l happened to come across two references to Bedford Modern School last week. Until 2003 this was a boys-only boarding and day school where the headmaster in the 1950s and 60s, John Taylor, had a reputation for beating boys. At the end of every term he would administer a routine 3 strokes of the cane to the 3 lowest achievers in every class. That seems somewhat harsh as he didn’t even set a pass mark to be achieved, thus being guaranteed a large cohort to be caned at the end of every term.
Another reference mentioned that, not only was there corporal punishment, the most heinous offenders were caned by the HM in front of the school at morning assembly. Unfortunately no examples of heinous behaviour were given.