Letter to Mark Brennan (out of the oblivion!) - new evidence -
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| On the Beat | Crime Investigation | Warrants | Sentences | Appeals |
| INTERACTIVE - Register of Discipline | ||||
Staff
Prefects
After the previous upper sixth left prior to A levels, the whole of lower sixth became prefects.
Following an "election" (results not published), two were named as head boys. One of these would give the vote of thanks at that year's speechday. The two also had the honour of being entertained for dinner by the Headmaster!
Intake Headboys 65 Gearoid Cartwright (67-68) 65 Andrew Hartnett (68-69) 65 Adam Zaslona (69-70) 65 John Taylor (70-71) 65 Stephen McCann and ? (71-71) 66 Chris Blaydon and Nigel Tweedie(72-72) 67 Thomas Walsh and ? (73-74) 68 John Whatnall and ? (74-75) 69 Christopher Start and Michael Cooke(75-76) 70 Paul Grainger and Andrew Whatnall(76-77) 71 Steven Johnston and Ged Doyle(77-78)
"Trial by peers"
Forcing the culprit(s) out by this method was common. The webmaster cannot remember it ever being successful. On some occasions, the question was asked "How many (volunteers) do you need?", by pupils after a suitable interval. Soon after this, "they" usually abandoned the exercise with some facesaver.
WANTED
John Bryceland
allegedly one of 1969 entry
in connection with 15 unserved periods of detention.
Alan Johnston is believed to be helping with enquiries!
Corporal punishment was delivered by roster duty master in "Green Room" twice daily. The leather strap was used for punishment administered to the backside of the pupil. The "Green Room" was originally a stage green room but most of us remember it for this other purpose. Teachers could also send pupils out of class directly to the Head master's office where the strap was also almost inevitably administered. Punishment varied from one to six strokes depending on the offence (and perhaps other factors!).
A record was maintained in the Register of Discipline (now interactive!)
Detention - 1/2 hour after school was standard punishment for latecomers and incomplete homework.
Inventive forms of informal corporal punishment (as recalled by the boys):
leaning against the blackboard using only their nose as support
being asked to look very closely at a speck on the blackboard and then having the back of your head slapped to create a suitable impact
being picked up by the lapels and pinned against the wall
being hauled up to tip-toes from a sitting position by the "side-burns"
My first docket & Spike asking how many whacks I wanted and not taking none as an answer!(SL)
That overwhelming sense of relief when you discovered that Mr. Ingram was meting out 'the whack' and not Mr. Rigby, Mr. Matthews etc. etc.......
The pathetic attempts at sneaking past detention duty prefects, using some alternative route, and resorting to all kinds of hamfisted pretences to convince them that you'd been there all morning (such as stuffing your overcoat into your bag!).
A bright lad in the entry year 1968 (Anthony Greenwood) was sent to show his exemplary work to the headmaster . The Headmaster allegedly assumed the usual reason for a pupil knocking at his door and promptly administered the strap! On realising his mistake the Headmaster apparently apologised and then gave the boy a credit note excusing him the strap should he ever require future discipline
( corroborated staff sources).Being sent to the Headmaster for refusing to pick up books on the floor after a master had thrown them at me. Unusually on this occasion the headmaster believed my story, and just told me to apologise to the master concerned, no doubt an implied rebuke for the master ( PJF).
On another occasion, I was tripped up by another boy on leaving the assembly hall - the result of which was both being sent to the Headmaster. After hearing my story, the Headmaster requested that I bend over the chair for the usual punishment. On questioning why, as I was the victim, the Headmaster replied that although he fully believed my story, not beating me might result in a worse fate later that day (behind the pavilion!).
I chose to take my chance and left the Headmaster's office unscathed on that occasion.
Letter to Mark Brennan (out of the oblivion!) - new evidence -
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From Education Act 2 1986
Where in proceedings, it is shown that corporal punishment has been given to a pupil by or on the authority of a member of staff, giving punishment cannot be justified on the ground that it was done in pursuance of a right exercisable by the member of staff of his position as such.
1998: Corporal Punishment was made illegal in ALL schools
Corporal punishment given by, or on the authority of, a member of staff to a child
cannot be justified in any proceedings on the ground that it was given in pursuance of a right exercisable by the member of staff by virtue of his position as such.
World Corporal Punishment Research
