Driving Instructor Training

 

At Driving Crawley we can offer training to become a driving instructor. 

I can offer driving instructor training in Crawley and surrounding areas, typically this would be any area with an RH postcode such as Horsham, Haywards Heath, Reigate & Redhill. Although it is not a major issue if you live further away as long as you are willing to travel and meet at a mutual convenient location for the training. The meeting location will be relevant to what stage you are at with your training, essentially most training will be done near the test centre where you will do your qualifying exams.


 

Why become a driving instructor?

 
  • Teaching can be a rewarding career, nothing can beat the moment when a learner driver passes their driving test or something clicks in their head that they have been struggling with!
  • You will be self-employed, so you get the associated benefits, such as being your own boss, controlling when and how much you work. Be aware that sometimes you might need to work unsociable hours to meet your pupils needs, evening and weekends lessons tend to be very popular with learner drivers!
  • No two days are ever the same! Everyone learns differently, it is down to you as the instructor to work with the pupil to help them to achieve their individual goals. This can sometimes prove a challenge, but if you really like getting your teeth into something and sorting out the problems then this is the career for you. 
  • I could say to you about earning £40,0..... a year, but that would be unrealistic, and unlike some of the larger driving schools I do not want to give you false hopes. Whilst you can earn good money as a driving instructor it takes time to build towards that, as such it requires a lot of hard work and patience. 
 

How is the training structured?

 
  • Sessions will typically be 2 hours long, the meeting location will depend on the goal of the session and the skills to be developed.
  • The number of sessions will depend on the individual, however typically most do around 40 hours of part 3 training.
  • The sessions will start by introducing key instructional skills using 'role-play', skills such as route direction, watching the driver, dual controls and different levels of support.
  • After introducing key skills we can either do some role-play driving lessons or, if you are feeling brave, to deliver lessons to a real learner! The learner could be someone you know, or I could potentially supply a willing student. Sessions would typically be in my dual controlled car, with me sat in the back to observe and offer feedback and advice.
  • If you complete 40 hours of part 3 training with 6 months then you can go onto a 'trainee licence' which allows you to 'teach for reward', i.e. deliver lessons to learners and get paid. More info here.
  • As a Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) I can sign you off for a trainee licence after you have completed your 40 hours with myself. There is no tie ins or franchise fees, unlike with most larger driving school, sessions are just pay as you go, if its not working for you then you can just stop.

What is the process to become a qualified driving instructor?

 
  1. Get registered as a Potential Driving Instructor (PDI), in order to do this you will need to meet some basic criteria including get a background security check commonly known as a DBS (formally CRB). More details
  2. Pass the Part 1 test - This is a theory test with 100 multiple choice questions and a hazard perception test. More details
  3. Pass the Part 2 test - This is a driving test, it is of a higher standard that a learners test, it also is longer and involves more reversing manoeuvres. More details
  4. Pass the Part 3 test - An assessment of your ability to teach, you will need to deliver a real driving lessons in front of the examiner to prove you are good enough to become a qualified driving instructor. More details

Books:

I recommend you purchase the following books to help in your journey to becoming a fully qualified driving instructor. 

You will also need to purchase the resources on this page to help with your Part 1 and Part 2 exam.

 

Videos:

Check out the playlist opposite for videos from various instructor trainers, these videos include: 

- Real lessons 

- Explanation of the ADI Part 3 test 

- Examples of ADI Part 3 competencies 

Don't forget to look for other videos on the relevant trainers YouTube channel, there is lots out there and lots of of positive learning to help improve your skills.

 

Visual Aid's On lessons (A picture speaks a thousand words!)

 

It is estimated that 75% of all information processed by the brain is visual, as such it is essential you have, and use, visual aids on your driving lessons whenever you are introducing a new subject or discussing a 'fault'.

The main visual aid I use on my lessons are the "Robosoul" driving instructor apps by Neil Beaver, I have these on my iPad mini 1 and using them almost every lesson. The apps include:

  • 'Learn to drive bundle' - Has lots of interactive apps to allow you to create custom situations and then make it all move for realism! 
  • 'Reflective log' is great for recording what you did on the lesson, what went well, what to improve on and what your plans are for the next session, you can then e-mail this to your learner should you wish.
  • 'Road Pad' allows you to upload photos of local junctions and then you can draw on them using your iPad. 
  • 'Road Board' has blank road layouts, you can then add a variety of road markings and road users to create custom situations. 

NOTE: I understand Neil has stopped developing/updating his apps, as such I don't believe they are available on newer iPads. 

I also use my Blackvue 750S-2CH dash camera an awful lot, it is great as you can connect it via wifi to your iPad and playback a situation to show a learner, really important as due to concentrating so hard a learner can often 'forgot' about a situation that only happened 2 minutes ago. I also save footage of good and bad driving, for example, I can show this to a learner to help them understand why it is important to slow down in anticipation for a traffic light changing, or why it is a 30mph road (perhaps showing footage of a child or cat running out in front of the car!). The saved dashcam footage takes up the large majority of the memory on my iPad! Just make sure you remain non-judgemental when looking at others 'bad' driving!

What else do I use? 

Toy cars, great for showing manoeuvres.

White board and marker pens, get creative and make custom drawings of junctions etc.

Noise box! With agreement, you can make a happy sound if the learner does something well, but an unhappy sounds if they forget to do something, or just throw in the odd fart sound to put a smile of the learners face! DO NOT be tempted to use a noise box app on your phone while the learner is driving, this would be illegal, as you are using a mobile device whilst instructing. 

- A tuition presenter, basically a paper version of the Robosoul apps, may be good if you want to be 'old school'. Most national driving schools will have their own version of this. 


Other essential bits:



If you are considering becoming a driving instructor feel free to contact me on 07890 317907, we can have a chat to discuss if it would be a suitable career for you, we can also address any concerns your might have. I will always give you my honest opinion, rather than trying to hard sell you into buying the training sessions.