A former headteacher has been banned from teaching after a professional conduct panel concluded she dishonestly changed her school’s term dates to accommodate a cruise holiday, while also misusing a school-funded vehicle for personal trips, including a family holiday to France.
Joy Ballard, the former headteacher of Ryde Academy on the Isle of Wight, was found to have engaged in unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that brought the teaching profession into disrepute following a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) hearing.
The panel concluded that Ballard acted dishonestly by altering the school’s 2023-24 term dates to fit around her personal travel plans. It also found she repeatedly used a school-funded vehicle for private journeys, including commuting to work and taking the Peugeot 5008 on a family holiday to France.
As a result, the Secretary of State for Education has imposed a prohibition order preventing Ballard from teaching in schools, sixth forms, youth accommodation and children’s homes in England. She will be able to apply for the order to be reviewed after two years.
The misconduct findings followed a lengthy investigation into her leadership at Ryde Academy, where concerns first emerged in March 2024. Ballard retired from the school in August 2024 before the case was referred to the Teaching Regulation Agency.
The panel found Ballard had admitted all of the allegations before the hearing, including that her conduct amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and behaviour that could bring the profession into disrepute.
Changed School Calendar To Fit Cruise
One of the most serious findings centred on changes to the academy’s term dates during the 2023-24 academic year.
Evidence presented to the panel showed the autumn term was extended until Monday 18th December 2023, while the start of the spring term was delayed until Wednesday 3rd January 2024.
The panel concluded those changes were made so Ballard could complete a cruise holiday that did not return until 3rd January.
Witnesses told the hearing Ballard had openly discussed changing the calendar because of her holiday, while the panel also heard evidence that she had joked about the decision during a staff meeting.
The report found the revised calendar created what witnesses described as a “Bitsa week”, with pupils expected to return for just a single Monday before the Christmas break. Evidence from senior staff suggested attendance suffered as many families chose to begin their holidays early, with the panel hearing the school never fully recovered from the decline in attendance that followed.
The panel ultimately concluded Ballard had altered the dates to accommodate her personal travel arrangements, describing the decision as dishonest and lacking integrity.
The report also found she was not present at school for the full day on 3rd January 2024 because she was returning from the cruise. The hearing accepted evide
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