Punishment

	Boy with dunce hat on. Model by Felix Maxby, Middle Street School pupil, 2005

The first headmaster of the school in 1805, was Mr Sharp, a strict disciplinarian. He was believed to have been an inn-keeper of a favourite resort of mariners.

Here follows some methods of punishment for wayward pupils:

* The strap, the birch and the dunces cap were the more orthodox punishments.

* A pupil who played truant could expect on his return to have a three foot log chained to his leg. He would then have to drag this log around the school in front of everyone.

	Boy tied up in a basket. Model by Leili St Clair, Middle Street School pupil, 2005

* For those who talked in class, an enormous red tongue would be hung around their neck.

* The basket was a vigorous form of correction for the misbehaving pupil. The basket would be hung by a rope from a beam in the school. The pupil would climb in and be raised to a certain height, whereupon the basket would then be spun around or swung to and fro by the other boys.

To see more pictures of models made for the Old School exhibition click here.

The School Log Book

	The Middle Street School Log Book

The issuing of punishment and reward can be seen within the school Log Book entries quoted below:

12th March 1869

Father of the lad John Arnold called in great anger because I kept his son for idleness. I told him if he objected to any discipline he had better take his son elsewhere, which he said he would do, using very bad language.

November 1869

Rod Shepherd not having paid his school fee during part month told him to ask his mother for the amount. Found that he had given it to him and that he had bought on three occasions purchase 4d worth of fireworks at Mr Chatfields West Street.

19th July 1879

Gave a holiday yesterday (Friday), about 130 lads with the teachers and myself paid a visit to Zoological Gardens, London.

1st August 1879

Punished and expelled Albert Hyder for opening teachers desk and stealing.

3rd October 1879

Frederick Powell has been playing truant over the last 2 weeks and he has frequently done the same, and his influence was bad with the other boys. I sent him home and removed his name from the books.

Ex Middle Street School pupil Sheila Dyer talks about the types of punishment faced at school

	Ex pupil Sheila Dyer, 2005

" I seem to remember that the children were pretty well behaved, erm, there was a cane that could be used, but I'm lucky I didn't get the cane, but the children seemed to be very good in class, erm, because they knew that if they weren't good, they would either get the cane or a smack, or have to stay in after school for what we call detention. "

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Reward

Ex Middle Street School pupil Sheila Dyer talks about getting a reward from the headmaster

	Ex pupil Sheila Dyer, 2005

" At the end of every term the headmaster would hand out certificates for pupils who had not been absent or been late for the whole term and I remember getting these certificates every term, I was very, very proud of that. I used to make sure I was never late or away from school because I really wanted those certificates, and when I left, when I was 11, the headmaster asked me if I would like to think of something that I could have as a prize, and I wanted a penknife, and the headmaster actually presented me with a penknife, er, before I left here which is something you wouldn't dream of giving an 11 year old these days, and I've still got that penknife now."

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