Teacher Tom Baker celebrated 35 years in the profession with a trip to Buckingham Palace.
Prince Charles presented him with the MBE for services to education in County Durham.
Mr Baker, who has been deputy head at Red Rose Primary School, Chester-le-Street, for 18 years, had been nominated for the honour in the summer's Birthday Honours List after winning the North-East and Cumbria Teacher of the Year award.
On his Buckingham Palace trip, he said: "Prince Charles spoke to everyone for a minute or so. Like many people, he asked me how I coped with teaching in the modern world and I said I didn't have a problem."
Since he joined Kibbleworth Primary in 1966, he has been keen to get children involved in after-school interests, particularly football and cross-country.
Teaching is a family affair, with his wife, Marilyn, at Pelton Roseberry Junior and Ouston Junior School and son Alan taking up his first teaching post at Pelton County Junior School. Their daughter, Sonya, is a pharmacist
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