Social Value in Education

Social value in education is about the wider difference schools make. Schools and trusts create enormous value beyond exam results. They employ local people, work with local businesses, support families, open their buildings to the community, and help young people into training and work. Yet when a commissioner, funder, or board asks for evidence of that wider value, many leaders find it surprisingly hard to show. It is understandable. The work happens every day, but it is rarely measured.

Our social value consultancy helps education organisations identify, measure, and communicate the social value they create. Below, we explain what that involves and why it matters.

What is social value in education?

Social value is the wider social, economic, and environmental benefit an organisation creates for the communities it serves. In public services, the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 asks commissioners to consider it, and it plays a growing part in procurement under the Procurement Act 2023. For schools, trusts, and alternative providers, social value can include local employment and apprenticeships, careers and employability work, family support, community use of facilities, volunteering, environmental action, and outcomes for vulnerable young people.

Social value consultancy turns that activity into a clear, credible account: what you do, who benefits, what changes as a result, and how you know.

Who is social value consultancy for?

It is designed for alternative providers and independent special schools bidding for local authority contracts and places, multi-academy trusts wanting to report their community impact to boards and stakeholders, education charities, and organisations responding to tenders that score social value. It also suits trusts developing their strategy and vision and wanting community impact to be part of it.

What does our social value consultancy include?

We tailor the work to your purpose, but the typical offer includes:

• Mapping the social value you already create across schools, staff, pupils, and partners
• Agreeing meaningful outcomes and simple, proportionate measures
• Designing light-touch ways to collect evidence without adding workload
• A social value statement or report for boards, commissioners, and funders
• Social value responses for tenders, contracts, and funding bids
• Social value commitments you can realistically deliver and evidence
• Case studies that show the difference for children, families, and communities

How does social value work help your school, trust or provision?

How our social value support works

• We start with a conversation about why social value matters to you now: a tender, a report, or a strategy.
• We map your current activity with leaders and staff.
• We agree outcomes, measures, and a realistic approach to evidence.
• We write the statement, report, or tender responses you need.
• We leave you with simple tools to keep the evidence up to date.

What you get at the end

• A clear map of the social value your organisation creates
• Agreed outcomes and proportionate measures
• A social value statement, report, or tender responses ready to use
• Case studies and tools you can keep using

Key features of our service

Education context first
We understand schools, trusts, and alternative provision, so your social value is described in terms commissioners and boards recognise.

Proportionate and practical
No complicated models you cannot maintain. Just clear evidence that stands up.

Linked to bids and strategy
Works alongside our bid writing and strategic planning support.

Frequently asked questions about social value in education

How do schools measure social value?

Start by mapping what you already do, agree a small number of meaningful outcomes, and collect simple evidence against them, such as local employment, apprenticeships, careers destinations, family support and community use of facilities. Case studies then show what the numbers mean for children and families.

Why does social value matter in tenders?

Public bodies are expected to consider the wider social, economic and environmental benefits of the contracts they award, and many tenders score social value directly. Specific, realistic and evidenced commitments can make a real difference to your score.

Is social value a legal requirement?

The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 requires public bodies to consider social value when commissioning certain services, and social value continues to carry weight in public procurement under the Procurement Act 2023. For providers, it is not a legal duty in itself, but it increasingly affects whether you win work.

Can alternative provision providers use social value to win local authority contracts?

Yes. Alternative providers often create significant social value through re-engagement, reduced exclusion, employability and family support. Evidencing it clearly strengthens bids for local authority frameworks and placements.

How long does a social value report take?

A focused social value statement for a tender can be produced quickly if the evidence exists. A full organisational report with new measures usually takes longer, because it involves mapping activity across your settings first.

Why choose Jarvis Education for social value in education?

We work with schools, trusts, local authorities, and alternative providers across England, and we see every week the difference good settings make to their communities. Our approach is honest and practical: we help you describe what you genuinely do, measure what genuinely matters, and keep the focus on outcomes for children and young people.

Next steps & how to get started

• Speak to one of our experts. Tell us what has prompted the question and any deadline you are working to.
• Once we agree the scope, we confirm everything in writing and begin mapping your impact.
• Contact us today to discuss social value support for your school, trust, or provision.
• We are ready to show the value you create.