Relaunching its offering for aspiring accountants, Selby College has appointed a former industry-leading Financial Accountant to deliver its Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) courses.

Highly-experienced and qualified Chartered Accountant, Sarah Murphy, has taken on the role of the College’s AAT Lecturer after working in accountancy practice for more than nine years.

During this time, Sarah worked as an Audit Manager and an Exam Training Manager for RSM UK, an audit, tax and consulting firm. As part of her role as an Exam Training Manager, Sarah managed the company’s AAT and ACA trainees.

Sarah also has a Bachelors degree and PhD in Business awarded by the University of Leeds, as well as a Masters Degree in Sustainable Development from Staffordshire University. She has also completed her Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector qualification and is currently studying for her Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at the College.

Sarah continues to be registered as a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

“Moving from accountancy practice into the teaching sector is a natural step for me. I’m looking forward to teaching on the AAT course and being able to use my experience to add context to lessons so that students can understand real businesses and develop relevant and useful skills,” said Sarah. “The AAT course is a respected qualification within the accountancy profession and provides students with a great foundation in accounts, bookkeeping, software and more – ensuring they have the expertise to start a successful career in the industry.”

“What’s more, due to the flexibility of the delivery of the course, learners are able to gain their qualification alongside other commitments which makes it ideal for adult learners who are looking for a career change or to upskill,” added Sarah.

This comes as the College has recently changed the format of its AAT course, which is now being delivered using a blend of face-to-face and online learning.

“We are delighted that Sarah has joined the team at Selby College. Her wealth of experience and knowledge within the industry will be an asset to the course and will allow our students to learn from best practice. Sarah’s appointment has come at a fantastic time, as we have recently changed the delivery of our AAT course to reduce the amount of time that students need to come into the College, meaning that they can learn around work and other commitments – making it a viable option for those who are aspiring to build a career in accountancy or finance,” said Andy Brown, Programme Leader.

The course is designed to provide a solid foundation in finance administration, covering areas such as double entry bookkeeping, basic costing principles and using accounting software.

It is ideally suited to people who either want to work in accounting or finance, or who already do so and want to achieve a formal qualification to enhance their career prospects.

The course is accredited by the AAT, which is the UK’s leading professional body for entry-level accountants. It provides qualifications that teach practical skills for the workplace. All units are assessed by AAT through a series of computer-based assessments.

The Level 2 AAT course will be delivered at Selby College every Tuesday evening from 6pm until 9pm. Learners will also be offered a tailored one-to-one slot to address their individual needs which can be done remotely or face-to-face.

Sessions for the Level 3 AAT course will be held at the campus every Thursday evening from 6pm until 9pm, with one-to-one support slots also offered.

Applications are still open for our range of part-time Adult Learning Courses, including our AAT offering. If you would like to find out more, please contact our Adult Learning team on 01757 211097 or email adultlearning@selby.ac.uk.