Headteacher who changed school term times so she could go on two cruises may be struck off

Headteacher who changed school term times so she could go on two cruises may be struck off Joy Ballard, who found fame on Channel 4 programme Educating Cardiff, also bought a karaoke machine and at least one TV with the school's fund, a hearing was told A headteacher who admitted altering her school's term dates so she could go on two luxury cruises has been told she may be struck off. Joy Ballard switched the dates while in charge of Ryde Academy on the Isle of Wight, before driving her £30,000 school car to another holiday to France. The award-winning head also used school funds to purchase camping equipment, a karaoke machine and at least one TV with all items of ‘limited use' to the pupils. She appeared on Channel 4 show Educating Cardiff back in 2015, where viewers saw her help transform Willows High from one of the country’s worst-performing schools. A Teaching Regulation Agency hearing has resumed after a three month adjournment. Following the findings of the panel, Mrs Ballard was told it is possible that she may never step foot in a classroom again. In 2024, she “stepped back” from her role at the school, with her picture suddenly removed from newsletters sent to parents. The TRA's Jim Olphert confirmed Mrs Ballard "acknowledged all the factual allegations and specific particulars". The panel ruled that some of her conduct amounted to misconduct of a "serious nature" that fell short of the standards expected of the profession after finding a number allegations to be proven. He argued the repeated nature of the dishonesty and lack of integrity was "notable and significant". The hearing heard how she adjusted the dates at the conclusion of Autumn 2023 to accommodate a cruise she was booked on. She also amended the start dates of Spring term in 2024 for a second trip on a liner. She also did not attend the school on January 3 because she was still on board. The panel also told how, between September 2022 and June 2024, Mrs Ballard did not follow the correct procedures for the banking of money. She carried cash in her handbag to take it home, before taking it to the bank. Between July 2022 to June 2024, she used a Peugeot 5008, purchased for £30,000 with school funds to be used only as a vehicle for school purposes, for personal trips. She admitted using the car for a family visit to France during the Easter break in 2024. They concluded that her actions "at points" amounted to unacceptable unprofessional conduct and could potentially damage the public's perception of a teacher. She signed a statement of agreed facts and accepted that certain aspects of her behaviour constituted dishonesty and/or a lack of professional integrity. The tribunal remains ongoing. The headteacher spoke to the Mirror in 2015 about her career after finding fame in the school-fixing programme. "Leaving school at 16, I was disillusioned, and had no ambition," she said. "It was a shame because at primary school I was one of the brightest pupils. But shortly after starting secondary school, I got rheumatic fever and was absent for six months. "Back then nobody helped you catch up, so I fell behind. It wasn’t that I was naughty, but I had no motivation to learn, and socialising and boys became more of a priority. "Growing up on the large Millbrook council estate in Southampton, you weren’t expected to do well at school. The men worked at the docks, the women stayed at home to look after their kids (or had part-time jobs to subsidise their husbands’ incomes). "We weren’t neglected – there was always food on the table, but breakfast was often a Mars Bar. My mum, Bet, was a cleaner and a big drinker. My dad, Tom, was an alcoholic. I remember some kids once told us they’d found a dead man in a field so my brother Kevin and I went to look. There was Dad, drunk as a skunk. "Leaving school unqualified, I got a job as a cleaner and fell pregnant at 19. I’d met Colin, my now husband, when I was 14, but devastation struck as I lost our baby girl when I was 26 weeks pregnant. "My whole life was taken up by looking after the children. I worked part-time as a cleaner and we didn’t have any money to do anything, so I read Mills & Boon novels from the library. I got into them so much, I could read six a day. "When I noticed an advert on the back of a book looking for new writers, I wondered if I could do it, so enrolled on a free writing course. It was inspiring and I loved it. "My lecturer filled me with so much confidence it wasn’t long before I’d passed my Maths and English GCSEs and felt clever for the first time. I was given a grant by the education authority and I did part-time work, including cleaning, to make ends meet while I studied."