Bookkeeping for Beginners - Stapleford Library and Learning Centre - Adult Learning

Are you thinking about working in a job role eg Accounts Trainee or Finance Clerk, but you’re not sure yet if that’s what you want to do?

Or perhaps you have previous experience of bookkeeping, but it was a long time ago and you’d like to refresh your skills.

Possibly you may want to learn something new and develop a skill you’ve not tried before.

Bookkeeping for Beginners is an introductory course suitable for complete beginners and for those with a little understanding of bookkeeping. You don’t need a maths qualification to attend.

There is no exam, but throughout the course you will be assessed processing financial documentation in work simulated tasks.

This is an introduction to bookkeeping and you’ll be shown how to process financial documents that underpin accurate record keeping.

You’ll learn, develop and practice basic bookkeeping skills required for employment and/or career progression in the accounting sector.

You’ll also gain the knowledge and understanding for further learning if you wish to aim for AAT Foundation Level Bookkeeping, or City & Guilds Level 1 Award in Bookkeeping and Accounts.

The course will focus on a range of financial documents.

• You’ll record cash and credit transactions in books of original entry, incoming and outgoing payments.

• You will prepare a bank reconciliation statement, raise invoices and credit notes, check for errors, report discrepancies.

• You’ll keep day books to record goods bought and sold on credit. You will learn how to keep the books with an emphasis on recording credit transactions for both a large company and a sole trader.

The course focus is on the system of double entry bookkeeping and processing sales, purchase and nominal ledger accounts.

By the end of the course, you will

• Have explored and gained confidence in a range of bookkeeping methods

• Produced clear, correct and legible records

• Gained skills for employment or for a move to further learning

You'll be able to:

• Identify key elements in the role of the bookkeeper

• Process documentation, eg invoices, credit notes, payments

• Identify and report discrepancies

• Record cash and credit transactions in books of original entry

• Prepare a bank reconciliation statement

• Identify purpose of sales, purchase and nominal ledger accounts: Balance off, and extract a trial balance from, ledger accounts

What you will need to bring to the course:

• A basic calculator or use your phone.

• An email address because links to optional further reading will be shared via email.

• Although handouts and financial documentation will be provided, a pen and paper or other suitable device to make notes will be useful.

There’s no set textbook for this course, but you may find this library book to be of interest: Frank Wood's business accounting basics / Frank Wood and David Horner.

Most bookkeeping books are very similar with useful content, but Frank Wood is one of the most thorough, useful and interesting.

If you receive certain benefits you will be offered the course for free, however if you have a financial barrier which may prevent you from enrolling on the course, please visit our funding page for further information.

Residency in England

To book and enrol on one of our courses, you must be living in England permanently and live outside of the devolved areas listed below or live within the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) devolved area (Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire).

• Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield

• Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

• Greater London

• Greater Manchester

• Liverpool City Region

• Newcastle Upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland

• Tees Valley

• West of England

• West Midlands

• West Yorkshire

Residency Eligibility – other criteria

If you are living in the UK on a visa we will require evidence of this in order to be funded for the course, you can upload this evidence when you apply for the course. (Completion of a questionnaire will be required).

Some exceptions may apply, for example:

• Your visa expiry date must be beyond the end of your course

• Asylum seekers must have lived in the UK for 6 months or longer while their claim is being considered by the Home Office

• You are receiving local authority support under section 23C or section 23CA of the Children Act 1989 or the Care Act 2014

Any learner who is not funded, full cost fees would apply to these courses.