Accounting A Level

Overview

This is a thought-provoking and challenging course. It will provide you with valuable insight into how a business records its financial transactions and how this information can be used to understand its performance and efficiency.If you enjoy working with numbers and solving problems, Accounting could be for you.

You will develop a thorough knowledge of all aspects of financial and management accounting, as well as broadening your understanding of the financial sector.

Entry Requirements

Five GCSEs at grade 4 or above to include grade 5 in English and Maths..

Structure

In Year 1 you will study:

• The role of the accountant in business

• Types of business organisations and sources of finance

• The double entry system of recording financial transactions

• Verification of accounting records, including preparing and correcting the trial balance, bank reconciliation statements and ledger control accounts

• Application of accounting concepts and calculation of accounting adjustments including depreciation, irrecoverable debts and accruals and prepayments

• Preparing financial statements for sole traders and companies• Analysis and evaluation of financial information

• Budgeted financial statements

• Marginal costing, break-even and decision making situationsIn

Year 2 you will study:

• Problem-solving skills such as coping with incomplete records

• Preparing more complex financial statements for companies, including the schedule of noncurrent sets and statement of cash flows

• Preparing partnership accounts

• More complex analysis and evaluation of financial information with communication to relevant stakeholders.

• Further aspects of budgeting to include cash, sales, production, purchases and labour budgets

• Absorption and activity-based costing. Standard costing and variance analysis

• Capital investment appraisal techniques such as payback period and net present value

Assessment

You will be required to complete regular pieces of work throughout the two years for assessment by your teacher, though this does not form part of the final grading.

Your final grade will be determined by examinations in your second year, you will be required to sit two three-hour exams which will cover all the topics taught on the course.Each exam is worth 50% of the overall mark.Accounting is taught within a business environment. All of our teachers are subjectspecialists with industry expertise. 

Progression

This qualification is particularly useful to those who wish to proceed to Higher Education or who wish to undertake professional qualifications in the accounting field (particularly AAT, ACCA and CIMA courses).

Possession of an accounting qualification may also be advantageous to those wishing to pursue more general business courses or business career opportunities.

Many of our students go on to study accountancy or actuarial science at university either on its own, or in combination with other subjects such as: finance, business, economics or management.