Chorlton High School

Chorlton High School for Boys[2] was founded in September 1924 with 110 boys due to the growing need to educate older local boys.[3] The first headmaster was A. F. Chappell, appointed in 1925. During Second World War it was twice evacuated to Fleetwood, owing to the Blitz; school records for the period during the war are sketchy, as the boys were moved around multiple times. The first headmaster retired in 1951 and was succeeded by Mr Merriman a year later. In 1952 it became a grammar school as pupil numbers started increasing again. The third and final headmaster was C. A. Crofts, appointed in 1963.[4] There was at one time a lower school in Darley Avenue (formerly Barlow Hall School).[5]

During the 1960s it returned to its comprehensive roots. The existing building of Chorlton High School at Nell Lane (built in the early 1960s) replaced the old school at Sandy Lane (Corkland Road), which was formerly Chorlton Grammar School; in the early years it was called Oakwood High School.[6][7] Chorlton Grammar School on Corkland Road merged with Barlow Hall Secondary Modern School in 1967, when all of Manchester's secondary state schools became comprehensive. Oakwood High School was the name give to the school, formed by the amalgamation of Wilbraham High School and Chorlton High School in the early 1980s. The current site of Chorlton High School at Nell Lane, was the original site of the Wilbraham High School Upper School.[8]

It was designated a specialist Arts College in 2002.[9] In May 2012, the school governors approved the controversial decision to convert into an academy.[10] The school became an academy on 1 January 2013.

Due to the 2020 coronavirus outbreak in the United Kingdom, the school, along with all of the schools in the UK, was shut in March 2020 until further notice, leaving students into home learning.

• Tosin Adarabioyo, footballer for Manchester City
• Geko, rapper
• Trevor Davey, Member of Parliament (New Zealand)

• Andrea Ashworth, author of the memoir, Once in a House on Fire.
• David Joseph Henry, Writer and human rights activist.
• David Judge, Actor, playwright and performance poet.
• Jason Manford, Comedian, television and radio presenter.

• David Threlfall, English stage, film and television actor and director. Frank Gallagher (Shameless).

• Jim Cumbes, cricketer and goalkeeper for Aston Villa
• Paul Hart, defender for Leeds United
• Keith Newton, defender for Blackburn Rovers and Burnley
• Sir Michael Turner CBE FRAeS, Chief Executive from 2002 to 2008 of BAE Systems, and chairman since 2008 of Babcock International and from 2012 of GKN

• Peter Barnes, Footballer and Sports Pundit.[12]
• Frank Cohen
• Trevor Davey (1926–2012), member of the New Zealand House of Representatives (1972–1975)[13]
• Jack Eccles CBE, President of the Trades Union Congress (1985-1986)
• Roy Gibson, Director General from 1985 to 1987 of the British National Space Centre, and Director General from 1975 to 1980 of the European Space Agency (ESA)
• John Gwynne, darts commentator, father of Andrew Gwynne, the Labour MP for Denton and Reddish since 2005
• Harry Hargreaves, was an English cartoonist
• Graham Paddon, midfielder for Norwich City

• Adrian Henri – taught at the school during the 1950s.[14]