Accounting is a subject that will help you in all aspects of your everyday life. It will give you an insight into the accounts needed for self employment and, how businesses work in general. Its wide reaching and interesting. Its not as everyone thinks, just numbers! You will learn about how to recognize the good companies from the not so good.

The Account department is a combined subject area with Business studies. We have decided to follow the AQA examination board for the new syllabus in accounts giving our students the necessary depth, understanding and skills. Accounts is split into AS and A2. The AS course covers the following:

GCE Accounting (2120)
AS outline
At AS, candidates will learn the fundamentals of record-keeping and the purposes, techniques and consequences of effective financial accounting. Candidates will consider how financial accounting helps in the measuring, monitoring and planning of successful business operations. They will study business ownership, control, profitability, performance and budgeting.
The AS specification has 2 units:
Unit 1: Introduction to Financial Accounting
Topic list
• Purposes of accounting
• Accounting records: subsidiary books and ledger accounts
• Verification of accounting records
• Trading and profit and loss accounts and balance sheets including simple adjustments.
Assessment
Written Paper: 1 hour 30 minutes
Weighting: 25% of the total A Level marks
80 raw marks (100 UMS)
Four compulsory questions – each carrying a variable number of marks, each with a variable number of sub questions.
Unit 2: Financial and Management Accounting
Topic list
• Types of business organisation
• Accounting concepts
• Further aspects of the preparation of the final accounts and balance sheets of sole traders
• Internal final accounts of limited companies
• Ratio analysis and the assessment of business performance
• Introduction to budgeting and budgetary control
• The impact of ICT in accounting.
Assessment
Written Paper: 1 hour 30 minutes
Weighting: 25% of total A Level marks
80 raw marks (100 UMS)
Four compulsory questions – each carrying a variable number of marks, each with a variable number of sub-questions.
The A2 program is as follows:
At A2, candidates will develop their understanding of financial accounting techniques for business without a complete accounting system, for partnerships and for limited companies. Candidates will study in greater depth how accounting techniques aid business management and decision-making. They will look at costing, capital investment, budgeting and sources of finance as well as considering social accounting issues.
The A2 specification has 2 units:
Unit 3: Further Aspects of Financial Accounting
Topic list
• Sources of finance
• Incomplete records
• Partnership accounts
• Published accounts of limited companies
• Accounting standards
• Stock valuation
Assessment
Written Paper: 2 hours
Weighting: 25% of total A Level marks
90 raw marks (100 UMS)
Four compulsory questions – each carrying a variable number of marks, each with a variable number of sub-questions.
Unit 4: Further Aspects of Management Accounting
Topic list
• Manufacturing accounts
• Marginal, absorption and activity based costing
• Standard costing and variance analysis
• Capital investment appraisal
• Budgeting: further considerations
• Other factors affecting decision-making: social accounting.
Assessment
Written Paper: 2 hours
Weighting: 25% of total A Level marks
90 raw marks (100 UMS)
Four compulsory questions – each carrying a variable number of marks, each with a variable number of sub-questions.


Entry requirements

Students require a minimum of Grade ‘B’ in GCSE Maths and a ‘C’ in English.

Career Progression

Accountancy is a popular ‘A’ level choice and is essential if you want to go on to Accountancy, Business or Finance and Teaching.