Corporal punishment had been used sparingly in the first few years of St Bede’s. The seniors in their tiny classes were treated as responsible “near adults” and a friendly relationship between teacher and pupil developed. George Laube, who had attended De La Salle Malvern in 1937, recalled that the atmosphere at St Bede’s was much more relaxed than at Malvern where the strap was frequently used. As St Bede’s moved into the 1940’s corporal punishment increased significantly.