A Norwich headteacher is among the people to be honoured for exceptional achievements and service in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, which is revealed today.

Jane Miller, headteacher of West Earlham Infant School, has spoken of her delight at being made an OBE for services to education. She said: 'I am absolutely amazed. It was a total shock to me. I am delighted to accept it on behalf of all of the families and staff at West Earlham Infant School where I have been privileged and lucky enough to work for the last 10 years – because they are the ones who have made my job so worthwhile.'

In the decade Mrs Miller, 60, has been at West Earlham, she has led the school to great success. In the school's most recent Ofsted report, it was rated as outstanding in 30 out of 33 categories, giving it one of Norfolk's best ever Ofsted reports.

Mrs Miller, who lives in Thorpe Abbotts, near Diss, began her teaching career about 32 years ago. Before moving to West Earlham Infant School she was deputy headteacher at Nelson First School in the city. She has also taught at Harleston Dove School, Mousehold First School and Norman First School.

'I have thoroughly enjoyed all of my career,' she said. 'I enjoy the excitement of seeing children learn and the positive impact you can have on the wider community.'

Mrs Miller, who has one daughter, will be retiring at the end of the term.

Colin Dowdeswell, 62, who was the director of music at Norwich School, has been made an MBE for services to education and music in Norwich. He said: 'I am absolutely amazed and very surprised. I am very flattered and delighted. It is a great honour and I feel very humbled.'

Mr Dowdeswell, whose music teaching career has spanned 40 years, was director of music at Norwich School for 27 years before he left last July

Previously he had worked at schools in Devon and Essex.

He said his aim while at the Norwich School was always to encourage music for all and also to encourage real excellence in those who had serious talent. He developed a wide range of bands, choirs and musical groups at the school, and he said he was always very keen for his students to share their music with the wider community.

Mr Dowdeswell, who lives in Thorpe Hamlet, said it had been a great privilege working at Norwich School.

For many years he has also been one of the conductors for the Norwich-based Mozart Orchestra and he plays the violin in the Academy of St Thomas, also based in Norwich.

Mr Dowdeswell is married to Tanni, who he said has been a tremendous support to him throughout his career, and he has three children, Emma, Guy and Fiona.

Robert King, 66, has been made an MBE for services to the tourist industry and to disadvantaged people in Norfolk. Mr King, who runs King Line Cottages at Ferry Road, Horning with his wife Judith, said : 'It is fantastic. I never thought I would ever get that, but it is wonderful. It is the highlight of my career,' he said.

Mr King has been running the holiday business for the past 40 years, and for more than 20 years he has championed the cause of making it easier for elderly and disabled people to go on holiday.

Since the late 1980s the business has focused on providing specially adapted holiday accommodation which includes extra wide doors, ramps and floor level showers, and currently five of the site's six riverside lodges are specially designed to be accessible for the disabled and elderly.

Mr King, who has two children and five grandchildren, said it was very rewarding making it easier for people to go on holiday who would otherwise find it difficult.

For the past 25 years, Oulton Broad mum-of-two Margaret Oldham has helped 6,000 disabled people a year receive the benefits they are entitled to.

Now the 63-year-old's efforts for Lowestoft charity DIAL have been recognised, as she has been made an MBE for services to disabled people in Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth.

A keen conservationist, who has opened the eyes of more than 100,000 schoolchildren to the Norfolk Broads' diverse habitat, has also been honoured. David Holmes, 60, director of the How Hill Trust at Ludham for the past 27 years, has been made an MBE.

Emily Millington-Smith has been made an MBE for services to older people and carers in East Anglia.

She has dedicated more than 30 years of service to Age Concern Norfolk, for whom she is now president, and is chairman of the Norfolk Older People's Forum. Mrs Millington-Smith, who lives in East Tuddenham, has also helped found other groups and trusts including Pabulum, which assists elderly people with dementia.

One of Norfolk's deputy lieutenants, Richard Butler, has been made an MBE for services to young people.

Mr Butler, who is from Swanton Abbott, near North Walsham, has been involved in voluntary and paid youth work since the 1970s. He was the Norfolk Commissioner of the Scouts from 2000-2009, and is currently vice-president of Norfolk Scouts, chairman of the organisation's national awards board and is on the honours committee for the Scout Association.

Alan Squirrell, 65, from Denton, near Bungay, has been made an MBE for voluntary service to the volunteer-run bank Norfolk Credit Union.

Carolyn Howell, 48 and from Diss, has been made an MBE for her role in implementing the Mortgage Rescue Scheme, which has provided support for 38,000 people since it launched in January 2009.

Do you have a story about someone helping to improve their community? Call reporter Emma Knights on 01603 772428 or email emma.knights@archant.co.uk