Each of the chapters in The Copper Beech, except for the first and last, have the title of a character's name. The first chapter is called, "Shancarrig School," which focuses on the school, and the last "A Stone House and a Big Tree" focuses on what is left of the school after the children leave. Each of the chapters in between tells the story of a character's life, the titles indicating the narrative view the chapter will take.

The third person view in the novel allows the characters' experiences to be seen intimately without having the novel voiced through first person point of view.