Educating Cardiff head Joy Ballard takes over at Ryde Academy

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Joy BallardImage source, Channel 4
Image caption,

Under Joy Ballard's leadership, Willows High School in Cardiff became one of Wales' most improved schools.

A head teacher featured on a TV documentary about turning around a failing Cardiff school has taken over as head of an Isle of Wight school.

Joy Ballard appears in Channel 4's series Educating Cardiff, external.

She has taken over at Ryde Academy. Previous head Dr Rory Fox left in February after criticism over uniform policy and comments about staff.

Mrs Ballard said she was confident she would "meet the challenges" of improving education on the island.

Under her three years of leadership, Willows High School in Cardiff became one of Wales' most improved schools.

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In an Ofsted report published in November, Ryde Academy was rated as "requires improvement"

Education on the Isle of Wight has been run by Hampshire County Council since 2013 following concerns over standards on the island.

An Ofsted report in 2014, external classed Ryde Academy, run by Academies Enterprise Trust as "requiring improvement".

It highlighted teaching as "not yet strong enough to ensure that all students make good progress".

Mrs Ballard, who left school with no qualifications herself, said: "I'm fed up reading about what a bad deal the island's education system seems to be giving to its kids.

"There are a lot of young people on the island with very low aspirations for themselves in terms of wanting to do well in education. It's also very hard to recruit specialist teachers on to the Isle of Wight.

"I want to run a school I'd be proud to send my own children to."

In February, Dr Rory Fox stepped down after he made national headlines for his strict uniform policies and reportedly criticising teachers' union activities.

In June 2014, some pupils were sent home and others put into isolation over infringements of school uniform policy, sparking protests from parents.

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