Climbing ropes were still very much part of PE lessons for many pupils in the 1980s. Shimmying up a rope was viewed as a vital skill back then, as students grappled with the fear of friction burns or plummeting onto the thin gym mats below. This photo was actually taken back in the 1930s, at Shirecliffe Council School in Sheffield but shows the sort of ropes children were tasked with climbing decades later.Climbing ropes were still very much part of PE lessons for many pupils in the 1980s. Shimmying up a rope was viewed as a vital skill back then, as students grappled with the fear of friction burns or plummeting onto the thin gym mats below. This photo was actually taken back in the 1930s, at Shirecliffe Council School in Sheffield but shows the sort of ropes children were tasked with climbing decades later.
Climbing ropes were still very much part of PE lessons for many pupils in the 1980s. Shimmying up a rope was viewed as a vital skill back then, as students grappled with the fear of friction burns or plummeting onto the thin gym mats below. This photo was actually taken back in the 1930s, at Shirecliffe Council School in Sheffield but shows the sort of ropes children were tasked with climbing decades later. | Picture Sheffield

15 surprising things you'll only remember if you went to school in the 80s, including dinner time favourite

Robert Cumber
By Robert Cumber

Property and retro writer

Published 22nd Mar 2025, 08:00 BST

School life has changed a lot since the 1980s, from lessons to playground games and, of course, school dinners.

If you were a child of the 80s, this retro photo gallery will almost certainly bring memories flooding back.

Do you recall the horrific sound of fingernails being scraped across a blackboard, the days when the game of conkers was all the rage, or the sense of excitement as the big TV was wheeled into class?

Was a custard-drenched jam roly-poly a school dinner favourite for you, or was there another meal you remember fondly?

Some of these aspects of school life will have you pining for your childhood, while others - like the dreaded climbing ropes or being made to do PE in your pants and vest - will make you glad those days are behind you and your children don’t have to put up with the same.

What are your best and worst memories of 1980s school life? Let us know in the comments section below.

In the early days of school computers, if you wanted to print something off you couldn't just use any old paper, you had to use the green lined computer paper with perforated edges which will be familiar to anyone of a certain age. Pictured here are pupils using computers at Malet Lambert School, in Hull, during the 90s, when the special paper was still commonplace.

13. Green lined computer paper

In the early days of school computers, if you wanted to print something off you couldn't just use any old paper, you had to use the green lined computer paper with perforated edges which will be familiar to anyone of a certain age. Pictured here are pupils using computers at Malet Lambert School, in Hull, during the 90s, when the special paper was still commonplace. | Terry Carrott Photo: Terry Carrott

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Slap bracelets, made with a thin piece of flexible steel wrapped in fabric or plastic, were huge at schools in the 1980s and early 90s. The straight bands could be slapped against your wrist, causing them to coil into the shape of a bracelet. They were reportedly banned at some schools over fears that poorly made models could cause injuries.

14. Slap bracelets

Slap bracelets, made with a thin piece of flexible steel wrapped in fabric or plastic, were huge at schools in the 1980s and early 90s. The straight bands could be slapped against your wrist, causing them to coil into the shape of a bracelet. They were reportedly banned at some schools over fears that poorly made models could cause injuries. | Yvonne Hemsey/Getty Images Photo: Yvonne Hemsey/Getty Images

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The game of conkers is dying out somewhat but it was a huge part of playground life back in the 1980s. We all know someone who baked their conker or soaked it in vinegar in a bid to make it unbreakable.

15. Playing conkers

The game of conkers is dying out somewhat but it was a huge part of playground life back in the 1980s. We all know someone who baked their conker or soaked it in vinegar in a bid to make it unbreakable. | National World Photo: National World

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