Practical Accounting Training – Sage Cloud Accounting

Our Practical Accounting Training Programme is designed to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world accounting practice. The programme is structured around the day-to-day tasks performed by junior staff members such as Accounts Assistants and Bookkeepers within finance departments and accounting firms.

Learners are trained by qualified and experienced accountants using real company files, giving them hands-on exposure to genuine business transactions and workflows. The training covers essential practical areas including data entry, sales and purchase invoices, bank reconciliations, VAT processing, payroll basics, month-end procedures, and the preparation of management reports using industry-standard accounting software such as Sage, QuickBooks, and Xero.

By working in a simulated live accounting environment, learners develop the confidence and competence employers expect from day one. This programme is ideal for AAT students, accounting graduates, and career changers who want to gain practical experience, improve employability, and secure roles in finance and accounting.

Our focus is not just on learning software, but on understanding how accounting works in practice, enabling learners to transition smoothly into real accounting roles with confidence.

During the practical training, learners will take on the role of a Finance Assistant working for a small business. They will gain hands-on experience by performing real-world tasks such as processing sales and purchase invoices, bank reconciliations, VAT return and preparing reports used by accountants and managers. This approach helps learners build confidence and practical experience that employers actively look for.

Junior Finance Roles: A glimpse into responsibilities of a Bookkeeper / Accounts Assistant

As a junior finance professional, you will be entrusted with a variety of essential tasks that contribute to the smooth running of our financial operations. These include:

• Creating Customer and Supplier Accounts: You will establish and maintain accurate records for our customers and suppliers, ensuring all transactions are correctly categorised and documented.
• Modifying Chart of Accounts: Your role includes setting up New ledgers and editing existing ledgers as per the organisation’s needs.
• Processing Sales and Purchase Invoices and Credit Notes: You will handle the issuance and recording of invoices and credit notes, both for sales and purchases, reflecting our business transactions accurately.
• Processing Supplier Payments and Customer Receipts: You will manage the outflow and inflow of cash, recording payments to suppliers and receipts from customers against correct invoices.
• Performing Bank Reconciliation: An essential task, you will reconcile our bank statements with our internal records, identifying and rectifying any discrepancies.
• Preparing VAT Returns: Your role includes preparing and filing VAT returns, ensuring compliance with HMRC and deadlines.

Learning Objectives

At the end of these tasks you will have acquired the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively use accounting software in a professional setting.

1. Understanding basic accounting principles:
   • Grasp fundamental accounting concepts and principles.
   • Recognise the structure of the general ledger and chart of accounts.
2. Familiarisation with computerised accounting software:
   • Identify the key features and navigation of the chosen accounting software.
   • Understand software customisation options to meet specific business needs.
3. Setting up company:
   • Learn to set up a new company, including company details and financial year.
   • Understand how to set up opening balances and chart of accounts.
4. Managing customer and supplier accounts:
   • Develop skills in creating and maintaining customer and supplier accounts.
   • Record and manage transactions with customers and suppliers.
5. Processing sales and purchase transactions:
   • Process sales invoices and credit notes.
   • Process purchase invoices and credit notes.
6. Handling bank transactions and reconciliation:
   • Process suppliers’ payments and customers receipts.
   • Perform bank reconciliation.
7. VAT and Tax Reporting:
   • Gain knowledge on handling VAT and other tax computations within the software.
   • Learn to prepare and submit VAT returns to HMRC.
8. Preparing and understanding reports:
   • Produce chart of accounts report
   • Produce customers list and suppliers list
   • Produce sales day book and purchase day book report
   • Produce aged debtors and aged creditors report
   • Produce customers statements and suppliers’ statements
   • Produce suppliers’ payments and customers receipts report
   • Produce bank reconciliation report
   • Produce nominal activity report and detailed nominal activity report
   • Produce audit trail summary and audit trail detailed report
   • Produce trial balance
   • Produce VAT on sales report and VAT on purchases report
   • Prepare VAT return report
   • Prepare a profit and loss report
   • Prepare a balance sheet report