TIM SIMMS DRIVING SCHOOL

 Is Your Driving Instructor fully qualified or just a Trainee?

Does it really matter?

The first thing to check: Is your driving instructor on the official register of driving instructors?

Driving Instructors must display a licence in the window of their vehicle when they are charging for driving tuition.

A fully qualified driving instructor will have a green badge and a trainee instructor will show a pink badge. 

Driving Instructors have to go through a very stringent qualification process which involves taking a 3 part exam.  Only when they demonstrate that they have a sound understanding of instructional techniques will they be awarded the green badge.

A driving instructor who has a pink badge, will still be in the process of qualifying for the final exam. Approximately 75% of these trainees will not go on to qualify and the official pass rate is about 25%.

Some of the UK's largest driving schools use trainee instructors and generally charge the same rates for their services. It's important to note that these trainees have only passed their theory and practical driving tests and will be preparing for the all important test of their instructional ability at YOUR expense.

Before you commit and book your lessons ASK THE QUESTION 'will my driving instructor be fully qualified?

For your protection

Before a person can be accepted on to the official register of driving instructors they must complete a criminal records check to establish if they will be safe to work with the general public and in particular under 18s.

How much should a driving instructor charge for driving lessons?

The price of a driving lesson is only one of the factors that you should consider in making your choice of driving instructor.

It's not like buying a new pair of jeans where several retailers will have the same product and you just shop around for the best deal.

Driving instructors cannot be compared like for like. They may drive around in similar  tuition vehicles but the instruction they give varies enormously. Some driving instructors once qualified never take any additional training to keep up with new developments and instructional techniques. Other driving instructor take part in Continued Professional Development (CPD) to ensure they keep up to date with developments in the driver training industry

People often look for an instructor who is good and cheap only to find that the two rarely go together after wasting sometimes hundreds of pounds.

To increase your chances of passing first time I recommend the following:

Choose a lesson time that you can keep to each week. (Consistency helps speed your learning)

Take one and a half or two hour lessons (you learn a lot more than in single hour lessons)

Ask your instructor lots of questions. (We love helping you answer them)