A head teacher who gained fame on the Channel 4 documentary 'Educating Cardiff' has admitted using a school car without permission or insurance for a holiday in France and trips to the pub, a misconduct hearing has heard. Joy Ballard, former head of Willows High in Cardiff, faced allegations relating to her time at Ryde Academy on the Isle of Wight.
The Teaching Regulation Agency hearing was told that Ballard used a £33,000 Peugeot 5008, bought specifically to transport pupils, for personal use. She drove it to France over Easter 2024, commuted to work, and visited local pubs, clocking up hundreds of miles. David Hatchett, her former line manager, said she was effectively driving uninsured as she lacked permission from the school trust.
Hatchett told the virtual hearing on March 4 that Ballard used the car's registration number when booking a ferry to France. During the investigation, she claimed the booking was changed and denied taking the car abroad, but Hatchett said she failed to provide evidence despite repeated requests. He calculated over 300 unexplained miles per month in the car, rising to 400 in April 2024.
Ballard also changed term dates to align with her private holidays and bought a karaoke machine with school funds, the hearing was told. Despite these issues, Hatchett described her as an 'inspirational leader' and noted there were 'no red flags' in her day-to-day management. Ryde Academy, now part of Lift Schools, had positive Ofsted inspections during her tenure.
Ballard, who grew up on a council estate and had three children by her early 20s, turned around Willows High from one of Wales' worst-performing schools to one where GCSE results improved significantly. The hearing continues.
