School Leaver Audit Trainee (AAT or ACA) - Bournemouth - January 2026

Saffery Champness; Bournemouth; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking A Level students to kickstart their careers as Audit Trainees. This exciting role offers a structured pathway to becoming fully qualified within 4 to 4.5 years, with dedicated support from a knowledgeable Early Careers team. You'll gain valuable work experience, engage with clients from diverse sectors, and enjoy a friendly, progressive work environment. With excellent training and a range of core and flexible benefits, this is a fantastic opportunity to develop your skills and thrive in a supportive team. If you're committed, enthusiastic, and ready to take the first step in your professional journey, we want to hear from you!

Benefits

Annual leave allowance

Contributory pension plan

Life assurance cover

Working from home allowance

Profit-Sharing Plan

Paid overtime or time off in lieu

Access to health assessments

Critical illness cover

Paid travel expenses

Generous referral bonuses

Qualifications

• A minimum of 120 UCAS points in A Levels or equivalent.
• Strong commitment to study for AAT and ACA qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Work on audit and accounts preparation assignments.
• Liaise directly with clients and manage audit testing.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Communication Skills

Teamwork

Problem-Solving

Education

A Levels (or equivalent)

GCSE Maths and English Language (B or 6)

Job description

School Leaver Audit Trainee (AAT or ACA) - Bournemouth - January 2026

Right now, we’re looking for A Level (or equivalent) students wanting to start their career as a trainee in audit. We’ll support you in becoming fully qualified within a 4 to 4.5 year period.

We have two study pathways:

• AAT Level 3 (2 papers only) and AAT Level 4 followed by an ACA apprenticeship. Exemptions to the ACA will only apply once you’re AAT Level 4 qualified.
• ACA apprenticeship only

We want you to have the best possible journey with Saffery and help you to achieve a high level of success in the exams. We therefore have a dedicated Early Careers team who will consult with you throughout the recruitment process to explain and choose the best pathway for you.

There’s plenty of information online about the various qualifications which we recommend you research before applying. The exams aren’t easy and it will involve a high level of commitment but we’ll be with you along with way.

Application windows:

We are live for applications from:

Please note due to high popularity for these positions, applications may close earlier than stated. We wouldn't want you to lose out, so we recommend applying as soon as possible.

Qualifying is not just about passing your exams; gaining valuable work experience is so important.

You'll work in a friendly and progressive environment on audit and accounts preparation assignments, with exposure to clients from different industries. We guarantee an exciting and varied learning experience.

We'll show you each part of a file review. You'll learn what information you need from a client and liaise directly with them. You may start with audit testing of simpler balances within financial statements, such as cash at bank and share capital, and then progress to income and expenditure testing.

By the end of your training contract, you’ll be comfortable handling whole files by yourself, preparing you for progression into a senior audit role.

You'll also receive excellent training and support for your studies. We use first-class tuition centres and organise our own off-site trainee programmes. You’ll get to meet and socialise with trainees across all offices, so it isn't all just work, and you can have fun too.

What you'll need

• A minimum of 120 UCAS points in your A Levels (or equivalent), and
• A minimum of 6 (or B) in GCSE Maths and English Language (or equivalent).

About the qualification

Studying as an apprentice won’t impact the time it takes you to complete the qualification, it just means that there's a defined study pathway in place to ensure you have the best chance to succeed. You'll gain technical knowledge and key skills/behaviours to maximise your potential in the role.

Where potential meets personal meets you

You'll share our values by being collegiate and enthusiastic, whilst acting with integrity and striving for excellence.

You'll be friendly and approachable with a mindset to be committed, take accountability, and go the extra mile to deliver our signature service. To put your hand up when you see something’s not working, and help to make it better. And yes, we expect drive and focus, effort and enthusiasm.

When you work with Saffery, you’re never a number. You’re you. Because we want everyone’s individual personality and style to shine through. And we care more, and ego less. We get on and we get on. You'll thrive in your close-knit team, delivering high quality in everything you do.

There’s genuine mutual respect here. A rewarding, reciprocal relationship that means we all get the best out of each other.

We’ll help you to learn about our clients, but even better is if you already have an interest in the wider economic context that they operate in. Be inquisitive and always ask questions.

You’ll understand the level of commitment required during your AAT and/or ACA exams. It’s not easy, but we’ll be there to support you along your journey with us. You'll play a major part in our ongoing success.

Surrounded by people who value you, everything you bring, and everything you’re ready to achieve. Ready to take the first step in your Saffery story?

What we’ll offer you

Because you do the best job you can for our clients and your colleagues, we do everything we can for you.We provide a mixture of core and flexible benefits, all designed to save you money and make your life a little easier.

Core benefits

• Annual leave allowance, which increases in line with length of service,
• A 35-hour working week with flexibility around our core hours of 10am-4pm,
• A contributory pension plan (we’ll contribute 5% of salary on a matched basis with you from the date you join),
• Life assurance cover based on 4 x annual salary,
• Working from home allowance of £25 a month,
• Our Profit-Sharing Plan, enabling you to share in the firm’s profits (usually c.£1,000), and
• Paid overtime or time off in lieu.
• Our agile working policy gives you the option to work from home for up to three days per week,
• Access to health assessments and GP support, cancer screenings, and our BUPA health cash plan,
• Critical illness cover, dental, and travel insurance,
• We’ve got a Techscheme, Cyclescheme and a Gymflex scheme,
• A Workplace ISA,
• Paid travel expenses when working at offices other than your contracted office, and
• Generous referral bonuses if you help bring in new clients or colleagues.

We’re also committed to being a fully inclusive employer and have a huge focus on equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I). When you start with us, you’ll have the opportunity to join a number of people network groups, as well as be a part of our growing ED&I network.

Who we are

Saffery is a partner-led and people-focused firm of chartered accountants, tax and business advisers. Since 1855, we’ve built long-term relationships with our diverse, high-profile clients, across varied and specialised sectors. As a proud member of Nexia, a worldwide network of trusted member firms, we’ve got access to local insight on a global scale.

We pride ourselves on our informal and inclusive culture, building an environment where people can be themselves and enjoy challenging, interesting, rewarding careers.

When you work with Saffery, the well-respected accountancy firm where heritage meets ambition, you work with people who know your name. Who know you as a human being, not just a job title. Everyone belongs here. Always.