At my senior school in Southport back in the early 1960s The Cane was used on boys and girls and given by the headmaster. It wasn’t frequent and probably given out 4 or 5 times a year.
My only experience was when I was silly enough to answer back a senior teacher using a swear word. I knew what I’d done straight away and instantly regretted it. I think everyone in my class including the teacher was as shocked at what I’d said as I was. It was really not in my nature. I knew what would happen next. I behaved impeccably for the rest of the lesson but was told to stay behind at the end when I was duly marched to the headmaster’s office.