Finance Apprentice
ADVANCE LEARNING PARTNERSHIP
Spennymoor (DL16 7LN)
Closes in 14 days (Wednesday 8 July 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 24 June 2026
Contents
Summary
We are pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for a Finance Apprentice to join us and begin a rewarding career in education finance. You will work closely with the Trust’s central finance team to support the effective financial management of our academies, gaining hands-on experience across a range of activities.
- Wage
-
£15,392 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Accounts or finance assistant (level 2)
- Hours
-
Monday to Thursday, 8.00am - 4.00pm and Friday, 8.00am - 3.30pm.
This is a temporary but full-time position and your contract will end on the same date that you complete your apprenticeship.
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Tuesday 1 September 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 6 months
- Positions available
-
1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
We are looking for a hardworking and creative person to join our Finance Team. The successful candidate will:
- Gain experience across a range of finance activities
- Process transactions, support budget monitoring and maintain accurate records
- Assist with reporting and compliance requirements
- Provide financial administration across the Trust
- Maintain the system of internal financial controls
- Produce quality work that meets deadlines and is accurate and professionally presented
- Produce statutory and other financial reports as required
- To comply with Advance Learning Partnership policies and procedures
Specific Responsibilities:
Orders:
- Raising orders for the purchase of goods ensuring Best Value and Value for Money whilst adhering to the Trust Finance Policy
- Ensuring curriculum orders are delivered to the correct departments
- Dealing with any queries with regard to orders
Invoicing:
- Processing invoices and credit notes
- Checking and reconciling statements
System Housekeeping:
- Having an overall awareness of the need to match spending to Budget, alerting the Finance Manager of potential overspending
- Identifying which Academy/account income/expenditure relates to and recording accordingly to include all trading activities
- Overseeing and ensuring that all records are kept up to date, e.g. regularly checking for and cancelling out-of-date orders
Generic Responsibilities:
- Maintain personal expertise, be a role model and promote high expectations for all members of the Academies community through your role within the structure
- To model the values, ethos and vision of the Trust
- Be aware of, comply with and assist with the development of policies and procedures relating to child protection, health and safety, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting on all concerns to the appropriate person
- Attend relevant meetings as required
Special Conditions:
- Participate in training and other learning activities and performance development as required
- The post-holder will be expected to contribute to the protection of children and vulnerable adults, as appropriate, in accordance with any agreed policies and/or guidelines, reporting any issues or concerns to their immediate line manager
- The post-holder will be required to promote, monitor and maintain health, safety and security in the workplace. To include ensuring that the requirements of Health and Safety at Work Act, COSHH, and all other mandatory regulations are adhered to
- To carry out duties with full regard to the Trust’s Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work Policy
- An Enhanced Disclosure with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) will be undertaken before an appointment can be confirmed
Where you'll work
Advance Learning Partnership Whitworth Road
Whitworth Lane
Spennymoor
DL16 7LN
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
DARLINGTON COLLEGE
Training course
Accounts or finance assistant (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Record transactional data.
- Use the organisation’s standard tools and processes to examine data to identify transactional issues such as, reconciliations and inconsistencies between invoices.
- Recognise and rectify routine errors, escalating as necessary.
- Plan and review accounting and finance tasks.
- Communicate with stakeholders to deliver accurate and timely results, avoiding jargon, using language tailored to the audience and different media methods with an appreciation of the risks and benefits to the business of social media and other digital applications.
- Use finance and accounting software packages to accurately input and manage data to contribute to routine accounting tasks.
- Handle data and digital technology in line with cyber and data security requirements, using data securely and safely, including backing up data.
- Record transactional data.
- Use the organisation’s standard tools and processes to examine data to identify transactional issues such as, reconciliations and inconsistencies between invoices.
- Recognise and rectify routine errors, escalating as necessary.
- Plan and review accounting and finance tasks.
- Communicate with stakeholders to deliver accurate and timely results, avoiding jargon, using language tailored to the audience and different media methods with an appreciation of the risks and benefits to the business of social media and other digital applications.
- Use finance and accounting software packages to accurately input and manage data to contribute to routine accounting tasks.
- Handle data and digital technology in line with cyber and data security requirements, using data securely and safely, including backing up data.
Training schedule
Accounts or Finance Assistant Level 2 Apprenticeship Standard:
Apprentices will be required to take one professional qualification listed below, as chosen by the employer to be most relevant to the job role:
- AAT Foundation certificate in accounting (Level 2)
- Location - Advance Learning Partnership, Whitworth Lane, Spennymoor DL16 7LN
- Working 5 days per week, inclusive of 1 day release for study at Darlington College
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- 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
- Follow direction
- Flexible
- Enthusiastic and confident
Other requirements
Please note that in line with UK apprenticeship regulations, you must have a valid and eligible residency status and the right to work in England. This should cover the entire expected term of learning and residency should be held for a minimum of 3 years, exceptions may apply. Please see Apprenticeship funding rules for full guidance.
Advance Learning Partnership is a not-for-profit Multi Academy Trust consisting of a mix of primary and secondary academies. All academies within our Trust collaborate as a ‘family of schools’. The trust as a whole is not a separate body or group of people, but rather one single organisation made up of all our academies with one single vision and shared set of values. Our Central Support team is based in Spennymoor in our own premises attached to Whitworth Park Academy. We have a growing team of 55 employees working collaboratively across various departments in order to support the academies within our Trust. We seek to provide the highest quality of educational experiences and outcomes for every child within our family of schools. We take pride in our students, value our staff and relentlessly strive to improve as an educational provider. We are looking for a hardworking and organised person to join our Finance Team. The successful candidate will provide financial administration across the Trust. Some of the many benefits of being part of our family of schools include: Supportive Leadership Learning and Development opportunities. Free on-site car parking and a cycle-to-work scheme. Excellent healthcare services via our providers such as counselling services. 24/7 GP service, surgical assistance programme, self-referral physiotherapy and nurse support services. Paid time off work via our Leave of Absence policy. A 2-week 'shut down' period at the end of the Autumn Term.
About this employer
Across ALP we have an unrelenting drive to achieve the highest possible standards for each one of our children. All staff share best practice, seek opportunities to learn from others and understand that their professional development is fundamental to a child’s success. The ALP family of schools recognise each school as unique. The schools and their leaders share a Trust wide set of educational principles and then contextualise the principles into a working model to meet the needs of their children. The fundamental challenge of our school leaders is to ensure that the educational offer they provide must be of a standard that they would desire for their own child.
https://alplearning.org.uk (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
27 days’ Annual Leave plus bank holidays.
Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
Your contract will end on the same date that you complete your apprenticeship
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
DARLINGTON COLLEGE
Nagina Patrai
npatrai@darlington.ac.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000038812.
Apply now
Closes in 14 days (Wednesday 8 July 2026 at 11:59pm)