A teaching watchdog has banned former Ryde Academy (now known as Lift Ryde) headteacher Joy Ballard from the classroom.
The Teaching Regulation Agency found that she committed unacceptable professional conduct and brought the profession into disrepute.
Investigators also discovered that she regularly used a school-funded car for personal journeys, including a family trip to France.
Joy Ballard once appeared on the Channel 4 documentary Educating Cardiff.
Term dates changed for a holiday
The panel concluded that Ballard altered school term dates during the 2023-24 academic year purely so she could go on a cruise.
Panel members called this decision “dishonest”.
A car meant for pupils, not personal trips
Back in 2022, Mrs Ballard bought a Peugeot 5008 using school funds.
She justified the purchase by saying it would cut taxi costs for transporting children to alternative provision on the Isle of Wight.
However, she admitted using the vehicle regularly for her own commute to work. She also confirmed she drove it on a personal holiday to France in 2024.
Cash handling and unusual purchases
The panel uncovered further problems with how Mrs Ballard managed school money.
She failed to follow proper procedures when handling and banking cash belonging to the school. She also spent school funds on camping equipment, a karaoke machine and televisions.
These items, the panel found, brought limited benefit to pupils or the wider school community.
Panel voices concern over trust
The panel stated that parents and the local community would find a headteacher’s use of their position in this way “really concerning”.
Ban comes with review option
Mrs Ballard can no longer teach in schools, sixth-form colleges, youth accommodation or children’s homes anywhere in England.
She does, however, have the option to apply for a review of the ban after two years have passed.
The Secretary of State’s decision explained the seriousness of the case in stark terms.
It described the misconduct as serious because it involved a headteacher acting dishonestly and without integrity.
Source: BBC
