Phyllis Ward was educated at Rotherham County Grammar School and came to Girton to read Modern Languages 1927-31 (PhD 1933; MA 1939). She was awarded the Fanny Metcalfe Prize and two postgraduate scholarships which enabled her to undertake research work in Cambridge and Paris 1930-33. She held various school language teaching posts before becoming Lecturer in French and English at Bishop Otter College and then at Sheffield College of Education. She published articles in 'Granta', 'European Herald' and other journals.