I have had two children at Bentley. I have mixed feelings. My first child struggled with the lack of diversity for most of her 9 years there. The prior post that mentions the administration's lack of action towards ill-behaved children is spot on! THE EDUCATION IS FANTASTIC! If you are a parent that
... Read more is active and not easily intimidated, it could be a great fit. Read less
Posted by a parent on 04/27/09
My husband I have a 8th grader who has been at the school since 1st grade. We are planning to put our youngest into the kindergarten program this fall. We travel from the Tri Valley are into Oaklnd. Our public school district is one of the best in the state. Our neighborhood schools are given the highest
... Read more awards. We choose to be a part of the community because of the academic rigor, the smaller class sizes all the way through high school, the attention to global diversity - not just the limited definition of black and white or rich and poor. Our family has experience tremendous returns on the investment we made in our child. She is a confident, independent thinker who can hold her own in any subject. She is more than prepared for her next journey -high school. Read less
Posted by a parent on 01/15/09
We have been thrilled with our daughter's experience at Bentley. She is thriving academically and socially. Bentley is an academic school and the children are challenged, but they offer a well rounded curriculum. My daughter is exposed to drama, art, foreign languages, PE, computers, library. She
... Read more looks forward to going to school every day and even asks to stay at the after care (which is free and offers her a variety of arts and crafts activities). We couldn't be happier! I do have to say I'm surprised by a couple of the posts, because in our experience the school is very open and accepting and seems to celebrate the diversity in the student body. Read less
Posted by a parent on 12/16/08
We have two children at the lower school and the kids have loved their time at school. My daughter went from a very shy incoming k student to a confident student who is proud of her accomplishments in all subjects, esp. math, writing and art. Its really an amazing school with amazing teachers. When
... Read more we looked at schools, we were looking for a school that provided a well-balanced education with strong but not overly rigorous academics, great art, languages and a place that values a community. Also, the lower and middle school heads are both very focussed on the children's well being overall, and not just academics. We live in Oakland and wanted to make sure the school reflected the diversity in our neighborhood. We have been happy with the school's ability to address diversity in a meaningful way. Read less
Posted by a parent on 11/21/08
My husband and I have two children enrolled at Bentley School, 2nd and 5th graders, a girl and a boy, respectively. Both of my children are thriving and have been since their kindergarten enrollments. Bentley's academic programs are its strength, closely followed by its cultural enrichment programs,
... Read more warm and nurturing faculty, and somewhat idyllic setting. Both of my children very much look forward to going to school each day--even with the full knowledge that they will be challenged academically. Sometimes, my husband and I are taken aback at the the content and depth of knowledge that, unprompted, erupts from the mouths of our babes...often in the midst of casual conversations my husband and I are having. ;-) We would encourage anyone looking for a well-rounded and sound educational foundation and environment for their child to take a 1st & 2nd look at Bentley School. Read less
Posted by a parent on 11/20/08
I'm surprised by the recent posts (from 2008) - this seems inaccurate! Especially the comments about this being a 'rich' school. I think that the emphasis here is simply on a great education - consistently applied in all grades and with all students. In our experience (11 years) academic excellence plus
... Read more (arts and sports) has been the primary focus. Both our children have been through the middle school and even though they are very different learners, each had an extraordinary 3 years in the middle school. The teachers are the highest caliber - consistently intelligent, creative and fun! The middle school teachers are especially skilled, the math program and teachers are the best. Mr Gerry and Mr Grener are just brilliant and beloved by the students. I'm certain many have turned on to math because of their influence. We're thrilled to be at Bentley! Read less
Posted by a parent on 07/24/08
My child attended Bentley from 1st through middle school. The elementary school was very good academically but I really wish we had not sent our child to the middle school. There has been alot of turn over and the new teachers are inexperienced and the teachers who have been there along time need to
... Read more retire. I also agree there was favoritism towards children whose parents gave alot of money to the school versus parents who did not. I would think that several of the local public schools and several of the private schools would be much better. Not worth the money. Read less
Posted by a parent on 07/20/08
This school is first a business and second a school that cares about its students. For the extremely high tuition the education and curriculum is just average. Families/students appear to be accepted here based on their financial contribution not on the basis of their child(ren's) merits or postive contributions
... Read more to the classroom. That said there are significant behavior problems with students that go largely unaddressed. Families and their children are rewarded based on how much they give to the school both in time and money with very little thanks. Problematic kids will stay and parents are left little recourse. The administration is also problematic with high turnover in faculty such as the headmaster, admissions directors and more. Save your money and attend any of the FREE public schools around the corner which are great schools for the price and will genuinely put the care of your child(ren) first not your pocketbook. Read less
Posted by a parent on 03/11/08
My child has thrived in Bentley's sound academic environment. The teachers are enthusiastic and very nurturing. The depth of the subject matter always captivates my child's interest and that feed her love of learning. We are so happy we chose Bentley. Frankly, I can't think of a better place for them.
