Bentley Upper

1000 Upper Happy Valley Road

Lafayette, CA 94549

10 Reviews

School District
Grade

9-12
Type

private

Find Homes for Sale in this School Zone

Reviews

Submitted by parent on December 03, 2024

A High school with an incredible range of courses available to my high schooler! From the first year onwards, students can choose from various classes catering to diverse interests and skill levels. For instance, math students can opt for anything from IM1 to AP Calculus BC, Multivariable Calculus, Differential Equations, and Linear Algebra - the options are endless! Similarly, arts, humanities, and seminar courses offer unparalleled depth and breadth. The administration and management are exceptional, and the sports programs are highly competitive. With over 100 student-led clubs, there's something for everyone. I'm grateful for the well-rounded education my child is receiving, and I highly recommend this school to anyone seeking academic excellence!
Submitted by parent on April 20, 2024

I'm a parent of a sophomore (class of 2026). We've had an outstanding experience with the Bentley community since our son started there as a freshman. He was a pretty disengaged middle school student, but he's gotten much more enthusiastic about school thanks to the great teachers that have motivated him and welcomed him. One approach that has been a great fit for him is the ability to remaster material if you don't understand it fully the first time you are tested. Instead of just blowing past math concepts that he didn't get, he's been going back over old material and really taking the time to understand it so he can retest. We live in Oakland, and, while the tunnel traffic occasionally is annoying, overall the commute to/from school has been pretty easy and not any worse than most of the other independent schools nearby.
Submitted by parent on February 03, 2022

I am torn regarding this school. There is definitely too much turnover of teachers. The school often acts as if they don't have a lot of money - which is confusing given the tuition. One thing that I have heard is that a lot of parents (and even students) threaten lawsuits (and perhaps even file lawsuits) over petty selfish issues. I hope that these parents know that this will impact the entire school in a negative way. I hope that they consider this impact before making such impactful threats. I personally don't believe in making threats or taking such actions unless absolutely necessary. A school need to be a community of trust in order to provide the best experience for every teacher and every student. They also need funds (that are not in threat) in order to pay teachers fairly and recognize and retain great teachers. I hope that the school and the parents will do A LOT MORE to take care of great teachers. And I hope that parents realize their role is impactful and important. They should think about all their actions and be a positive contributor to make this school great!
Submitted by parent on January 26, 2021

My daughter has been attending Bentley upper school for a couple of years. These are the main issues:- Terrible high level school leaders/administration. Just look on Glassdoor and you can see for yourself. I have zero idea why the school board has allowed this to go on so long. - High teacher turnover due to above. The GREAT teachers leave (because they don't need to take such poor treatment). I am not sure if they try to retain these wonderful teachers - but the definitely don't do enough to keep them. We are then left with the bad teachers- until they eventually get fired (which usually takes too long)- They have terrible internet at the high school. During remote (covid period) this is ridiculous. They always say they will fix - but it never has gotten better. There is no excuse for this! We pay a ton of money - how come you can't get good internet?- Not enough AP classes for the high school. This leaves kids as not competitive when comparing to kids from other schools for college admission.To be clear, they do occasionally have some wonder staff, teachers and college counselors. The issue is that all the great ones often leave.To all the great teachers who have stayed: THANK YOU! We all appreciate you and our kids appreciate and love you!!
Submitted by other on November 16, 2017

The Bentley School community is amazing! The kids are kind to one another and extremely inclusive. The academic program sets the bar very high but also allows for a sense of balance. While there are several new faculty members this year, their energy and expertise adds to the overall positive culture. I'm so glad I am a part of this unique school.
Submitted by parent on October 24, 2017

Bentley is a pretty amazing school in that it has incredibly strong academics but it doesn't create overly anxious and fragile kids who are only happy with earning the A. Students at Bentley seem happy and balanced, eager to learn and who value the relationships they form with their teachers, advisors, and coaches. Our son has found role models in his teachers that he respects and admires and our conversations around the dinner table are more about what is going on at school and they cool things he is learning rather than overly worried about the next test or the next grade. It is a refreshing change from what we see in other schools because we feel like our kid is known and is pushed in a healthy way.
Submitted by parent on October 24, 2017

My two children, who are both very different, have grown tremendously at Bentley. The school does care about the whole person and teachers are amazing. The student culture is very warm and open and there are a lot of opportunities to grow emotionally and academically.
Submitted by parent on November 27, 2016

We recently moved to the area after having lived overseas. We went through a detailed process to determine which school would be best for our kids. After visiting a number of schools, both of my kids felt more comfortable at Bentley. Both of our sons are extraordinarily happy at this school. The teachers are highly competent, engaged, and encouraging and the administration is friendly and highly professional.
Submitted by other on October 19, 2016

Attended this school in its second year. Terrible outside of its academics - it was a suffocating, dehumanizing experience. If you are thinking of sending your children there, ask yourself why most of the reviews on this page are parents speaking for their own children rather than the students themselves.
Submitted by parent on September 14, 2013

I"m so happy we chose this school for our son. The teachers are outstanding! He has 2 professors in his freshman year. Hhis classes are engaging - not lecture based - but discussion based. So the children learn to think. He is on-fire psyched about school. Bentley is super diverse. Way more so than other schools along the 680-24 corridor, so he learning about different world views. He also gets to play soccer - his first time ever. How cool is that? Everyone has been so welcoming. The school spirit is awesome. My child is thriving in this small private setting with outstanding teachers.