The former headteacher of a school in Cardiff has been banned from teaching indefinitely after a misconduct panel found her conduct to be "dishonest and lacking in integrity." Joy Ballard, who was previously head of Willows High School in Cardiff, was found to have misused school funds and altered term dates to suit her own holidays.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Ballard had used school funds to purchase a car, which she took to France, as well as two LG televisions and karaoke machines. She also admitted to "wasting" taxpayer's money on camping equipment meant for school activities but loaned out to staff for family holidays.
Ballard was also found to have changed school term dates to accommodate her own cruise holiday, delaying the start of the 2023/24 Christmas holidays by three days. She had initially planned the trip as early as February, but staff were not informed of the change until a week before the school break.
Furthermore, Ballard was accused of "wasting" taxpayer's money on unnecessary items, including a karaoke machine that was not needed after the school invested in new technology. She also admitted to keeping much of the cash made from mufti days in her handbag rather than putting it in the safe as per school protocol.
The misconduct panel found that Ballard's behavior had "fallen significantly short of the standards expected of the profession" and that she had shown little evidence of having developed "full insight" into her actions. As a result, she has been banned from teaching indefinitely and will have to wait at least two years before being able to request a review of this decision.
The panel's decision was based on a thorough investigation, which included evidence from Ballard's colleagues and former pupils. Despite some staff members speaking in support of Ballard, the panel found that her actions were unacceptable and had caused significant damage to the school's reputation.
Ballard's case has raised concerns about the accountability of school leaders and the need for stricter regulations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
