Bentley C E Primary School
This week at Bentley...
As we begin a new half term, I hope you all had a wonderful break with your families. I am sure, like me, you could hardly believe the weather we enjoyed! We spent our half term in Devon and had a fantastic time making the most of the sunshine on the beach with family and friends.
It has been a busy and exciting start back at school. This week, we have welcomed some special visitors as part of Alton Arts Festival. Emma Callow worked with our KS1 children to create some fantastic mini drawing robots, while KS2 children have been busy working with an artist to create two wonderful murals for the school. These opportunities have been organised by Sara Wood and Helen Reeves, and we are incredibly grateful for all their hard work in bringing such enriching experiences to Bentley. There are still more exciting opportunities to come over the coming weeks.
A huge thank you to everyone who took part in our recent mini-bus driver training. Your support really helps us to continue providing the many trips, visits and enrichment opportunities that make such a difference to our children's experiences.
A huge thank you also to everyone who has helped bring the Rainbow Room project to life. Whether you donated resources, gave up your time, or came into school during the half-term break to help with the transformation, your support has been incredible. The room now looks absolutely amazing and will provide a wonderful space for our children to enjoy and benefit from. We are so fortunate to be part of such a caring and generous community, and projects like this remind us just how lucky we are to have such brilliant people supporting our school.
I also hope you are getting as excited about BFEST as we are! Before half term, it was wonderful to hear the children auditioning and practising for their performances. BFEST is always a very special event in the Bentley calendar and one that truly showcases the talents, confidence and creativity of our children. I cannot wait to see everyone perform. Thank you to Mrs Blake for coordinating all of the performances and to our PTFA for the enormous amount of work they do behind the scenes to make events like this such a success.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Mrs Hallett
Headteacher
HOUSEPOINTS
This week’s housepoints totals:
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210 |
232
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208 |
164 |
ATTENDANCE
Governors have set the attendance target for the school at 97%. The class with the best attendance last week were Year 4! Well done Year 4!
Attendance figures for each class for last week are below:
SAFEGUARDING
Water safety:
As the weather warms up, children and young people are more likely to be around water – whether at home, on days out or on holiday. Almost half of drownings occur during the summer months when temperatures are higher. Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in children in the UK, but most incidents are preventable. Babies and young children are most at risk at home, while older children and teenagers are more likely to encounter dangers in open water such as rivers, lakes and the sea. Research shows that teenagers and young adults are at increased risk during very warm weather, particularly when temperatures reach or exceed 25°C.
Most drowning incidents can be prevented with the right knowledge, supervision and preparation. The Hampshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (HSCP) Water Safety Toolkit for parents and carers offers simple, practical advice to help families stay safe.
The toolkit is designed to be clear and accessible, helping families build confidence and make safer choices around water. It includes guidance on:
. Everyday risks at home – including bath time safety and garden hazards
- Staying safe outdoors – such as the beach, around rivers and in open water
- Practical safety advice – including the Water Safety Code and how to “Float to Live”
- Age-specific guidance – for babies, young children, older children and teenagers
- What to do in an emergency – including simple first aid steps and where to find further support
Small actions – such as close supervision, choosing safe places to swim, and having regular conversations with children - can make a significant difference.
GOLD BOOK
Well done to those children who were in the gold book. We’re very proud of you!
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Gold book |
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Year R |
Ollie F |
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Year 1 |
Atlas |
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Year 2 |
Lily |
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Year 3 |
Emilia |
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Year 4 |
Owen |
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Year 5 |
Lauren |
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Year 6 |
Arthur |
ARITHMAGICIANS
Well done to everyone who took part in the Arithmagicians competition over the past two weeks. Congratulations to Year 6, our winning class, with Year 1 a close second and Year 4 in third place.
A special congratulations to our top three players—Holly, Clemmie and Seth—who achieved outstanding scores and should be very proud of their efforts.
Don’t forget to keep playing and earning points, which can be exchanged for rewards such as house points, extra playtime and even an ice lolly with Mrs Blake. Many children enjoyed their well-earned ice lollies this afternoon after collecting points throughout the last half term. Keep up the great work!
ALTON ARTS FESTIVAL
We’ve had a great week this week participating in art workshops organised by the Alton Arts Festival team.
Year R worked in pairs to make art spinners. They used cups, corks motors and various art resources.
KS1 classes made drawing robots using motors and cups which the children decorated.
KS2 children made two murals. One is David Attenborough themed, and the other focuses on our school values of love, courage and community.
