The Berlie Doherty Learning and Resource Centre

Our school library is open to students throughout the school day and after school until 4.30pm.  Students have library lessons in year 7 and year 8 fortnightly with their English teacher. Students in year 9 have a library lesson each half term with their English teacher. Students can loan resources, use computers, undertake silent study and receive study support in the library. 

The library is managed by our librarian Mrs McDonald on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and our librarian Mrs Douglas on Wednesdays . 

You can follow the library on Instagram @uptonhs.library

Berlie Doherty

Our library is named after award-winning children’s author and former pupil of Upton Hall School, Berlie Doherty. She has written over 60 books and has won many awards, including the Carnegie medal for both Granny Was a Buffer Girl and Dear Nobody. The author has visited our school library to open her namesake and deliver creative writing workshops. 

Berlie is pictured below at Upton Hall School: second from the left on the back row.

Library Lessons

Students in years 7 & 8 have a library lesson each fortnight with their English teacher and Mrs McDonald. Students in year 9 have a library lesson each half-term. Library lessons are designed to help students choose books to read for pleasure and help students to build a reading community. Students play intensive reading games, host class book tastings, pitch books to other students, explore genre and track their reading in these lessons. Reading engagement and excellent effort are rewarded throughout the year with reading house points. At the end of each school year, the Reading House Cup is awarded to the house with the most points. Students who have contributed the most points to their house are also presented with outstanding reader certificates.  

Jane Austen Festival 2026

This year we have hosted a Jane Austen Festival for our students. This was a cross-curricular celebration of the life and works of Jane Austen.  Students have explored the Regency Era in their History lessons before starting their own piece of historical creative writing in library lessons. Workshops were hosted about Regency Era medicine and discoveries in Physics during the late 1700s. Miss Fletcher delivered an inspiring lecture on female empowerment in Austen. Mandarin students got to grips with translating Austen's novels. Students explored the life of Austen in their year 7 and 8 library lessons whilst year 9 mapped out families in her novels. The English department hosted an Austen podcast and the Drama department explored and performed works of Austen in Drama Club. 

Book Clubs

Year 7 Book Club: Mondays 4.00pm- 4.30pm Week B

Year 8 Book Club: Mondays 4.00pm- 4.30pm Week A

Our book clubs are a friendly group who love to share their latest reads, shadow book awards, play book-related games and explore set books together. If you would like to join speak to Mrs McDonald. 

Library Assistants

Mrs McDonald and Mrs Douglas are assisted in the library by a team of Library Assistants. These pupils help others to use the library, issue and return resources, process new books and help to promote reading for pleasure.

If you would like to be a library assistant download and complete the application form below in related documents and return it to Mrs McDonald in the library. 

Recommended Reads

The recommended reads lists are tailored for each year group to introduce students to books to read for pleasure. Lists include addictive reads, featured books, quick reads, future classics and classics. Click here to see the recommended reads lists. 

Wider Reading Lists

We have been working with subject leaders across the school to create wider reading lists for students. These provide a list of texts that students can read to broaden their studies. Books are available in the library and the lists are provided below in 'Related Documents'. Click  here to see the wider reading lists. 

Author Visits

5th March 2026: Radhika Sanghani

The award-winning author and journalist will be leading a talk for students in year 7 & 8; hosting a book signing; speaking with our Girls in Green magazine team all before leading an exciting creative writing workshop!

Copies of her novels are all available in the library