At Bentley we take Internet safety very seriously, especially in a world where technology and access is ever changing. Recently we invited in a representative from Papaya, who carried out workshops with some children. Our Computing link governor (who is also a parent) joined one of the workshops and has written a brief article from a parent perspective, which we thought would be worthwhile sharing with our parent community.

View from the governors – short newsletter article

I recently have the chance to sit in on a session called “Me and my screen”, which was provided by an external provider and provided an opportunity for all year groups to discuss safe screen use, their habits and some of the risks and downside of the use of screen technology.

The session was wide-ranging and it was inspiring to see the children express a range of views and experiences. It was also startling, though unsurprising, to hear just how far they are aware of screens impacting their lives, including their relationships with parents and siblings.

It was a reminder to me, a millennial parent, that our children are growing up in a very different world to that we experienced. The exposure to screens for our children is fraught with risk and that technology companies are heavily incentivised to build addictive services including those targeted at children.

It’s a reminder that we all need to support them in navigating this world, help them regulate and limit used, as well as lead by example. Some really helpful takeaways for me were:

- Set clearer boundaries on screen time for the children, and for myself in front of my children

– making sure our phones are put away and our attention is given to our children

- The “short” videos and auto-play features inherent to even YouTube kids, iPlayer and other streaming platforms are highly addictive, and children in particular are equipped to resist the addiction this drives. They need our help to build awareness of the risks of using these, make sure they are turned off wherever possible and know when to stop watching.

- The children are aware of AI, and see it very much as a mixed blessing. If you have any concerns about this area, please contact the school who can point to lots of excellent resources to help!

Have a great weekend.

Vicky Hallett

Headteacher

HOUSEPOINTS                                                                                                      

This week’s housepoints totals:

224

235

236

245

 

SAFEGUARDING – PLEASE READ!

We have been made aware of a pop-up that is appearing on Roblox, encouraging children to download an app called pollybuzz (or pollyfuzz in some spelling cases). The app seems quite simple where children are asked questions, and it generates an Artificial Intelligence ‘friend’ – this starts off quite innocently but then begins to show extreme content (including suicide, self-harm and pornography). It may be helpful to remind children about not clicking on pop-ups in games and to report anything that is worrying or inappropriate to a trusted adult. It may also be helpful to communicate with parents about this. Roblox has parental controls and instructions of how to put these on can be accessed via this link: 

Parental Controls Overview – Roblox Support . 

Please remember that parental controls will stop some pop-ups, but not all, so appropriate supervision is still required. 

ATTENDANCE

Governors have set the attendance target for the school at 97%. The class with the best attendance last week was Year 2 again. Well done Year 2!

Attendance figures for each class for last week are below:

 

GOLD BOOK/GOLD CARDS

 

Well done to those children who were awarded a gold card or were in the Gold Book. We’re very proud of you!

	Gold Book	Gold Cards
Year R	Arabella, Jason
Year 1	Atlas	Amelie, Jessica
Year 2	Orla	Henry
Year 3	Eli
Year 4	Orla	Eli (x2), Jasper (x2), Finn (x2)
Year 5	Sebastian	Abbey
Year 6	Lauren K	Benedict

 

 

TT ROCKSTARS

Congratulations to the 'Top of the Class' winners in last week's Times Tables Rockstars competition this week:
Year 1: Lissy
Year 2: Edie
Year 3: Charlie
Year 4: Edward
Year 5: Edie H
Year 6: Harry

 

A new competition starts today! You have until next Thursday evening to play and to get your house on the top of the leaderboard. Keep practising, give it your best, and good luck!

 

POPPY APPEAL

Thank you to everyone who bought poppies from school this year as part of the poppy appeal. We have been told that we raised £276.22! This will go towards the Royal British Legion’s vital welfare and benevolent work.

 

 

COLD WEATHER

With the current cold snap, and with winter just around the corner, please ensure that your child has an a warm coat at school every day. Hats and gloves are also very much appreciated by the children, but please help your child learn how to put these on themselves if possible – mittens are generally much easier for Year R, for example. We would be very grateful if you could ensure that ALL items of clothing brought to school are named.

 

YEAR R 2026 APPLICATIONS

Is your child starting school in September 2026?

If so, come and visit us here at Bentley to find out all about our lovely community-centred, village primary school and to see if we are the right school for your child. Bentley welcomes children from within our catchment area and beyond.

Applications are now open for Year R starters in 2026. If you have a younger child who turns 4 between 1^st September 20245 and 31^st August 2026 (or know someone locally who does) we are hosting open events for prospective parents on the following dates:

Wednesday 26th November 25 at 7:00 pm
Wednesday 7th January 26 at 9:30 am

 

Click here to book your place.

 

ALTON CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SWITCH ON

On Friday 21^st November Alton will be holding their Christmas Lights Switch on and Market.

Road Closure – Friday 21^st November 11am – 10pm
High Street from the junction with lady place car park (Marks and Spencer end) to the mini roundabout junction with Normandy Street and Church Street (Crown Hotel and Curtis Museum).

