken aback by messages of goodwill from people over the award.

Mrs Scott said: “This has been overwhelming and indeed humbling.

“It has been my privilege to work in St Luke’s and be part of the community and parishes of St John’s and St Thomas’s for the past 30 years. I have also had outstanding support and encouragement from my husband, family and friends, which have helped me do my job. I’m delighted to be able to share this with everyone.”