Book-keeping is the activity of keeping accurate records of all movements of money or of things with value that take place in a particular business or organisation. The only qualities a would-be book-keeper needs are some common sense, a logical mind, the ability to write neatly and the ability to do simple arithmetic accurately - and nowadays most arithmetic is done on a calculator!

All businesses use the same system of book-keeping which has its own built-in self checking methods to make sure that it is done accurately. Once you have learnt the system, you are just as able to keep the books of a large multi-million pound corporation as you are able to keep the books of a small one-man business - the only difference is the amount of work involved.

A lot of people imagine that book-keeping is complicated and difficult to learn. As you will soon discover on this course, it is in fact extremely straightforward and logical. It's also very interesting because it deals with the lifeblood of any business - money!

Why bookkeeping is needed

Simple balance sheets

The accounting equation

Double entry

Purchases and sales accounts

Capital and revenue expenditure

Drawings

Balancing off the accounts

Trial balance

Final accounts

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

Qualification 1: Introduction to Book-keeping Certificate

Introduction to Book-keeping Certificate issued by Stonebridge Associated Colleges, entitling you to use the letters SAC Cert after your name.

Qualification 2: Level 3 Introduction to Book-keeping 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.

In order to offer our students the most convenient and flexible distance learning courses, Stonebridge Associated College offers you the option to study for your course via two methods:

• 1. Via the traditional paper-based method.
• 2. Through the online method via ElearnUK.

When you study through ElearnUK you can quickly access your course material online and submit all of your question papers to your tutor online, using your unique student account. You have access to all of your course material immediately, and when you submit question papers, your tutor sends you an email containing your results and feedback.

Please click on the logo below to view a few sample pages of the course materials we provide. Whilst this is only a few sample pages, we do hope that it will give you some idea of the quality of the materials we provide. If you have anymore queries in relation to the course materials, please feel free to contact one of our friendly course advisors who will be more than happy to deal with any queries that you may have.

Click to View

At the end of the course you will receive an award issued by Stonebridge Associated College, and also gain full awarding body accreditation for the course.

With this course you will have unlimited access to your own personal tutor who specialises in their field of study. It is your personal tutor's role to ensure that you receive constructive feedback and to deal with any queries you may have. You are more than welcome to telephone, fax or email your personal tutor.

You will also have access to a dedicated and friendly team of administrators and course advisors who offer sound and professional guidance and advice when you need it. This ensures that you will never feel neglected and that you will always succeed!

There is no experience or previous qualifications required for enrolment on this course. It is available to all students, of all academic backgrounds.

This is only an approximate figure and is dependant upon how much time you can dedicate to your studies and how well you grasp the learning concepts in the course material. Furthermore, at the end of each lesson there is a question paper that needs to be completed and returned to your tutor. You should allow at least 1 - 2 hours of study to complete each question paper.

The approximate amount of time required to complete the course is: 110 hrs.

Assessment Method

After each lesson there will be a question paper, which needs to be completed and submitted to your personal tutor for marking. This method of continual assessment ensures that your personal tutor can consistently monitor your progress and provide you with assistance throughout the duration of the course.

What's Included

• All study materials
• Study Guide
• Full Tutor and Admin support
• The course fee includes the awarding body registration and certification fee (valued at up to £30.00).

What is NCFE

NCFE is the UK's longest established awarding body, recognised as a highly professional and responsive organisation, committed to maintaining excellent customer service and a friendly approach.

NCFE is recognised as an awarding body by the qualification regulators ('regulators') for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The regulators are the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) in England, the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) in Wales and the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland.

Accreditation by NCFE is a guarantee of quality. It means that a learning programme has been scrutinised and approved by an independent panel of experienced educational professionals and is quality audited biannually by NCFE. Learners successfully completing NCFE accredited programmes receive an externally accredited and nationally recognised NCFE certificate.

For more information on this award, click here

Below you will find a list of courses that previous students have taken to complement their course. We hope that this list will give you some idea of the types of progression courses we offer, or alternative course options that may be of interest to you.

• Business Accounting - Accounting has become an essential part of business life, and the knowledge and skills that you will learn in your studies will give you a broader and more experienced view of business life. The course ...
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• Accounting - 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, ...
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• Accounting With Computers (Skills Course) - This course requires no previous knowledge of accounting or finance. This course is a guide to how computers can help you with your accounting. ...
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• Annual Accounts and the Inland Revenue (Skills Course) - How your accounts are prepared. What they mean to you, your creditors and the Inland Revenue. ...
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• Book-keeping (Skills Course) -  The aims of this Business Skills Bookkeeping Course are to:  understand why book-keeping is important examine a wide variety of book-keeping options and select the ...
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• Business Finance - This programme is designed for people seeking to understand and apply the principles of finance and financial control of a business. The course is particularly suited to the general manager with responsibility for a small organisation ...
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