Staff were very impressed with all the children involved, and commented on the high levels of engagement, focus and creativity. Team work was especially evident, but most importantly, it was huge fun!
The wider Alton Arts Festival returns 3–12 July, bringing music, comedy, theatre and visual arts to Holybourne, Alton and Chawton. It’s a 10-day, multi-arts festival with something for the whole family to enjoy.
🎟️ Tickets are now on sale – explore the full programme here:
https://wegottickets.com/altonartsfestival
🌟 Family highlights
Chris Riddell (Live Event)
11th July 5pm
Enjoy a special event with award-winning illustrator and former Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell, a fantastic opportunity for young readers and budding artists.
👉 Book here: https://wegottickets.com/event/696829
Olaf Falafel’s Stupidest Super Stupid Show
5th July 2pm
Award-winning, sell-out comedy for children packed with facts, nonsense and laughs.
👉 Book here: https://wegottickets.com/event/696129
🎭 Pumpkin Pantos: Alice in Wonderland (FREE event)
4th July 2-3pm Alton Public Gardens
A colourful outdoor pantomime with music, costumes and comedy for all ages.
🎉 Party in the Park (FREE – Festival Finale)
12th July 12noon - 6pm Alton Public Gardens
The festival closes with a relaxed outdoor celebration – live music, food and community spirit. Bring a blanket and the family!
SCHOOL PLACES STILL AVAILABLE!
FREE ONLINE PARENT COURSES
Hampshire County Council are pleased to offer an exciting new programme of courses; a mixture of firm favourites and new subjects.
The courses are designed to enhance your knowledge and skills, promote personal growth, explore your creative interests or simply broaden your horizon. The following may be of particular interest:
ECO UPDATE
Second-hand Summer Gear
Back by popular demand is Eco Council’s second-hand summer gear stall at the upcoming B-Fest. So, if you are having a sort out, please do bag up any good quality items of children’s summer clothing and accessories suitable for summer holidays. Suitable items include shorts, swimming gear and beach toys. Please note that we are only accepting GOOD QUALITY children’s items – no adults clothes please. The drop off point will be open on Monday 15th June for the week before B-Fest. Thank you!
Young ACAN Earthlings – Year 3 only
Young ACAN is launching an exclusive and exciting new club in September called Earthlings and Year 3 is invited to join. Interested pupils are required to complete an application form (which they will have been given) and return it to Young ACAN by Friday 12th June (note the extended date). Please note that this club is open to children in local schools and will take place on a Saturday morning – once every half-term. For more details, click here.
Hidden Treasure Hunt – a national recycling challenge
Great news! You now have until 6th July to recycle your unwanted tech! Please hunt out unwanted or broken tech and electrical items at home and recycle them at Curry’s or at Farnham and Alton Recycling Centres – click here for more details. Please note, if you are NOT dropping off your items at Currys, please take a photo when you recycle them to upload as evidence – you will be asked to upload this photo when you register – click here to register and scroll down to ‘How to register your recycling’.
Every time a family registers their recycling, our school earns a Planet Care Point and moves up the national leaderboard. Schools can win thousands of pounds in Currys’ vouchers for Microsoft tech, and families who take part are entered into prize draws to win Currys’ vouchers for Microsoft tech too. As an extra incentive Eco Council will be awarding a ‘Dolphin Award’ to those children who participate. Pupils should bring in a photo of them recycling their tech at Curry’s or a recycling centre. Please note only one dolphin will be awarded per child.
Please do get involved and share with your friends and family to help us to win some Microsoft tech for our school. The campaign runs until 6th July 2026.
Find out more and take part at: hiddentreasurehunt.org
People’s Emergency Briefing
I
f you are yet to view the People's Emergency Briefing, here is a great opportunity to watch it locally at Alton College on Friday 19th June. In the film you will listen to experts about the climate and nature crisis which is impacting us now. The event is free but you do need to ‘get’ tickets in order to attend – scan the QR code on the poster to get yours!
PTFA
Frozen Fridays, our after-school ice lolly sales, have now started! £1 for an ice lolly, cash or card accepted. Find us on the playground!
Raffle tickets have come home in bookbags this week. Please return the stub and money back to the office. Please also return any unwanted tickets so we can sell them on the day. We have a huge selection of fantastic raffle prizes available to win!
Volunteer sign up sheets for B-Fest will be out soon. Please keep an eye out and help out where you can!
Online tickets for B-Fest now on the website www.pta-events.co.uk/bentley
Tickets sold on the door too.
