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Literacy and Reading
Reading is a fundamental part of life at Chorlton High School and we encourage all students to read widely for learning and for pleasure. Students are provided with opportunities to develop their reading skills across a wide range of areas of school life – including all academic subjects, the pastoral curriculum and extra-curricular opportunities.
Our READ with fluency CHS Scholar Habit makes clear to students some of the different steps they can take to focus on their reading.
Academic Reading:
Reading in Lessons
Students are taught to read for meaning in all of their different subject areas using high quality texts. Each scheme of work explicitly develops students’ vocabulary and students are supported when reading and writing like an expert in their different subject areas. Our subject area reading lists signpost wider reading for students linked to some of their favourite subjects.
Look through our Reading Lists below to enjoy an exciting range of books for each curriculum subject area.
Chorlton High Reading Strategies
To see the different reading interventions that we run, and how we target each students' needs, please see 'Growing Confident Readers' booklet below.
The Pastoral Curriculum
Community Reading is a whole form time dedicated to reading for pleasure. Years 7-9 select their own book from a range and focus on a different book each term and focus on reading for pleasure and discussing through oracy some of the topics their texts explore.
Some of the books students explore are:
Some of the Epic Tales we inspire our Year 7 students with are:
Extra-Curricular Opportunities:
The School Library
The Bodey Library is open after school and students can swap books as well as use the space for private reading or study. We have two full time dedicated librarians and the library has a wealth of fiction and non-fiction texts with the library catalogue being regularly updated. We regularly host author visits, both in real life and virtually, and a programme of calendared enrichment activities ensure that young people can be inspired by meeting some of their favourite authors and illustrators.
Our Online Library
The library catalogue can be accessed online from school or home via the banner below:
Students can search for books, see what is available and reserve books using the catalogue.
More information on using the catalogue can be found below.
Unlock Your Next Adventure: Dive into Our Extensive Reading Lists!
Welcome to the epicentre of Curiosity at Chorlton High—your fantastic library!
Every student deserves to find their perfect book, no matter their age, interest, or reading level. Our expansive reading lists are designed to help every CHS Scholar cultivate a lifelong love of learning, offering a huge selection of titles for all types of readers.
We want every student to dive in and explore new worlds, build Empathy through diverse stories, and find the perfect material to help them READ routinely and achieve their personal best!
Library Promotions
The library holds promotions throughout the year. Including Mental Health Awareness Day, Take 10 to Read, National Poetry Day, Black History Month, World Book Day, Empathy Day, Refugee Week, Pride and the Beelong Festival. We also run a wealth of competitions to instil a love of reading in our students, including the Four Book Challenge each summer holidays and the annual World Book Day Bake Off.
New Books
Author Visits
We also take part in both online and in person author visits to encourage students to meet a wide range of authors and to read for pleasure. Recent visits have included.
Diana Anyakwo visited Chorlton High School on Wednesday 30 April 2025. She spoke to a group of students about growing up in both Nigeria and Manchester and what it means to feel like you don’t belong anywhere.
Burhana Islam visited Chorlton High School on Wednesday 24 September 2025 as part of Chorlton Book Festival. Burhana is the author of Amazing Muslims who changed the world and the ‘My laugh out loud life’ series of books, which feature the wonderfully funny Yusuf Ali Khan. She spoke to two groups of Year 7’s in the library about her life as a writer and the importance of being able to laugh!
See Myself in Books
The library has a diverse range of both fiction and non-fiction books and is passionate about making sure students can access books with characters that they can relate to.
