Headteacher banned after changing term dates to go on a cruise
- An award-winning former headteacher, Joy Ballard, has been banned from the teaching profession after a tribunal found she deliberately altered school term dates at Ryde Academy to accommodate a personal cruise holiday.
- The tribunal also discovered that Mrs Ballard used school funds to purchase a Peugeot car for personal use, along with a karaoke machine, two televisions and camping equipment during her tenure at the Isle of Wight school.
- Mrs Ballard, who previously featured in Channel 4 show Educating Cardiff and won a Pearson Teaching Award, admitted to not being a “rule follower” and justified her actions by stating she aimed to benefit pupils, though she conceded she would not use the school car for personal reasons again.
- The Teaching Regulation Agency panel concluded that Mrs Ballard acted knowingly and dishonestly for personal benefit, deeming her conduct unacceptable and likely to bring the profession into disrepute.
- Consequently, she has been prohibited from teaching in any educational setting in England, with the possibility of applying to have the prohibition order lifted in June 2028.
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