Joy Ballard (born 1966) is a British head teacher. She has been prominently featured in the media discussing the potential for improvement in schools and issues with the British education system. Ballard grew up in Southampton on a council estate, and became notable as the former head teacher of Willows High School in Cardiff. She starred in the television documentary series Educating Cardiff for her role in making Willows High School one of the most improved schools in Wales during her three year term as head teacher. In August 2015, she became the head teacher of Ryde Academy on the Isle of Wight. The Hampshire County Council had been overseeing education on the Isle since 2013 because of concerns over the school's former sponsor, Academies Enterprise Trust (AET), and their lack of regar