Level 2 Accounts Assistant Apprentice at The Meadows School
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Oldbury, West Bromwich
Closes in 15 days (Sunday 12 October 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 26 September 2025
Contents
Summary
A fantastic opportunity at The Meadows School to provide financial and administrative support within the school’s busy office. This opportunity will provide real work experience at the same time as gaining qualifications.
- Wage
-
£11,778 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 Friday.
Exact times/shifts to be confirmed.
30 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 24 November 2025
- Duration
-
1 year 3 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
As a member of the school accounts team, your main jobs and duties will consist of:
- Supporting with the accounts payable and receivable processes including posting invoices, raising purchase orders, processing payments, and liaising with suppliers.
- Providing basic financial business support across the whole financial management area and help co-ordinate some activities.
- Assisting with the preparation of financial monitoring, including financial projections, to agreed timescales and standards.
- Inputting towards financial year end activities including producing accruals and standard working papers to support key balances in accordance with agreed processes and timescales.
- Perform supplier statement reconciliations.
- Supporting with the control, monitoring and maintenance of the Council’s financial systems.
- Contributing ideas in the development of plans to achieve objectives to improve services.
- Assisting in the development of financial reporting tools.
- Support the wider school team with general administrative tasks, to include word processing, data entry, filing and photocopying.
- Dealing with incoming/outgoing post and emails.
- Undertake relevant and appropriate training related to the role as part of your personal development.
- To undertake tasks keeping data protection and safeguarding in mind at all times.
- Attend and contribute towards meetings.
- Being committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Any disclosures or concerns to be reported to the school’s safeguarding officer.
- To carry out any other duties relevant to the post.
Where you'll work
You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.
This apprenticeship is available in these locations:
- Dudley Road East, Oldbury, B69 3BU
- Connor Road, West Bromwich, B71 3DJ
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
LET ME PLAY LIMITED
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
- At the end, you will gain a Level 2 Accounts or Finance Assistant Apprenticeship Standard
- This will include any Functional Skills as appropriate
The apprenticeship will also include a proportion of 20% off-the-job training and a robust programme of mandatory apprentice training provided by Sandwell Council to include Workplace Professionalism and Equality and Diversity.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English Language (grade A*-C/9-4 or equivalent)
- Maths (grade A*-C/9-4 or equivalent)
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
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Team working
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Confident
- Understanding of safeguarding
- Understand data protection
- Flexibility
- Willingness to learn
- Reliable
Other requirements
You must be willing to shadow senior staff, attend relevant training and be flexible to support the needs of the post. You will need to have a due regard for Safeguarding and Child Protection, therefore you will be required to undertake an Enhanced DBS Check prior to commencing in the post. Annual leave must be taken outside of term time only. The schools works across 2 different locations - you may be required to attend either site to meet the needs of the business.
About this employer
Sandwell is a large, multicultural metropolitan borough situated in the heart of the Black Country, to the west of Birmingham, within the West Midlands conurbation and with a population of over 280,000. The Council is one of the largest employers in the Borough with employees in a variety of occupations, providing a comprehensive range of services. For more information about Sandwell Council’s apprenticeship programme and our recruitment process please visit our YouTube channel. Find out more information on Sandwell’s Values and Behaviours on the council’s webpage. For more information on careers in local government you can view a copy of the Local Government Career Guide.
After this apprenticeship
The post is offered on a fixed-term contract to cover the duration of the apprenticeship training.
You will receive support and guidance to identify and apply for any further apprenticeships or internal jobs that you are suitably experienced and qualified for.
Our 'Next Steps' workshop will help you to identify the skills that you have gained throughout your apprenticeship in order to update your CV and apply for any opportunities.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Rich Nettleton
rich_nettleton@sandwell.gov.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000344002.
Apply now
Closes in 15 days (Sunday 12 October 2025 at 11:59pm)
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