The circulation of these notes is restricted to the chairman of the school governors and those members of the school staff empowered to administer corporal punishment (the Headmaster, Assistant Headmaster and Housemasters)
GENERAL NOTES
Corporal punishment at this school is reserved for the more serious offences and is inflicted with a cane upon
the clothed seat of the offender. Corporal punishment is never to be administered to any other part of the anatomy,
nor is it to be inflicted with any implement other than the standard school cane.
Those authorised to give corporal punishment are the Headmaster, Assistant Headmaster and Housemasters. No other
member of staff is permitted to administer any form of physical chastisement. The majority of canings are administered
by the Housemasters; the Headmaster and Assistant Headmaster normally deal only with the most serious cases of
misconduct.
CANING OFFENCES
The following are 'statutory caning offences' which invariably incur corporal punishment:
BULLYING; SMOKING; VANDALISM; HOOLIGANISM; PROFANE LANGUAGE; THEFT; PERSISTENT LATECOMING; TRUANCY; WILFUL LAZINESS;
GROSS MISCONDUCT OF ANY KIND.
If there are convincing extenuating circumstances the offence may be referred to the Headmaster for his final decision;
but in all clearcut cases of the listed offences (the vast majority) corporal punishment is mandatory and is inflicted
without right of appeal.
PUNISHMENT CANES
Housemasters in the Junior School are provided with a standard junior punishment cane of specified length and
diameter. Housemasters in the Senior School (responsible for boys of 15 and upwards) have use of a slightly longer
and thicker senior punishment cane. The Headmaster and Assistant Headmaster retain the use of both types of cane.
The school bursar is responsible for ordering canes on a termly basis and it is the responsibility of the authorised
masters to ensure that their punishment canes are in good condition and suitable for the job in hand. If in any
doubt, contact the bursar for fresh supplies.
PUNISHMENT REPORT
A boy sentenced to the cane is placed on Punishment Report. He will be issued with a Punishment Report Card
which he must take home to be signed by his parents or guardian before the caning is administered.
Having to take his Punishment Report Card home before receiving his caning is an additional punishment for the
boy concerned. He will suffer the embarrassment and shame of handing the card to his parents for their signature
and they will no doubt ask their son the explain the misconduct which has merited corporal punishment.
Once the card has been duly signed, the boy will have the prospect before him of attending school the following
day, knowing that he is to suffer a caning. It will prey on his mind and he will no doubt greatly regret the conduct
which has earned him corporal punishment.
THE CANING
Punishment parades are always held directly following afternoon registration. Boys report to the master concerned
and wait outside his study to be called in for punishment.
The punishment cane should be laid out on the desk together with the official punishment book, and a suitable chair
provided for bending over. Boys are never caned in the 'touching toes' position which is impractical and may even
be somewhat dangerous.
The boy should come into the study, hand the master his Punishment Report Card and then stand at attention to await
further instructions. The master should peruse the card, note the offence, and explain to the offender exactly
why he is getting the cane. Position him over the chair and before commencing the punishment, check that no padding
or extra pairs of underpants have been introduced in an attempt to diminish the sting.
HOW MANY STROKES?
The minimum punishment is two strokes, with three as the average for first offenders. Repeated wrongdoing may merit
six of the best whilst the maximum permitted under school regulations is nine strokes. However, the approval of
the Headmaster must be obtained before a boy can receive this maximum punishment and it is important that it is
reserved for the most serious offences.
Lay the cane on properly, or else there is little point in the exercise. The intention is to put the fear of the
cane into the boy, so as to deter him from future offending. Schoolboys will not respect a master who 'pussy foots'
where the cane is concerned: do the job properly.
FIRST OFFENDERS
It may well be that a boy is receiving the first coming of his school career. He will be somewhat frightened since
he is well aware that the cane hurts, although he has not yet discovered just how much. Do not spare the rod, even
with a new boy. The punishment is for his own good and he must learn that if he wilfuly defies authority he will
suffer for it.
RECIDIVISTS
Whilst the conduct of most boys will improve wonderfully after a dose of the cane, there is sometimes a hard core
of repeat offenders who adopt an attitude of sang froid, and may even boast to their friends that they are
not frightened of a 'whacking'. In such cases the headmaster's permission may be sought to administer a full compliment
of nine strokes.
THE PUNISHMENT BOOK
After the caning, and once the boy has recovered his composure, he must sign the punishment book. This notes his
name, offence and the number of strokes. Tell the offender that you have no wish to see his name in the book again
and send him off to his lessons, asking him to usher in the next boy if any are still waiting.