Bentley’s Got Talent

Our first week back kicked off with a bang as the children were treated to “Bentley’s Got Talent” on Tuesday. This fantastic event has served as a brilliant stimulus for our whole-school Writing Learning Journeys, and the talent on display was truly inspiring (well, some of it!). From side splitting jokes to fantastic musical performances, every act brought something unique. One highlight was Mr. Lucas, who wowed us with his karate skills—an act that left us all in awe!

 

 

Bentley Fireworks Night – This Friday

I am very excited for the upcoming Bentley Fireworks event this Friday! Each morning on my way to school, I have enjoyed watching the impressive structure for the event take shape. On Friday, our evening will begin with a procession led by Mr. Goddard, who will guide the children to kick-start the lighting of the bonfire.

The incredible PTFA and dedicated volunteers will be hard at work, cooking and serving BBQ food for everyone to enjoy. If you find yourself separated from your child, there will be a “Lost Child” tent located on the field. Please head there for assistance. We are looking forward to a wonderful evening of food, fun, and fantastic fireworks!

The Big Sing at Eggar’s School

We are immensely proud of our Year 5 children who participated in the “Big Sing” event at Eggar’s, where they performed alongside children from other local schools. They represented Bentley with such enthusiasm, teamwork, and musical talent. It was wonderful to see them embrace the opportunity to sing with others. Mollie and William write “On Thursday,  Year 5 went to Eggar's school for a singing performance, along with children from other primary schools in Alton.  All children sang  'Africa' by Toto, accompanied by the Eggar's school orchestra.  Each school was also asked to perform their own song in front of the audience.  Bentley sang 'Better when I'm dancing'.  The performers and the audience all enjoyed the singing.  Learning the lines had been difficult but it was an amazing experience and it was definitely worth it.”  

 

Remembrance Service at Binsted Church

Today, our Year 5 and 6 students attended a moving Remembrance Service at Binsted Church. Mrs. Miffling reports that the service was a beautiful and reflective experience for everyone involved. We are so proud of our students for taking part in this important tradition. Lexi D and Flora Rose report “This morning, Year 5 and 6 went to the church in Binsted for a special Remembrance service. Together, with the pupils of Binsted Primary School, we remembered those who had sacrificed their lives for peace in our country and listened to Matt as he explained that unfortunately, freedom isn't free. We listened to 'The Last Post' and had two minutes of silence before we placed our poppies onto the memorial statue.”

 

Governor’s Perspective

This term, we will be introducing occasional updates from our school governors, who will share insights from their visits and help paint a picture of life at Bentley from their unique perspective. It is a chance to celebrate the great work happening in our school.

Hello, I’m Jo, the SEND Governor at Bentley, a role I've held for three years. I work in the NHS and am a single mom to two wonderful autistic children, each with unique support needs.

As a governor, I visit the school once or twice a term to meet with Mrs. Rhodes and the children, reviewing progress on our SEND school improvement priorities. Each autumn, I also discuss the school’s overall SEND status to identify successes and areas for further support.

During my visit this week, I observed strategies for supporting children with additional needs and those working at greater depth, linking to our priority of ensuring good progress through effective teaching and assessment. I visited classes from Reception to Year 4, observing tools like scaffolding and word banks that help all students engage in tasks at their own level.

Children are encouraged as much as possible to be independent learners, however the teachers and learning support assistants (LSAs) were all on hand to listen, answer questions, help and explain when needed. Children looked happy, engaged in their learning and there was a sense of calm in classrooms.

Students are encouraged to be independent, with teachers and LSAs readily available to support and keep them engaged. The atmosphere was calm and positive, with happy, focused children. It’s wonderful to see the progress that Bentley’s inclusive approach fosters in all pupils and I have witnessed the positive impact and progress pupils are making.

My next visit will be in January and I will be chatting with some of the children to hear about how they feel about being at school and what helps them learn.

Thank you all for your ongoing support, and I look forward to seeing many of you on Friday at the fireworks event. Let us make this half of the term a memorable one!

 

THANK YOU…

…to Dottie Tots for the story chairs, the Ryan family for the felt tips and the Launders family for the construction set.

 

TT ROCKSTARS!