... Read moreRead less
Posted by a parent on 12/01/07
My child has thrived in Bentley's sound academic environment. The teachers are enthusiastic and very nurturing. The depth of the subject matter always captivates my child's interest and that feed her love of learning. We are so happy we chose Bentley. Frankly, I can't think of a better place for them.
... Read moreRead less
*The resources listed are programs that the institution is staffed to support. Staffing for a program does not guarantee that it will be offered. This content is provided by the institution and may be incomplete. The institution may offer programs not listed here. Please contact the school directly for additional details.
Advanced Placement
AP classes are college-level classes offered at the high school level. Once a student completes an AP class and passes a final comprehensive examination conducted by the College Board, the student earns college credit for the course. AP classes are specific and not to be confused with other higher-level classes such as honors classes.
Before/After School
"Extended day" programs where the school day is extended before and after school to accommodate working parents. These programs should not be confused with common after school clubs or athletic activities.
Gifted and Talented
A school system may identify 10% to 15% or more of its student population as gifted and talented. A brief description of each area of giftedness or talent as defined by the Office of Gifted and Talented:
general intellectual ability or talent - high intelligence test score (usually two standard deviations above the mean), and high levels of vocabulary, memory, abstract work knowledge and abstract reasoning;
specific academic aptitude or talent in one area such as mathematics or language arts;
creative and productive thinking, the ability to produce new ideas;
leadership ability, the ability to direct individuals or groups to a common decision or action;
visual and performing arts, special talents in visual art, music, dance, drama, or other related studies;
psychomotor ability, such as practical, spatial, mechanical, and physical skills.
Vocation/Technical Curriculum
Vocational and/or technical courses offered within a comprehensive school, usually a senior high school.
Special Education Classes
A school or program within a school that provides services and training to students with moderate to severe mental and/or physical disabilities.
Adult Education Classes
Programs offering GED or equivalent courses for adults within regular schools, whether classes are held during evening or daytime schedules.
English as Second Language
English language classes for students whose first language is not English.
Oakland schools — Bentley School is located at 1 Hiller Dr, Oakland CA 94618. 1 Hiller Dr is in the Claremont Hills neighborhood and 94618 ZIP code in Oakland, CA Bentley School is a Private school that serves grade levels K - 8.
School information provided by OnBoard Informatics Copyright (c) 2008. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
We won't spam you. Nor will we give, sell, rent or otherwise make your email address available to third parties.
All our mailings include a link so you can easily unsubscribe. For more details, read our full privacy policy.
Parent Reviews
These reviews include feedback from parents, students, former students, administrators and other staff. This feedback
may help you further evaluate and compare schools, along with other information such as test scores, academic programs,
school resources, classroom and teacher ratios, etc. The reviews are provided by GreatSchools.
Ask a question about this school on Trulia Voices to learn more
about this school or district from residents and other local experts.
Test Score Ratings
Test score ratings are based on the most recent standardized test results reported by this state. These ratings may help
you compare similar schools in this district or area. For example, a rating of 8 indicates that, on average, students in
this school scored better than 70% of the students in the state on the same tests. We have indicated below which tests
were used in calculating these ratings. Other factors should be considered when comparing schools, including teacher
experience, academic programs, extracurricular activities, resources for special needs students, etc. These ratings are
not provided by the state Department of Education, which may have their own rating systems.
