THE principal of an East Cowes school has received an award from the Polish Embassy.

On Friday, November 12, Edmund Matyjaszek, principal at Priory School of Our Lady of Walsingham, was honoured at the Polish Embassy's annual ceremony.

The event is a celebration of Polish independence, gained at the end of the First World War.

There were four awards on the night.

Mr Matyjaszek received The Bene Merito honorary distinction ­— a departmental decoration of Poland.

The Polish minister of foreign affairs awards the citizens of Poland and foreign nationals with this decoration in recognition of their merits in promoting Poland abroad.

Mr Matyjaszek said: “It really belongs to the whole school, as it was the Polish Saturday School that put us forward.

"But then, we have had Polish heritage days, the Consul has been down twice, and we were the voting booth for the last EU elections.

"We also have the Błyskawica connection ­— the Polish warship which defended Cowes in 1942.

"The 80th anniversary is next year."