Barking Abbey also has a Sixth Form of over 400 students which is at the Sandringham Road site.

Both sites are situated to the west of Mayesbrook Park and to the north of Upney Underground station.

The first headmaster was Colonel Ernest Loftus, who stayed for 27 years, being replaced by Mr Frank Young DFC in 1949.

This enabled younger players from around London, Essex, and Hertfordshire to experience the life of being in a basketball academy, preparing some of them to move abroad on scholarships to various countries around the world.

It has been announced that Barking Abbey will become the first pilot Regional Institute of Basketball within Great Britain.