Governor Attendance
We publish governor attendance at Governing Body and committee meetings for the previous academic year.
The Governing Body plays an important role in the strategic leadership of Southill Primary School.
Governors work with the Headteacher and school leaders to ensure that the school provides the best possible education for every child. The Governing Body provides strategic oversight, support and challenge while holding school leaders to account for the educational and financial performance of the school.
The Governing Body's core functions are to:
The day-to-day management of the school is the responsibility of the Headteacher and senior leadership team.
Chair of Governors: Jacqui Pateman-Jones
Vice Chair of Governors: Laurence Leach
Governance Professional (Clerk): Mark Payne
The Governance Professional supports the effective administration and operation of the Governing Body.
Southill Primary School is a local-authority-maintained community school.
Our Governing Body includes representatives appointed or elected from different parts of our school community, including parent governors, staff governors, the Headteacher, local authority and co-opted governors.
Governors bring a range of skills, knowledge and experience to the strategic leadership of the school.
Governors (ID 1125)
Hello, My name is Andrea Warner-Lee. I have been teaching for 18 years across both KS1 and KS2. I grew up in London and moved to Dorset about 13 years ago. I love reading, watching films, cooking and socialising. This is my first time being a staff governor.
I was appointed Clerk to the Governors at Southill Primary School in 2014. I retired to Weymouth from North Yorkshire following ten years as a Headteacher's PA, Office Manager, and Clerk to Governors in a secondary school. Before this, I spent 21 years in the pharmaceutical industry. I currently clerk three Primary Schools in Dorset and have completed the Professional Clerk's programme.
I'm a parent of two children at the school, one in Year 2 and one just finishing Year 6 and moving on to secondary school. I've experienced the school community from Key Stage 1 through to Key Stage 3, which has given me a strong understanding of the journey many families take.
Professionally, my background is in Engineering, and I've worked across a number of disciplines within that field. I hold a Lead Auditor qualification and currently work in Global Customer Relationship Management. I'm also a trained Mental Health First Aider, which I believe is increasingly valuable in both the workplace and school environment.
I became a parent governor because I felt it was important to bring a constructive and supportive parent voice back into school discussions. I hope to offer a positive, balanced perspective as the school continues to grow and evolve.
I first joined Southill Primary as a school reader in Feb 2023. I was immediately struck by the positive and welcoming feel of the school so I joined the Board of Governors in February 2024.
My career background is retail and investment banking and I have also set up and managed my own businesses.
My skills include financial management and using data positively to celebrate achievements, and I have a particular focus on HR and people development and building a positive culture in organisations.
I'm looking forward to using my skills to support the Board and staff, and to ensure continuous improvement in the education for the children and hopefully also having some fun along the way!
I am married with 4 children and 5 grandchildren, and I have 2 dogs and a cat.
My hobbies include ‘nana duty', dog walking, running and cold water swimming.
I have been on the board of a national animal charity and I am also a volunteer with the Cinnamon Dog Trust.
I hope to meet as many of you as possible over time, as I value your views and I'm keen to ensure the school works closely and collaboratively with the community.
So please don't hesitate to contact me if you have anything you'd like to discuss or to ask me about school governance. I'd be delighted to help.
I am excited to assume position of Vice Chair of governors, having joined the governing body in 2024.
I have an extensive background in IT project management and have led architecture on several national projects – so have a keen eye for data and processes.
I originally volunteered as governor because having young children and a partner who has worked in education, I see how valuable the education system is and wanted to find a way to contribute something back.
Beyond my professional expertise, I'm a keen DIY enthusiast, martial artist, and astronomer. I enjoy sharing these passions with my children, fostering their curiosity, creativity and resilience.
Through my role as a governor, I hope to bring a strong approach to problem-solving and decision-making, providing the best possible experience for the school and students.
I have 2 children who have been in the school since Reception.
I have worked in safeguarding and public service for nearly 18 years. I also am a peer supporter for colleagues. Previously, I was a fully qualified mortgage advisor and worked in customer service.
Prior to being elected as a governor I enjoyed helping with school events, reading and trips, which has given me insight into the experience our children have and the dedication and hard work of the staff.
I stood for election as a parent governor as I wanted to contribute and support the experience our children have while at primary school, whilst looking ahead to preparing them for moving forward to secondary school and the world beyond.
I have lived in Weymouth for 37 years and my background is in science and
engineering. Since retiring I have worked with a number of voluntary organisations
and held various posts as a school governor including ten years as Chair at a local
school.
I have three children who attended local schools and now have seven grandchildren.
I joined Southill governors in May 2025 as a co-opted member and look forward to
using my knowledge and experience for the benefit of the school and the children.
The Governing Body delegates some areas of its work to committees and individual governors while retaining overall accountability for the strategic governance of the school.
Details of the structure, membership and responsibilities of our committees are set out in the Governing Body's committee structure and terms of reference.
The full Governing Body receives information from committees and school leaders and maintains strategic oversight of the school's priorities, educational performance, safeguarding and financial management.
In accordance with Department for Education requirements, we publish information about each governor who has served during the previous 12 months.
This includes:
Details are provided in the table below.
We publish governor attendance at Governing Body and committee meetings for the previous academic year.
Governors' attendance at meetings as at 31.12.2025
Governors are required to declare relevant business, financial and pecuniary interests and any relevant relationships that could give rise to a conflict of interest.
The register is reviewed regularly and declarations are made at meetings where appropriate.
Summary of Relevant Business & Pecuniary Interest of Governors
Information about Southill Primary School's income and expenditure can be viewed through the Department for Education's Schools Financial Benchmarking Service.
We are required to provide this link to benchmarking information which compares spending at our school with that of some others of a similar size.
Employees earning over £100,000
There are currently no employees at Southill Primary School whose gross annual salary and benefits exceed £100,000.
Parents, carers and members of the school community who wish to contact the Governing Body or Chair of Governors can do so through the school office.
Southill Primary School
Sycamore Road
Weymouth
Dorset
DT4 9UF
Telephone: 01305 773144
Email: office@southill.dorset.sch.uk