She found this system unsatisfactory, as she often changed the recommendations of the junior staff, and would come under criticism for ‘always knowing best’. She felt that if was administering the cane it was for her, and no one else to determine what she was comfortable with as she ‘carried the can’.
Her greatest difficulty was with the youngest kids facing mandatory penalties, where she was sure they would not stand, or where it would be excessively cruel to give six of the best. She then frequently used her own judgment, which again could lead to confrontation with other staff who had a rigid view on this. She was a squash player and said she interpreted six of the best as involving substantial extra ‘upwards’ wrist movement at the last moment, combined with ‘gating the final stroke across the initial five stokes, which she would place more carefully, slowly, and closely for maximum effect.