St Patrick's Catholic Primary School
Following the loving example shown by Jesus Christ
023 8044 8502
Meet the Governors
Our Governors are appointed to meet specific criteria for their category of governor: Foundation, Local Authority, Staff or Parent. Our current governors introduce themselves here.
Steve Deadman
Chair of Governors
Steve has been a Foundation Governor since July 2016 and Chair since September 2019, having been a friend of Elizabeth Kenny (previous headteacher)’s and a fellow parishioner at Immaculate Conception, Portswood for some 30 years. A retired Accountant, living in Bitterne with his wife, Sue, they have 4 grown up children living in the Southampton area who attended Springhill, St Anne's and St George. Steve has a Theology degree and has done voluntary work, mainly with the youth and the homeless for 40 years, running Catechetic Programmes for Sacraments, Adult Formation and Prayer in parishes. He currently runs a youth club, a Sunday Lunch Project for the homeless, Cafod workshops in schools, does Street Pastoring in Southampton and runs prayer and liturgy groups. He is especially interested in religious education, questions of poverty and cultural diversity at St Patrick’s and in contributing to all our aims for an Outstanding School, sharing Jesus' example of Love.
June Burton
Vice Chair of Governors
June was Chair of the Governing Body until September 2018 and has been our Local Authority (LA) Governor since September 2008. Prior to this she was Support Staff Governor for seven years. She was the School Cook here at St. Patrick’s before her retirement in July 2010. June has also been involved in Scouting for many years.
Louise Payne
Foundation Governor
Louise is a Foundation Governor joining in June 2011. She has a daughter and is married to Warwick Payne, who is one of the councillors representing Woolston on Southampton City Council. Louise worked for nearly seven years as a journalist for Newsquest, writing primarily for the Hampshire Chronicle, but also the Southern Daily Echo and the Romsey Advertiser. She now works for Hampshire County Council’s Corporate Communications Team and has been in this role since December 2008. Louise used to attend St Patrick’s School, as did her brother and sister, and is a parishioner at St Patrick’s Church, where she was married in 2009 and where her daughter was christened in May 2012.
Mark Balaam
Staff Governor
Mark is our Staff Governor. He grew up in Greater Manchester and relocated to Oxfordshire in 2006 to work in therapeutic care with children with emotional and behavioural challenges. In 2013, he qualified as a Primary Teacher. He has an 11-year-old son. Mark is in his seventh year as a Teacher at St Patrick's. Outside of school, Mark's interests include hiking, den-building, swimming and learning languages. He is a parishioner at St Joseph's, Southampton.