Accounting

Course Description

Accounting is designed to help those with an interest in a business, or other organisation, to assess its financial position and performance. It aims to communicate relevant economic information to interested parties and, as a result, improve the quality of decisions that are made.

Unless accounting achieves this purpose, it would really be a waste of effort to provide the information. In this course we consider the major financial statements that are produced by businesses on a regular basis to help in the decision making process. These financial statements are designed to provide an overview of the business's financial health and are widely used by managers, owners, suppliers, customers and others.

We consider the main principles underpinning these statements as well as their strengths and weaknesses. In addition. We consider how these statements can be analysed in order to come to some conclusions about the financial health of a business.

This course requires no previous knowledge of accounting or finance.

Course Syllabus

Introduction to accounting

The balance sheet

The profit and loss account

The measure of profit - further issues

An introduction to the accounts of limited companies

The regulatory framework

The accounts of groups and companies

The cash flow statement

The use of financial statements for planning and decision-making

The analysis of financial statements 1

The analysis of financial statements 2

The accounting framework and value measurement

Qualifications

On completion of your course, you will receive two qualifications:

Qualification 1: Accounting Diploma

Accounting Diploma issued by Stonebridge Associated Colleges, entitling you to use the letters SAC Dip after your name.

Qualification 2: Level 3 Accounting Award

This Course leads to an NCFE Level 3 Award Certificate for successful learners. That means that it is independantly accredited at a level of learning equivalent to level 3 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (in which case GCSE's are at levels 1 and 2 and A Levels are at level 3). In accrediting the programme at level 3, NCFE attests that its learning outcomes are at an equivalent level to a level 3 national qualification.

This award has been designed by Stonebridge Associated Colleges to meet specific learners' or employers' requirements. Accreditation by NCFE is a guarantee of quality. It means that this learning programme has been scrutinised and approved by an independent panel of experienced educational professionals and is quality audited biannually by NCFE.