Well done to Year 5!  This week they won the Battle of the Bands competition, which involved all of the key stage two classes.  Excellent work for practising your times tables and helping your class to win this week!

There will be no Battle of the Bands next week because we are taking part in a National competition! England Rocks starts at 7.30am Tuesday 12th and runs until 7.30pm Thursday 14th November.

We are taking part along with over 2500 schools! Practise your tables and win points for Team Bentley!

 

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR

Next week (Wednesday 13th November - Monday 18th November), we are welcoming back the Scholastic Book Fair. We will be selling books before and after school (8:30 - 9:15am and 3:15 - 4pm). Please come and support the school if you are able to: for every £10 that is spent, we can earn up to £6 back in rewards to refresh the children’s books in our library.

We also have five £5 vouchers to award the children. To be in with a chance of winning one, we are asking the children to draw their favourite book character. All entries should be on A4 paper with their name and class on the back. Entries must be handed to the office by Monday 11^th November. 

We cannot wait to see the children's competition entries and we look forward to seeing many of you at the Book Fair.

Mrs Blake

 

 

ECO UPDATE

Ministry of Eco Education (MofEE)

This week at our teachers’ meeting we discussed the work of the Eco Council and other plans to make our school a more sustainable place. Mrs Ashby and Madame Jones talked about the Ministry of Eco Education (MofEE) which is a national organisation helping schools across the UK to adopt a more sustainable curriculum, starting with Geography. Click here to access the full letter explaining more.

Wanted: Pre-loved wellies and waterproofs

We would very much welcome your pre-loved wellies and waterproofs to add to our current stock for use at Forest Explorers. Please bring your donations into school and they will be very gratefully received! Thank you in advance.

 

 

 

 

Litter Picker Backpacks

If your child comes home with a litter picker backpack, we ask you to be aware of safe litter picking. Please be noted that participation in a litter pick using the litter picker backpack is entirely at your own risk and that children must be supervised by an adult. The school does not provide insurance for this activity. Please click here for a Beginner’s Guide to Litter Picking produced by Keep Britain Tidy. You may wish to watch this short video by Picker Pals before you embark on your litter picking! Please return the litter picker backpack to school on Monday. Inside the bag is: a litter picker; a notebook to record your litter pick; a pair of gloves; hi-viz jacket and a reusable bag. We kindly request that you dispose of the litter safely and return the reusable bag in the backpack together with its contents.

 

 

STARTING SCHOOL AND MOVING TO SECONDARY SCHOOL – SEPTEMBER 2025

 

It is already time to be looking ahead to next September! Applications are now open for Year R starters in 2024. If you have a younger child who turns 4 between 1^st September 2024 and 31^st August 2025 (or know someone locally who does) we are holding open events for prospective parents. Click here to find out more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PTFA

PTFA Fun Club:

Join us for this after school club (3:15-5pm) on Friday 15th November for sports, games, short films and arts and crafts. 

£6 per child - includes a hot dog, crisps and a treat. 

Needed: volunteers to help with fun club! Please let us know if you are able to help or sign up on the PTFA portal when booking tickets.

All our ticketed events can be viewed on www.pta-events.co.uk/bentley. 

For all our ticketed events, eg Fun Club, all children need to have a pre-booked ticket. We cannot accept any children into the events on the day of the event. The ticket sales will close the day before the event. No tickets can be purchased or reserved after this - we need to know exact numbers for adult:children ratios, overall safety and for purchasing the right amount of food.

We’re doing well on our Mission for Laptops!

We’re at £4,500! We need about £19,000, so please keep sharing. Remember, we can claim gift aid on anything donated to the PTFA via go fund me. 

Here’s the link: 

https://gofund.me/0f704714

Parentkind: the charity that supports school PTAs - have teamed up with Asda, who is making millions of pounds available to donate to primary schools across the UK through their ‘Cashpot for Schools’ initiative – all you have to do is: opt in through the Asda Rewards app, choose our primary school and shop and scan in store or shop online at Asda.com, between 2nd September and 30th November 2024 Asda will donate 0.5% of the value of your shop to our PTA. Also, every time somebody opts in, Asda will give an additional £1 to the school Cashpot. Plus, it doesn’t stop there – Asda are also giving £50 to every school to get them started.