Barking Abbey School

20/08/2026

Barking Abbey is celebrating another set of record results! After exceptional A Level results last week, we have achieved our highest ever percentage of Strong Passes in English and Maths (5+). In addition, more than one-quarter of Maths GCSE Grades were awarded 7 or above for the first time.

Over 100 Grade 9s were achieved, and over 600 Grades 9 to 7. Individual students are celebrating simply remarkable results. Chabane achieved a full house of 9 Grade 9s; and Manmeet achieved 8 Grade 9s. At Barking Abbey we have always been proud of the work we do for our vulnerable, SEND and ARP students and so are so pleased to report our best ever results for these pupils in all headline measures. A quarter of our SEND pupils gained a Strong pass in English and Maths which is simply astonishing. Additionally, we have closed our disadvantaged gap to less than 10% at all levels.

Tony Roe, Headteacher said: "As always this has been a massive team effort starting in year 7. They have been a great year group and have had the benefit of outstanding teaching every step of the way. We are particularly pleased with the record performance of our SEND students and the work we have done to almost close the gap for our vulnerable students. We are looking forward to enrolling record numbers into our amazingly successful, heavily oversubscribed sixth form later today.”

13/08/2026

Barking Abbey is celebrating remarkable, record-breaking results again this morning.

Our students achieved the school’s highest ever number of 41 A* Grades, including 11 in Mathematics. The top Grade was achieved in an unprecedented 16 A-Level Subjects. More than 150 A*/A Grades were awarded, which is over one quarter of all results; and two-thirds were graded A*-B. Vocational results were exceptional: higher than ever before at Barking Abbey, and in the Top 5% in the country for progress. Our CTEC IT Qualification scored in the Top 1% of schools nationally, a phenomenal achievement by students and staff.

5 students achieved the incredible feat of all A* Grades; a further 11 achieved all A*/A Grades; and 17 Vocational students achieved all Distinction* in their chosen Courses.

We could not be prouder of our students, who it must be remembered missed out on a huge chuck of Secondary School during Covid. They worked so hard, showing resilience and bravery throughout their time with us. These outstanding results will ensure they get their first-choice Universities, degree apprenticeships and full scholarships to the United States.

An incredible 65% of students who applied for university are going to Russell Group Universities. Some notable destinations include UCL, Kings College London, Warwick, Nottingham and Imperial College. A further 30 students are going on to complete degree apprenticeships, including Disney, TFL, KPMG, Amazon, Deloitte, UBS and London Metropolitan Police.

17/07/2026

09/07/2026

The Junior Leadership Team (JLT) organised an ambitious Walk to Jamaica challenge to raise funds in support of communities affected by the recent hurricane. As always, the Barking Abbey School community rose to the occasion, and after a determined final push, we reached our target with just 10 minutes to spare!

The challenge took place on Tuesday 7th July at the Longbridge Campus and Wednesday 8th July at the Sandringham Campus. During one hour of the school day, students walked as many laps of the school field as possible. At the end of each session, students recorded the number of laps they had completed, with the totals combined across both campuses.

Staff also played their part by completing additional laps whenever they could, including during non-teaching periods. Their fantastic support helped us achieve our collective goal of 4,722 miles – the equivalent distance from Barking Abbey to Jamaica. In total, the school community covered an impressive 4,852.75 miles, exceeding our target by just over 130 miles.

A huge thank you to everyone who took part and contributed to this incredible team effort. Your enthusiasm, determination and community spirit made this challenge a great success.

If you would still like to support the appeal, donations can be made via our JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/barking-abbey-jlt-junior-leadership-team-5?utm_medium=FA&utm_source=CL

09/07/2026

Our Year 11 Prom was a truly unforgettable evening and the perfect way to celebrate the end of an incredible journey together.

Students arrived in style, stepping out of an impressive collection of luxury and supercars, looking absolutely fantastic in their elegant dresses and sharp suits. It was wonderful to see everyone celebrating such a significant milestone with their friends, families and staff.

The evening began with speeches from Heads of Year, Mr Cope and Miss Agathangelou, who reflected on the students' achievements, resilience and memories from the past five years. This was followed by the presentation of the Year 11 awards, recognising students for their outstanding contributions, personal growth and achievements throughout their time at Barking Abbey School.

As the evening continued, students enjoyed a delicious meal before taking to the dance floor, where they danced late into the evening, laughed with friends and created memories that will last a lifetime. It was a fitting celebration of all they have accomplished and a wonderful opportunity to share one final special moment together as a school family.

We are incredibly proud of every member of the Class of 2026 and would like to thank all the staff who helped make the evening such a success. We wish our Year 11 students eve-ry happiness and success as they begin the next chapter of their journey.

29/06/2026

Barking Abbey School had the pleasure of welcoming a partner school group from Nigeria for a highly successful and enriching exchange visit. The programme gave students from both schools the opportunity to learn alongside one another, share experiences, and build meaningful connections through full immersion in school life.

From the very first day, students were paired with members of the Junior Leadership Team (JLT) and quickly settled into their roles as “buddies”. The structure of the visit meant that each visiting student from Nigeria followed the same timetable as their JLT buddy, attending all lessons together and experiencing a full day in a British secondary school setting.

