‘Classrooms were also the site of much of the disciplining of boys that seemed necessary. The ethos of discipline was not simply one of punishment, but one that pervaded all aspects of schooling, finding expression, for example, in imposed periods of silence or marching in lines. Most students and staff recall that punishment at Kostka […]

Walking behind Miss Mitchell I passed a comment to a fellow student that I was taller than her. She paused, turned around, and pointing to her temple said that what mattered most was who was the bigger in there. Her discipline was that of a ruler on the knuckles. The only way of lessening the […]

‘Mrs Mitchell was a small woman, gaining from some cheeky boys the name of ‘Pipsqueak’. Michael Corrigan remembers Miss Mitchell as delightful but reasonably strict. By 1964 she was teaching Grade 3; a dear lady, caring, and a person whom Michael Rush remembers with real affection. “Miss Mitchell was a very small person in stature. […]

‘Mr Carroll, master and prefect of discipline at Kostka from 1937 to 1940, slept in St John’s with the boarders. “Once we were ready for bed, we would sit on our beds in a circle around him. He would read us something like ‘The Lives of the Saints’ and then something humorous, usually Wodehouse.” He […]

The school was Kostka Hall, Brighton, Victoria, which is a preparatory school to Xavier College, Kew. The quotes are taken from ‘Kostka: Xavier by the Sea’ by Helen Penrose and Catherine Waterhouse, published in 1997. ‘Father McCurtin was already seventy-two years old when he began at Kostka. He was gentle and cheerful, with a keen […]

Woodchurch High School Cheshire Amanda Jane I hated Mrs Bracegirdle, can’t remember how many times I got the cane from her – she seemed to love caning people. Janet Simpkin-Mars Ms. Clapp “. She sent me to Ms. Hetherington for a caning. Janet Evans is it just me.or can anyone else rememeber mrs dodd and […]

  Wisewood Sec Sheffield Jane hi i left wisewood in 1982 and remember ms greenwood who was head of girls (pure evil with the cane, use to stand on a chair and hit you on the way down ) Yeomans Bridge Aldershot Doug Janet Bussingham (who got the cane off Miss Davies) Davies for stripping […]

Wingfield Comp Rotherham Mark Miss Staley She gave me the slipper in 1986! Darren Ms Staley (RE) man she was a scary women, that slipper was lethal. Gillian Harrison Mrs Whitely – Only got the cane once! Jane One teacher I certainly didn’t like was Mrs Whitely. She was the one the girls had to […]

Windsor County Grammar Windsor Pat Larkin I remember one girl, not her name, but the picture of her standing on the school’s stage, waiting for ‘the slipper’ has never left me….I don’t recall why she was receiving this awful punishment, but I do know it upset all of us girls. It was unnecessary and uncalled […]

Willows High Schhool Cardiff Pauline yeah slack harris gave me the cane i i dont no ow many times Jeanette Maypine i went 2 willows 74 we use 2 have a laugh had the cane a few times of mrs harris she bloody hurt me