Everything you ever needed to know about the Driving Instruction Industry
The Driving Instruction Industry in the UK is regulated by the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency, an agency of the Department of Transport. To become an Instructor and teach for reward you must be 21 and have held a full driving licence for at least 3½ years. The DVSA will consider whether you are a 'fit and proper' person and you will need a DBS (disclosure and barring service) check. You must then complete a 3 part qualification process. Part 1 is a theory test, Part 2 - a practical driving test and Part 3 - a test of instructional ability. After passing all 3 tests you are fully qualified and can join the Approved Driving Instructor Register. Once you have paid a fee and are on the register you must display your green badge when giving paid instruction. However, you can apply for a pink Trainee licence after passing Parts 1 & 2 which means you can give paid instruction for 6 months before being fully qualified.
Once qualified driving instructors are graded and have a Standards Check regularly by DVSA senior examiners to ensure teaching standards.
Almost all Driving Instructors work on a self employed basis, many choosing initially to take on a franchise with large national companies such as The AA, BSM, Red or Bill Plant or smaller local franchises. These franchises work in different ways with the instructor either leasing a car directly from the franchise company or using their own car. The franchise company usually advertises, handles enquires and sets the price of lessons. They provide the Driving Instructors with pupils for a weekly franchise fee. The fee depends on whether the car, insurance etc is included in the deal but can be as much as £300-£400 per week. Instructors benefit from pupil introductions and working for a recognised company. The franchise companies make their money from the instructors fees not the driving lessons provided. Pupils can benefit from price wars and special offers set by the franchise companies but as instructors are ultimately earning less from these offers and having to recoup the franchise fee, it's possible they could take longer to teach the syllabus in order to make more money from each pupil. As there will be several Driving Instructors with a franchise from the same company it could be a bit of a lottery as to whether you get a really good instructor or a not so good one! When choosing driving lessons from a large company it's a good idea not to base your decision on who is cheapest but to get recommendations from friends or family so you can ask for an instructor personally.
Instructors choosing not to take on a franchise will usually run their own independent driving school, either buying or leasing a car and advertising locally or relying on recommendations from previous clients. Many will have previously had a franchise but after gaining experience are able to go it alone. Running an independent driving school means that instructors may not have to work as many hours or can make more money because they do not have to cover a franchise fee. They can also build on their own reputation and not suffer from the sometimes poor reputations of fellow franchisees/large driving schools. However, it can be challenging to compete with the lower prices and advertising budgets set by larger companies. Pupils can benefit from experienced instructors who rely on their reputations for future work therefore cannot afford to be unreliable or give substandard instruction. It is in the best interest of the independent driving instructor to develop training techniques and keep up with changes within the industry to guarantee future pupils. Some instructors however may be stuck in their ways and are not making the most of technology so may be using outdated techniques and maybe older cars as well.
Once qualified driving instructors are graded and have a Standards Check regularly by DVSA senior examiners to ensure teaching standards.
Almost all Driving Instructors work on a self employed basis, many choosing initially to take on a franchise with large national companies such as The AA, BSM, Red or Bill Plant or smaller local franchises. These franchises work in different ways with the instructor either leasing a car directly from the franchise company or using their own car. The franchise company usually advertises, handles enquires and sets the price of lessons. They provide the Driving Instructors with pupils for a weekly franchise fee. The fee depends on whether the car, insurance etc is included in the deal but can be as much as £300-£400 per week. Instructors benefit from pupil introductions and working for a recognised company. The franchise companies make their money from the instructors fees not the driving lessons provided. Pupils can benefit from price wars and special offers set by the franchise companies but as instructors are ultimately earning less from these offers and having to recoup the franchise fee, it's possible they could take longer to teach the syllabus in order to make more money from each pupil. As there will be several Driving Instructors with a franchise from the same company it could be a bit of a lottery as to whether you get a really good instructor or a not so good one! When choosing driving lessons from a large company it's a good idea not to base your decision on who is cheapest but to get recommendations from friends or family so you can ask for an instructor personally.
Instructors choosing not to take on a franchise will usually run their own independent driving school, either buying or leasing a car and advertising locally or relying on recommendations from previous clients. Many will have previously had a franchise but after gaining experience are able to go it alone. Running an independent driving school means that instructors may not have to work as many hours or can make more money because they do not have to cover a franchise fee. They can also build on their own reputation and not suffer from the sometimes poor reputations of fellow franchisees/large driving schools. However, it can be challenging to compete with the lower prices and advertising budgets set by larger companies. Pupils can benefit from experienced instructors who rely on their reputations for future work therefore cannot afford to be unreliable or give substandard instruction. It is in the best interest of the independent driving instructor to develop training techniques and keep up with changes within the industry to guarantee future pupils. Some instructors however may be stuck in their ways and are not making the most of technology so may be using outdated techniques and maybe older cars as well.