A Barking school has been forced to close one of its sites following a major water leak.

Barking Abbey School shut its Year Seven and Eight campus on Longbridge Road for two days after a flood in the ground floor of a new teaching block at the weekend.

In a letter sent to parents and seen by the Post, headteacher Jo Tupman described the closure as a “difficult decision”.

“We are continuing to drain away the water but this is likely to take some time due to the extent of the flooding,” she wrote.

“Furthermore, it is already clear that a range of repair work will need to be undertaken following this leak due to the damage caused in some areas of the building.”

She urged students to access their school email for work being sent to them and outlined arrangements in place to ensure each child had a safe place to stay for the day.

“I am very sorry for the loss of time in school,” she added.

The school is set to reopen tomorrow.