Audit & Assurance AAT Apprenticeship
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
James Cowper Kreston is offering a School Leaver Apprenticeship Programme in auditing for school and college leavers. You will learn on the job while studying towards the AAT Level 3 and Level 4 qualifications over a three-year contract.
The apprenticeship is based in Reading and other Thames Valley locations, with a structured salary ladder and progression to ACA/ACCA after qualification. You’ll gain hands-on experience in audit, reviewing financial statements and identifying risk areas, while
Qualifications
- Essential qualifications: GCSE English and Maths, A Levels or equivalent (112 UCAS points)
- Strong communication, IT, and numerical skills suited to accounting tasks
- Willingness to learn, adapt, and work across offices/locations
Responsibilities
- Assist audit teams with planning and fieldwork tasks
- Review financial information and gather evidence for audit
- Develop client-facing skills and professional relationships
- Support managers and partners with audit assignments
- Learn accounting principles and adherence to regulations
- Work across multiple office locations and client sites
Skills
Education
Job description
If university isn't the right route for you, our School Leaver Apprenticeship Programme offers a practical way to kick-start an exciting career in accountancy. You'll be studying towards the AAT qualification through a combined three-year Level 3 and Level 4 Apprenticeship Programme.
£23,000 a year
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
We operate a structured salary ladder such that apprentice salaries generally increase every 12 months so that by the time you are fully AAT qualified you will be earning £31,500 per year (based on current salary ladders).
Professional accounting technician (level 4)
Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm.
37 hours 30 minutes a week
Monday 23 August 2027
3 years
4
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You'll learn on the job by getting hands‑on experience.
Audit is about understanding how businesses operate and helping provide confidence that their financial information is accurate and reliable. You'll work with a wide variety of organisations, gaining first‑hand insight into how different businesses operate while supporting experienced colleagues with audit assignments.
You'll learn how to review financial information, gather evidence and identify areas of risk, while developing the communication and professional skills needed to work confidently with clients and colleagues.
As your knowledge and confidence grow, so will your responsibilities. You'll work alongside experienced Managers, Directors and Partners who will support you as you develop your technical knowledge and client‑facing skills.
During your first year, you'll start developing the skills to:
- Prepare financial statements
- Understand the fundamentals of audit and key areas of risk
- Gather audit evidence with support from more experienced colleagues
- Work effectively as part of an Audit team
- Build professional relationships with clients and colleagues
- Communicate confidently and professionally
You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.
This apprenticeship is available in these locations:
- 2 Communications Road, Greenham Business Park, Greenham, Newbury, RG19 6AB
- Pine Lodge, 201 Cumnor Hill, Oxford, OX2 9PJ
- Apex Plaza, Forbury Road, Reading, RG1 1AX
- White Building 1-4, Cumberland Place, Southampton, SO15 2NP
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You'll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
FIRST INTUITION SOUTH LIMITED
Professional accounting technician (level 4)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
Course contents
- Collate and analyse financial information, and show how that information can be used most effectively to support value creation within an organisation.
- Apply accounting principles and adhere to legislation to ensure records are accurate and compliant with law or company policy when delivering accounting activities, such as the financial accounting of single entities, limited companies or partnerships or management accounting activities for an organisation.
- Apply professional scepticism when undertaking accounting activities to inform and evaluate decision making on the content of true and fair accounts, being alert to conditions that may indicate possible misstatement of financial information due to error or fraud, establishing the facts sensitively and being aware of unconscious bias.
- Interpret financial information for accounting purposes, such as using judgement to determine the correct way to report or account for transaction or undertaking ratio analysis.
- Participate in or support others with quality improvement activities, for example the improvement of personal working practices.
- Use software packages to assist with accounting tasks in line with cyber and data security requirements, using data securely and safely, including backing up data.
- Deliver accounting tasks with a critical eye to transactions and trends, demonstrating a 'right first time approach'.
- Use workload management principles to plan, organise and prioritise own tasks, and manage time effectively.
