A risk of repetition and a lack of remorse and regard for school policies are among the reasons why a once "inspirational" Isle of Wight headteacher, found to have changed term times for her cruise holiday, has been struck off from the profession.
A conduct panel outcome report has explained why a prohibition order has been issued for former Ryde Academy headteacher Joy Ballard.
A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel made the recommendation to the Secretary of State, with a review period of two years.
On June 11, acting for the Secretary of State, decision-maker Marc Cavey accepted that recommendation.
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Allegations
Mrs Ballard changed term times for cruises, used a school-funded £30k Peugeot car extensively for personal purposes, failed to attend school for a day because of holiday arrangements, mismanaged cash by operating a "chaotic" system outside trust procedures, and authorised school spending on equipment, including an expensive karaoke machine with limited use to the school.
The panel went on to find that some of her actions were dishonest, lacking integrity and were likely to bring the profession into disrepute.
What the panel said
In its recommendation to the Secretary of State, the panel said it was concerned that Mrs Ballard did not appear to have "reflected on the bigger picture, shown by the conduct underpinning the allegations, and appeared at times to blame others, or did not unequivocally accept the panel’s findings."
"This showed a lack of insight into her actions (with the exception of the use of the school car as referred to above), the impact on others (including the School community) or on how she was perceived", they said.
The panel added that public confidence could be seriously weakened if this type of conduct was not treated with the utmost seriousness.
“Overall, the panel considered that the evidence before it showed Mrs Ballard had a lack of regard for the school’s policies or the statutory framework within which all academy schools operate, and had not adequately reflected on this", the report said.
"The panel therefore considered there was a risk of repetition.”
In light of the positive contribution Mrs Ballard had made to the profession over the years, the panel recommended the prohibition order can be reviewed again in two years.
Secretary of State decision
Accepting the panel's recommendation, decision-maker Marc Cavey said he had placed "considerable weight on comments concerning the lack of evidence of full insight and consequent risk of repetition, the dishonesty demonstrated by Mrs Ballard, and the negative impact of her actions on the public’s perception of the profession. "
He added: "I have also placed weight on the panel’s findings that her actions were both deliberate and committed free of extreme duress."
He agreed to the two-year review period, adding that it is required to "satisfy the maintenance of public confidence in the profession and to allow Mrs Ballard the time to fully demonstrate that she has developed full insight into her behaviour and provide assurance that the risk of repetition is negligible."
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