What O'Level's did you do in the 1980's?

[AnnMcGuinness]

I'm just wondering what o'level's you guys did in the 1980's. My eldest son is currently doing his GCSE's and my only daughter is currently picking her's.

The reason I'm asking is because there seems to be completely different GCSE options than there were in the 1980's when I did o'level's.

In the 1980's in my school we all had to do English language, English Literature, Maths.

Turning to the options block you had to choose a language I chose French and you had to choose a Science I chose Human Biology. Then you had three remaining option blocks. I choose Home Economics, Admin and Typing as well as History o'level.

My friend said to me who went to my school said she done o'level's in the options she picked was Physics, Home Economics, French, Geology and Accounts.

When i seen the option blocks for my children's GCSE's i seen Geology and Accounts is no longer and option. I am wondering what were you O'level options in the 1980's and is there any you done that isn't on offer for children taking there GCSE's today.

Kind Regards

Ann😀

1980/1
English lang (November)
English Lit
Maths (year early)
AO Maths
French
German (had to choose either German or Spanish 2 years earlier)
Biology
Chemistry
Music *
Needlework*

• I was somehow able to drop history and geography to do those

1985

Maths
Eng lang
Eng lit
Physics with Chemistry
Biology
Latin
French
History

Then Economics after the first year of A levels and Greek Literature in Translation as a 'fun extra' (?!?) in sixth form.

Eng Lang (set completed course and took exam 1 year early)
Eng Lit
Maths (also possible to take 1 year early)
Physics
Chemistry
French
German
History
Statistics

This was 1980 in a very large, very socially mixed comprehensive.

I did Economics A level in the 6th form and gained an O level in that on the way.

English Lit, English Lang, Maths and a science were compulsory. I can't remember if you had to do a language or a humanity but they were grouped together as options.

Statistics was very popular. I think there were about 20 in my class. It's odd because I've never come across anyone else with a statistics O level and I don't know if it was widely offered or we just happened to have a teacher with a special interest.

Eng lang
Eng lit
Maths
Physics
Chemistry
French
History
R.E.
Economics
Art

Earlier, in the 70s and at a GDST school did
Eng Lang
Eng lit
Maths
French
Latin - could have been German or Spanish

then the options
Physics
Chemistry
Biology and
2 year express course Music

Managed to swerve both history and geography but you were supposed to do at least one. 3 sciences were rumoured to be incompatible with a 2 year option. There was also an express German course from memory

In the sixth form general studies was compulsory as was university test in English. Some unis like Manchester you had to complete a form 'M' with all O levels to make sure you had acceptable subjects, bit like the old matriculation I suppose. They'd not long dropped the requirement for latin in 74 from memory.

Subjects like RE, art were in a minority. Geology was a 1 year course for people doing geography at A level.

A daring parent once asked about domestic science..... Irene hitched up her gown and replied in withering tones that it was an academic institution and, therefore, domestic science was not on the curriculum.

English Language
English Lit
History
Geography
French
RE
Music
Maths (a year early in upper 4th)
Add. Maths
Biology
Chemistry

In the late '70s rather than the '80s

Art (option), up against cookery, needlework or music iirc
French O
French AO
Geography

History
Maths
English lang
English lit AO
Combined science 1
Combined science 2

In 1985

1986: Did 10 O levels in England. Some people did fewer, it was tailored according to each individual.

English language
English literature
Maths
German
French
Biology
Chemistry
Religious Studies
Geography
Home Economics

I live in Scotland now and I have been horrified how much my own children have had to narrow down the number of subjects they can do at National 5 which is the same age/level.

Maths and Eng Lang in 4th year
in the 5th form
Ad Maths
Eng Lit
French
Russian
History
Computer Studies
Music
Biology
Latin
and in the Lower 6th Statistics (we had to do it in a year if we studied Economics at A level)
Upper 6th General Studies

I did :
Maths
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
English Language
English Literature
Latin
French
& RE, which was compulsory because it was a Catholic school. I deliberately failed the exam as a protest.

I also did a CSE in ‘basic numeracy’ which everyone, including us in the top maths stream, had to take but I obviously don’t count that as a qualification.

Early 80s

English Literature
English Language
French
History
Art
Physics
Chemistry
Maths
German

Eng lit, Eng Lang, maths, french, German, biology, chemistry, physics, RE.

I can’t remember which we had to do beyond English and maths. Almost definitely RE as it was a very Catholic convent school.

History! How could I forget? It was my favourite.

oh and we did one thing for which we had no lessons but 2 practice papers: Use of English which used to be required for Oxbridge. Just in case.
The grades were Pass, Fail and near fail (which meant you failed by 5% or less which is just bizarre)
I did the bulk of my O's in 1980

1985:-

Eng Lang, Eng Lit, Maths, French - all compulsory
Biology
Physics
German
Food and Nutrition
History

I attended an all girls grammar. The clever girls did Latin while the not so clever (including me)! did cookery and needlework! They certainly weren't gender busting times back in the 80s!

I then went to college and did a Secrearial Studies course and learned all sorts of useless useful stuff like shorthand, how to type on a manual typewriter, all about something called Word Processing and how carbon paper was a go to must!!😆

English Lit
English language
French
Spanish
History
Maths
Advanced maths - might have been called additional
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
RS

I also did French for business studies as an AO level.

1979 - compulsory Maths, English Literature, English Language, RE, MFL(French), Science (Human Biology). Options - History, Politics, Ancient History, Geography.

At my school, everyone did:

English language, English lit, maths, French
plus at least one science (up to 3 in total, options: physics, chemistry, biology, human biology)

People used to sit 8 or 9 in total (for some pupils, some courses might have been CSE, not O level)

IIRC, the remaining options to choose from (all girls school btw) were:
History, geography, RE, Latin, German, music, home economics, art

I did mine in 2002, chosw subjects/started in 2000 but mine were very similar....
Eng Lit
Eng Lang
Maths
Science single(general) or double (again general but double award such BB)
IT (which was also compulsory then)
French - we had to choose a language
Then 3 or 4 choices, mine were;
Business
History
Social Science (bit more modern I think)
You could also choose from Spanish, RE, Food Tech, Graphic Design, PE, Child Studies, Geography to name a few but all quite traditional

Oh music and drama were choices also

Did my O levels in 1983
Maths
English language
English literature
Government and Politics
Economics
German
Biology
RE
Food and Nutrition

Eng Lit
Eng Lang
Maths
RE
Biology
Chemistry - but this was the 16+ which was new that year
History
French
German
Spanish

I wanted to do Art, but you couldn't do 2 sciences plus Art as it clashed & my mum insisted on the 2 sciences so...🤷🏻‍♀️

I did mine in 1986 - the penultimate year for O levels. I did:

Maths
Eng Lang
Eng Lit
French
German
Geography
History
Chemistry

Maths, Eng lang, a science and a language were all compulsory.

During my A levels, I did an extra AO level in Human Biology (can't remember if AO is 'advanced' or 'alternative' O level).

GCSE done in 2015

I did

English
Maths
Science
History
French (ha)
Business
Travel and Tourism
RE

1984:
Maths-compulsory
Eng Lit-compulsory
French-compulsory
Chemistry-option
Biology -option
Physics-Option
History -option

Took 3 a year earlier in Y10 1983:
Eng Lang compulsory
RE compulsory
Music -option

Girls grammar school, CSEs not available.