In the famous Janet Dines caning of Lynne Simmonds, the girl was made to bend over a bookcase in the head study. I would have thought this was quite unusual.
Bending over a piece of furniture is much safer than the bending over, touching toes, a position referred to above. Here, there is always the danger that the force of the blows will knock the person being punished forward, unless of course, it is just a fun slippering.
Discipline was, by today’s standards, harsh.
As choristers it was doubly hard as we could be caned by Dr Sumsion, the Master of the Choristers, and also by the headmaster.