Market Street, Market Square, Cross and Pillory Lane and Turk Street.

Free Parking after 3pm

East Hampshire District Council will be suspending car park charges in their Pay and Display car parks after 3pm. Please remember to double-check that you are parked in one of the council's designated car parks, as other car parks and on street parking in the area may still have regular charges in place.

The event will be from 3pm – 7pm. For more details visit our website Christmas Lights Switch-On And Market 2025 – Alton Town Council

 

ECO UPDATE

Eco Council

Eco Council Dolphin Award

Congratulations to Christopher and Isabelle for receiving our first Eco Council Dolphin Awards. The siblings were presented with their dolphins for collecting a staggering 9.23kg of litter in Bentley on a recent litter pick.  Eco Council will be awarding Dolphin Awards every term for pupils who demonstrate that they are inspiring Eco Warriors!

Time for a Sort Out!

Eco Council will be hosting their second Regift-Reuse-Relove Christmas Stall at the upcoming Christmas Fair on Friday 28^th November.  Once again, we are asking everybody to have a sort out and donate CHILDREN’S, GOOD QUALITY BOOKS, GAMES, TOYS AND CHRISTMAS JUMPERS & PYJAMAS.  Please could we ask that the items donated are children’s and in good condition please. They must be suitable for regifting.  There will be a box on the playground for donations.  All money raised will be used for our pollinator garden.  Thank you in advance.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team Energy - Switch Off Fortnight – Quiz and Poster Competition

As our Switch Off Fortnight campaign draws to a close, Team Energy is keen to ensure that our good switching off habits continue.  The team is inviting all pupils to design a poster to be displayed around the school to remind everybody to switch off lights, boards and devices.  The winning entries will win one of our very cute WWF baby dolphins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forest Explorers – Waterproofs Needed!

“There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes!”

To help our children enjoy Forest Explorers in all weathers, we urgently need some more donations of waterproof coats and trousers please.  Please bring them into the school office – thank you in advance!  We don’t need any wellies as we now have enough – thank you for all the donations last year!

Eco Christmas Bonanza – Donations Needed

Coming soon to St Lawrence Church in Alton is an exciting Eco Christmas Bonanza.  To make this happen, they are looking for a long list of donations – see poster!  Please do have a sort out and donate if you can.  Then, why not come along to the Eco Christmas Experience on Saturday 29^th November between 9.30am and 11.30am where you’ll find a range of stalls and activities for all ages. Christmas can be such an expensive time of year but there is an alternative which is much cheaper from making your own wrapping paper to gifting pre-loved items. 

 

 

 

 

 

PTFA

Crumble sales! The delicious crumbles are made and ready to be sold. There’s only a limited number available, so if you’d like to reserve one, please message your class reps. Keep an eye out on your class WhatsApp’s for sale/pick up dates.

 

Raffle tickets have been sent home in the children’s book bags on Friday 14th for a return of stubs, money and spare tickets on Friday 21st November. Please return any remaining stubs ASAP.

 

Christmas Fair - Friday 28th November!

We can’t wait to see you all after school for our annual Christmas fair. Expect stalls, singing and a Christmas pony!

Infants can start the fair at 3pm. Juniors will be let out at 3:15pm. The fair finishes at 5pm. 

Class stalls are organised by your class reps. Please support them by keeping an eye on any requests they may ask on the WhatsApp groups.

We will be asking for donations of:

- teddies

- chocolates

- second hand items for the eco-stall 

Buckets will be on the playground to add these donations to. 

 

Please help us run the event by signing up to help on a stall:

Setup & Tidy up
volunteersignup.org/BPDEQ

Refreshments
volunteersignup.org/HFQMY

Santa’s Grotto
volunteersignup.org/BHBCK

Name the Elf and Xmas Raffle
volunteersignup.org/PTL94

 

Christmas trees will be on sale again, ready to collect after school on Friday 5th December. 

Please purchase your tree on www.pta-events.co.uk/bentley

These trees are high quality, last till Christmas, generous in size, great value AND they raise money for the PTFA!

Every person that buys a tree will also be included in a draw to win a Xmas hamper from Peacocks Nursery.

 You’re Invited to The Bentley Bash!

Join us for a spectacular evening at the beautiful Bury Court, a stunning local venue, as we celebrate in style with music, dancing, food, and fun.

 When?
Friday 15th May 2026, 7-11:30pm

 What’s Included:
• Live band, music & dancing all night long
• Delicious pizza & dessert (included in your ticket)
• Raffle prizes, games & extra entertainment to keep the fun flowing
• Minibus taxi service available to make your night hassle-free

 Dress Code: Dress to impress!

🎟 Tickets:
• £50 if purchased before 1st December
• £55 after 1st December
• Option to pay in two £25 instalments if booked before 1st December (final payment due by 1st February)

 Venue: Bury Court – a stunning local setting that makes the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable evening.

Don’t miss out on what promises to be a night to remember – music, laughter, dancing, and plenty of surprises along the way!

Tickets on sale now!
Www.pta-events.co.uk/bentley