Baroness Barran, the education minister leading the government’s response to the RAAC crisis in schools, has appeared before MPs today. The academies minister, who is responsible for capital funding, gave evidence to the Parliamentary alongside Department for Education permanent secretary Susan Acland-Hood. Here’s what we learned. 1. Keegan took 10 days to rubber-stamp RAAC closure call Barran gave MPs a timeline of events leading to the decision to ask schools with RAAC to close affected areas off. Advice about the failure of a 鈥渘on-critical鈥 plank of RAAC at a school outside England came at the end of July, and then another collapse in a commercial setting followed. Junior ministers advised education secretary Gillian Keegan on August 21 to ask schools to close. A few days later, there was an incident happened at a school in England where workmen were drilling new light fittings and 鈥渓arge pieces鈥 fell from the ceiling. The decision to close schools was then communicated to leaders on August 31. Asked if the DfE could have acted quicker, Barran said: 鈥淚 genuinely think the answer to that is we couldn鈥檛 have acted quicker, because clearly the advice we received went through a range of options from immediate closure to staged closure in a kind of warning period. 鈥淎s ministers our advice to the secretary of state was that we should take the most cautious route.鈥 It comes as Keegan faced criticism in the House of Commons today for going on holiday after receiving advice to close schools. Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said she was “not just running from responsibility, but flying from it. Our children deserve better.” 2. Hundreds of temporary classrooms needed鈥 MPs pressed Barran and Acland-Hood for the number of temporary classrooms installed at affected schools. Susan Acland Hood Barran said they were needed in a 鈥渟mall minority鈥 of cases 鈥渂ecause the vast majority are either repurposing space within the school or re-using other space in other local schools鈥. Pressed further, Acland-Hood revealed that so far the DfE was aware of at least 29 schools 鈥渢hat we think will require temporary accommodation鈥. 鈥淥f those, 11 are in place, and that鈥檚 a mixture of those that were provided centrally and those that were provided by the responsible body.鈥 By Friday evening, project directors and caseworkers had 鈥渆nquiries requesting potential orders鈥elating to 180 single classrooms and 68 double classrooms and a mix of what I think are brilliantly referred-to as 鈥榟ygiene facilities鈥 which I think means loos鈥. But both witnesses were rapped by MPs for failing to give those figures in an answer to a written question. 3. 鈥ut some schools face months-long wait The Bromfords School in Wickford, Essex is among those awaiting temporary classrooms, with some pupils having to learn from home. Local MP Mark Francois asked when they would receive them. 鈥淭he date we have for reopening we think would be no later than November 20,鈥 admitted Barran, which Francois pointed out was 鈥渢wo months away鈥. 鈥淧utting temporary classrooms in sounds like it鈥檚 a quick fix, but it is very often not a quick fix,鈥 Barran said. 4. Timber 鈥榗eilings鈥 used, but no netting Some schools have gone through a process known as 鈥減ropping鈥, which involves metal or timber posts holding up RAAC ceilings. However, Barran said the 鈥渕ore typical鈥 mitigation in schools was construction of a timber ceiling below the RAAC. This allowed schools to then replace ceiling tiles and 鈥測ou wouldn鈥檛 know it was there鈥. Barran said the 鈥渟emi-permanent鈥 measure would last around 10 years if needed, but Acland-Hood pointed out the Treasury pledge to 鈥渞ebuild or repair spaces that have RAAC such as to remove鈥 the material. The solution 鈥渢akes the clock off but it doesn鈥檛 mean we won鈥檛 want to do a permanent fix鈥. Conservative MP Nick Fletcher asked if the DfE had considered using netting, but Barran pointed out RAAC planks could be as long as eight metres. 鈥淚 don’t think as a child or member of staff I’d be particularly comfortable under a net,鈥 she added. 5. 鈥榃orrying鈥 non-responses chased by phone 鈥 The DfE is now chasing the responsible bodies who have yet to respond to questionaries about whether they have RAAC. Those yet to respond represent 1.4 per cent of school buildings that were constructed between the 1930s to 1990s, the era RAAC was used. Barran said the non-response was 鈥渄espite me writing to them repeatedly鈥, adding: 鈥淗onestly we are now at the point where we are just going to be ringing them up individually. Luckily it鈥檚 a very small number, but those calls are starting imminently. I mean, it鈥檚 worrying.鈥 She added that the change to the government guidance at the end of August had also prompted a 鈥渂ig influx鈥 of updated responses from schools that had already filled out the questionnaire. 6. 鈥ut the only way is Essex While some responsible bodies have been criticised for inaction, others have been praised for their response. Barran said the 鈥渙utstanding job鈥 done by Essex County Council, which had 鈥渁lready mitigated in the vast majority of their schools鈥 before the government took action, may be a reason the area is so 鈥渧isible鈥 in the crisis. The latest data shows a third of affected schools are in the county. 7. DfE 鈥榮peaking to鈥 Ofqual about exam pupils Pupils due to sit their exams next year were in year 7 when the Covid pandemic hit, meaning large parts of their education have been disrupted either by lockdown, last year鈥檚 teacher strikes and for some, the RAAC crisis. In response to an MP鈥檚 question about a pupil in their area, Barran said the DfE was 鈥渨orking as quickly as we can to make sure that she gets back in a safe, warm, clean classroom with her classmates and her teacher and she can carry on successful I鈥檓 sure with her education鈥. 鈥淲e鈥檙e also working to make sure that we鈥檝e spoken to鈥鈥檓 right in saying we鈥檝e spoken to or are about to speak to Ofqual regarding for some students if there鈥檚 very significant disruption how might that be taken into account.鈥 8. Barran 鈥榥ot denying鈥 impact of capital funding cuts The RAAC crisis has prompted criticism of capital spending, which declined by 46 per cent in real terms between 2009-20 and 2022-23. Barran was asked today if maintaining 2010-level funding would have 鈥渁verted or reduced鈥 the RAAC crisis. She said there was a 鈥渞isk of 20:20 hindsight, in the sense that the first incident we became aware of was in 2018鈥. The minister also pointed out some schools had been rebuilt, but still had RAAC. But Barran also pointed to a 鈥渟pike in capital expenditure鈥 between 2009 and 2011, and said averages over a 10-year period did not show 鈥渟uch a radical decrease鈥. However, she said she was 鈥渘ot denying there isn鈥檛 [sic] a decline, I鈥檓 not denying that hasn鈥檛 [sic] had some impact. I鈥檓 just saying I think it gives a fairer impression of the scale of that.鈥