Throughout the week, students took part in a wide range of lessons and activities. In Physical Education, they worked collaboratively and competitively in cricket and rounders, developing teamwork, coordination and communication skills. In Science, they engaged in practical experiments, showing curiosity and enthusiasm while working safely and collaboratively in laboratory settings. English lessons focused on poetry, where students explored language, expression and interpretation together. In Music, students participated in creative sessions that encouraged performance, rhythm and shared musical understanding. Citizenship lessons sparked thoughtful and respectful discussions, giving students the opportunity to explore global issues and different perspectives in an open classroom environment.

One of the highlights of the week was a series of highly competitive and enjoyable quizzes, where JLT students and their Nigerian partners worked together as teams. The quizzes covered a broad range of topics, including general knowledge, sport, Nigeria-focused questions, London-based questions and geography. These sessions were not only exciting but also encouraged teamwork, communication and mutual learning, as students shared their knowledge and cultural understanding.

What stood out most throughout the week was the immediate development of friendships. Despite coming from different countries and backgrounds, students connected quickly, supported one another in lessons, and showed genuine interest in learning about each other's lives and cultures. This sense of respect and curiosity created a positive and welcoming atmosphere across the school.

Overall, it has been an outstanding and memorable week for everyone involved. The exchange has not only broadened students’ academic and cultural horizons but has also helped to foster friendships that will extend beyond the visit itself. Most importantly, the experience has strongly reflected and developed the core Barking Abbey values of bravery, excellence, self-discipline and “Team BA”, with students demonstrating these values consistently both in and out of the classroom.

The visit has been a powerful reminder of the impact of international collaboration in education and the lasting value of shared learning experiences.

10/06/2026

Karl Nova paid a special visit to our Year 7 students.

Karl Nova is one of the UK’s leading poets and hip-hop artists delivering his work in his own unique, witty and energetic style.

Born and raised in London, as well as Lagos, Karl always found it difficult to fit in. This reflects in his music because he speaks as one who knows what it is like to be on the on the margins, in a world where conformity seems to be the key in gaining acceptance. He has always been one to defy expectations and go against the grain.

Karl has also won the CLiPPA 2018 Award, and one of the UK’s most prestigious literary awards, the Ruth Rendell Award 2020.

The poet gave a presentation for the whole year group, wherein he talked about his childhood experiences, ones that many of our students found they could relate to, he described how his love for rap music encouraged him to become a poet, and he even performed a few of his poems for our students in a fun and interactive way.

Towards the end of the presentation, the year 7s had the opportunity to ask the author their questions, some of which, funnily enough, centred around football, thanks to the author’s choice of T-Shirt, which sported the Arsenal logo. When the Q&A part of the presentation was over, there was a book signing for the students who pre-ordered Karl’s books, Rhythm and Poetry and The Curious Case of Karl Nova.

After the presentation, Karl led a poetry workshop in the library for a select 30 students who were nominated by their English teachers, based on their academic efforts and good behaviour. The students enjoyed exploring the repetition technique in popular songs, which they later incorporated into their very own poems.

This was a fun, rewarding and enriching experience for our Year 7 students, many of whom were enthusiastically asking at the end if and when Karl would return to Barking Abbey School for another visit!

04/06/2026

Are you an aspiring female Y11 or Y10 student-athlete?Here at Abbey you can study A-levels or BTEC courses alongside developing the sport you love! DM or email to confirm attendance for our Taster session.

12/05/2026

Huge congratulations to our captain Emma Eccles on her first cap 👏🏻👏🏻 proud of you Emma Eccles now onto your A levels next week …

27/04/2026

Barking Abbey School Teacher Mrs Wright has been shortlisted for Subject Leader of the Year (Secondary) in the TES Schools Awards 2026

London, UK; Friday 24th April 2026: Mrs Wright, Head of Computing at Barking Abbey School has been shortlisted for this year’s Tes Schools Awards, which celebrate the UK’s most inspiring teachers and schools from both the state and independent sectors, following a record-breaking number of nominations.

Since 2009, the Tes Schools Awards have celebrated the achievements of school staff and institutions across the UK. They bring together state and independent schools from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in one inclusive national event, recognising excellence across the education sector.

The awards shine a spotlight on the outstanding work taking place across schools, celebrating the individuals and teams making a meaningful impact on pupils, staff and their wider communities. This year’s awards are supported by Cloud Technology Partner, Amazon Web Services, which will sponsor the ‘Best Use of Technology’ category, recognising schools driving innovation across teaching and learning.

The shortlist was selected by a panel of expert judges, including experienced school leaders and education specialists. This year’s awards feature 23 categories spanning all areas of school life, from leadership and teaching to pupil outcomes and wellbeing.

Rod Williams, CEO of Tes, commented: “This year’s shortlist showcases the exceptional standard of entries across the Tes Schools Awards, reflecting the breadth of impact being delivered in UK education. Each category highlights schools and individuals who are not only driving meaningful change within their own settings but also setting a benchmark for the wider sector. The Tes Schools Awards are designed to recognise and elevate this work, celebrating those making a measurable difference to pupils, staff and communities across the UK – and with a record number of nominations received this year, it clearly reinforces the strength and impact being delivered across the UK education sector.”

This year’s awards will be hosted by award-winning comedian, writer and presenter Katherine Ryan, with winners announced at a gala ceremony on 19th June at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London.

View the full shortlist here: www.tes.com/schools-awards/uk