School Leaver Programme, Accountancy - Southampton (Sept 2026)

At S&W, we help our clients thrive by simplifying the complex, illuminating new paths, and shaping solutions that make a difference. As one of the UK’s top 10 fastest-growing accountancy firms, we have been a trusted partner since 1881—helping businesses and individuals meet challenges and seize opportunities across generations.

Built on expertise and driven by ambition, e provide a comprehensive range of services, including tax and accountancy, advisory and assurance, corporate finance, and restructuring. We are defined by our purpose—to help navigate challenges, unlock potential, and achieve the extraordinary.

Introduction to the Accountancy team at S&W

As part of our Business Outsourcing Services team, you will be working with clients and their finance teams or bookkeepers, helping them with their year-end accounts, management accounts, bookkeeping, VAT returns and cloud accounting software support. This means providing services, advice and solutions that really make a difference. You will also have exposure to working with partners gaining invaluable experience and building your confidence with senior members of staff.

You’ll build valuable client experience, developing the knowledge and skills needed to be a trusted business adviser. Alongside your work, you will receive first-class professional training as you study for the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) qualifications which will enable you to gain a full understanding of the technical aspects of audit, accountancy, and additional financial advisory services.

What will you be doing?

Progression within this team is fast, with responsibility from an early stage. By the second year, you will be taking on a more senior role and helping to supervise the new intake of trainees. As your experience grows, you may have opportunities to experience other ad hoc assignments that our clients request our help with such as: one-off software implementation projects, cloud accounting software ‘health-checks’ or client secondments to assist their finance function. You will also receive internal training from the professional services learning and development team.

You will be working in a client-facing, dynamic team, developing the knowledge and skills needed to be a trusted business adviser. Additionally, you will study towards the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) professional qualification, developing essential skills sought out in the professional services sector.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Working as part of a team to provide clients with a range of services including statutory accounts, bookkeeping, management accounts, VAT returns, software implementation and ‘health-checks’ of their systems
• Developing an understanding of our clients and their businesses
• Keeping your manager fully informed of any issues and problems, ensuring the work is completed to a level agreed with the manager and recording clearly and concisely the work carried out
• Becoming familiar with our internal accounting software as well as other cloud accounting technologies
• Providing advice and solutions to clients in response to their accounting queries
• Using automation to improve efficiencies for our clients’ finance function
• Prioritising tasks for your own portfolio of clients, whilst monitoring time against budget

To be successful in this role, you should:

• Be committed to working towards the Level 4 Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), a Level 7 professional qualification.
• A Level: Predicted or obtained minimum 112 UCAS points in top three A Levels (or equivalent), excluding General Studies
• GCSE: Minimum Grade 5 (or equivalent), in English Language and Maths respectively

Learning & Development

You’ll be supported in completing your qualification; gaining the finance knowledge, accountancy skills and real-world business experience to jumpstart your career. And you won’t do it alone - you’ll be joining as part of a cohort with your own personal support network, including a buddy to offer first-hand experience. Your qualification training will be supported by a leading UK training provider, and you’ll be given the space and time to study whilst developing a variety of skills to become a well-rounded advisor. You’ll receive guidance and support each step of the way by our dedicated Learning & Development team and training contact for your department to make sure you have everything you need to realise your potential from day one.   

As a colleague here at S&W you will have access to benefits that include:

• Competitive salary
• Private medical insurance
• Online GP service
• Life assurance
• Pension contribution
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount scheme
• Two volunteer days per year
• Charity contribution match
• Holiday package
• Option to purchase additional holiday

We are proud to value the differences that a diverse workforce brings, representative of society and our clients. At S&W we have a wide range of highly active employee resource groups and we’re delivering multiple diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the organisation. It is our commitment to provide a workspace where all colleagues, regardless of identity, background, or circumstance, feel respected as individuals and feel that they can achieve their full potential and work in a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment.

We are happy to make any reasonable adjustments to accommodate for your needs throughout the application process. Please let your Recruiter know.

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION

When you click on the ‘I’m interested’ button you’ll be taken to your profile page. We’re in the process of updating it but in the meantime:

• We can only accept one application to any of our programmes in a recruitment season. If you are unsuccessful, you will need to wait until the next September when we re-open applications for the following year.
• Under the ‘Experience’ section, if you do not have any experience please enter ‘N/A’ into the ‘Title’ text box and choose a random end and start date
• Under the ‘Education’ section you do NOT need to include all your education details as we’ll ask for this separately once you’ve completed your profile. All you need to do is fill in the ‘Institution’ (aka School) question which is mandatory.
• Under the ‘Resume’ (aka CV) section, it is mandatory for you to upload a document, however, it will not be formally reviewed.
• The ‘Message to Hiring Manager’ text box is NOT mandatory and will not be formally reviewed.