- Use accounting information to add value to the organisation through use of data visualisations, analysis and interpretation, and communicate financial information in a way that facilitates understanding for non-finance stakeholders.
- Communicate accounting information through a variety of media to enable key stakeholders to understand what is required, considering the risks and benefits to the organisation of social media and other digital applications.
- Build and maintain collaborative, professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders to deliver accounting tasks, recognising the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Collate and analyse financial information, and show how that information can be used most effectively to support value creation within an organisation.
- Apply accounting principles and adhere to legislation to ensure records are accurate and compliant with law or company policy when delivering accounting activities, such as the financial accounting of single entities, limited companies or partnerships or management accounting activities for an organisation.
- Apply professional scepticism when undertaking accounting activities to inform and evaluate decision making on the content of true and fair accounts, being alert to conditions that may indicate possible misstatement of financial information due to error or fraud, establishing the facts sensitively and being aware of unconscious bias.
- Interpret financial information for accounting purposes, such as using judgement to determine the correct way to report or account for transaction or undertaking ratio analysis.
- Participate in or support others with quality improvement activities, for example the improvement of personal working practices.
- Use software packages to assist with accounting tasks in line with cyber and data security requirements, using data securely and safely, including backing up data.
- Deliver accounting tasks with a critical eye to transactions and trends, demonstrating a 'right first time approach'.
- Use workload management principles to plan, organise and prioritise own tasks, and manage time effectively.
- Use accounting information to add value to the organisation through use of data visualisations, analysis and interpretation, and communicate financial information in a way that facilitates understanding for non-finance stakeholders.
- Communicate accounting information through a variety of media to enable key stakeholders to understand what is required, considering the risks and benefits to the organisation of social media and other digital applications.
- Build and maintain collaborative, professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders to deliver accounting tasks, recognising the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion.
- You will be studying AAT Level 3 and Level 4 over a three-year training contract.
- Training will be a mix of classroom based courses and self-study.
- Classroom sessions will be block release and generally take place at First Intuition's premises in central Reading.
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English Language (grade 4 or higher)
- Maths (grade 4 or higher)
A Level in:
All subjects (grade 112 UCAS points or higher)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Resilience
- Adaptability
- Enthusiasm to learn
For this role, you must be able to drive and either own, or have access to, a car for work purposes.
The trainees in our Audit & Assurance team regularly works across all our offices and are often out on client site so you will need to be able to get yourself to these locations, and they are not always easily accessible via public transport.
James Cowper Kreston is a leading firm of accountants and business advisers with offices across the Thames Valley and South Coast. We work closely with our clients, offering a wide range of services and helping them navigate challenges, seize opportunities and maximise their potential.
We pride ourselves on blending professional excellence with a supportive and friendly culture. We’re big enough to offer exciting career opportunities, yet small enough that you’ll quickly feel part of a close‑knit team.
We’re looking for motivated school and college leavers to join our growing Audit & Assurance team. If you’re ready to start your career, earn while you learn, and work towards professional qualifications without going to university first, our School Leaver Apprenticeship Programme could be the perfect place to start.
https://www.jamescowperkreston.co.uk/school-leaver-opportunities/ (opens in new tab)
- Paid time off for college and exams
- 23 days annual holiday, plus birthday as extra day
- Flexible benefits package including cycle to work scheme
- Health Cash Plan to reimburse common medical expenses such as dental check ups, eye tests, minor treatments etc
- Pension scheme
- Life assurance
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
After completing your AAT qualification, you’ll have opportunities to continue your studies with a chartered qualification (ACA or ACCA).
As you build your career with us you will progress to Audit Senior, then Assistant Manager, and potentially follow a route all the way to being a partner in the firm.
Five of our current partners started as trainees with the firm.
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
James Cowper Kreston
Sarah Pearce
spearce@jamescowper.co.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000062291.
Closes on Sunday 31 January 2027
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