Lawrence Waddy took over as headmaster in 1949. The Tonbridge he inherited was still a largely Victorian institution; fagging and ritual caning were still in place, and sport was considered more important than academia. Over the next 40 years personal fagging was abolished (ending in 1965), and the intellectual life of the school was revitalised (particularly under the headmastership of Michael McCrum). McCrum, headmaster from 1962 to 1970, abolished the right of senior boys to administer corporal punishment, taking over for himself the duty of administering routine canings. First year socials were set up with nearby girls' schools such as Benenden School and Roedean School. Boaters (known at the school as "barges"), straw hats worn by boys, were no longer compulsory uniform after a major town-gown fight in the 1970s. The headmaster until 2005 was Martin Hammond.
