It is important to have a basic understanding of the car and how to check the car is roadworthy.

The majority of this is covered during your theory training.

Most of this information you will know being an experienced driver and car owner.

Learner drivers do ask questions about the car and how it works so the more knowledgeable you are, the better equipped you will be to answer their questions.

Disability driver training is something we can cover, both physical and educational disabilities. With physical disabilities, it may be that you add an adaption to your car or use the student's mobility vehicle. There is additional training available if this is something you would look to do.

Customers with additional educational needs also use our school, the training you receive as a standard does look into how we adapt our teaching style but, again, additional training is available and is advisable if you are planning on working with people with extreme learning needs.

There is a wide variety of educational needs that bring their own in-car challenges especially in the early day, so it could be that you build your confidence and experience and then expand into the SEN section, or choose to focus on that sector as a preference. There is no right or wrong.

Part One

Part one, you can take as many attempts as you need to, You need to score a minimum of 85/100 also scoring 80% in all 4 sections of the questions sections and 57/75 on the Hazard Perception.

Part Two

Part two, you have a maximum of 3 attempts, in order to pass, you must complete the test accruing no more than 6 driver faults and no serious or dangerous faults.

Part Three

Part three, you have a maximum of 3 attempts, these must be taken before the 2nd anniversary of passing your part one, and you need to score a mark of 31 or more out of 51, including 7 or above in risk management.

If you feel you will benefit from additional training we will provide additional training at the rates we confirm at the beginning of your training.

Equally, if we feel you require additional training in order to be driving or delivering training to the required standard we will advise you of this and start a discussion about how best to deliver this training.

We have a variety of publications available to borrow to help develop your understanding of the industry and practices available to be a great ADI.

For some of this, you may choose to purchase your own copies.

There is also a wide variety of material available online for free which we will point you towards.

We also have a subscription to driving instructor tv which we open up to all the team, this includes a vast library of videos showing examples of how processes could look.

This is entirely individual and worked out in accordance with your own timescales.

Some people train when between jobs and so have a greater amount of available time than some who are training whilst working full time.

During early conversations, we can timeline your journey and then we will see what is needed on a weekly basis.

Covid has affected the driver training industry greatly.

During lockdowns, all DVSA tests and all in-car training is suspended. Meaning a lot of training is paused.

As trainers, we have worked hard to support all our learners and trainee instructors, wherever they are in the process of learning.

We have moved to online training where we can, but of course, the art of instruction is to do with timing and observation so some training has had to stop and be picked up as and when the restrictions have changed.

This has created a huge backlog with the DVSA providing tests.

The £1400 package covers your 40 hours of training that is required if you choose to take a trainee licence.

This can be provided in our vehicles but we would suggest it is more valuable for you to take it in your own dual control fitted vehicle that you will be using as your training vehicle as that enables you to get used to the environment better.

There aren't any additional mandatory costs.

Your time is the biggest additional cost to you.

You certainly can, so long as it is suitable and fitted with dual controls.

We would suggest that as the first option.

We can supply a vehicle but that does increase your charges.

Whilst you are on a trainee licence we advise you to charge £25 per hour (maybe a little less if providing intensive courses).

Our rate for qualified instructors are between £30 & £40 per hour (dependent on grade, experience and additional qualifications).

Initially upon fully qualifying we would raise your hourly rate to £30.

You can set your rate to whatever you want to when looking for customers, but these are the rates that we advertise as a school and the majority of instructors use them.

It is quite common that trainees keep their current employment throughout the training period.

This offers added security for you financially, though does then perhaps extend the timescale for training.

Many do keep their old job for a period of time after qualifying and then slowly transition as their diary fills up.

A trainee licence (pink badge) last for 6 months.

Can be applied for on the completion of the 40 hours training.

In this six month period, the DVSA anticipate you have a satisfactory amount of time to complete the additional 20 hours training and pass your part three.

You can apply for a second trainee licence if you haven't passed part three but you do have to show suitable circumstances for this to be granted.

We have a 100% success rate for people who start training with us, who then go on to pass part three and work as an ADI. (One person dropped out midway through training, this was during the first lockdown and was due to them finding a different job and loving it)

All our trainers have taken different lengths of time and different routes to the final result, we adapt to make the journey suit the lifestyle, financial availability and character of each trainee.

That, unfortunately, is an impossible question to answer as there are SO many factors involved.

How many hours a week will you work (as one person full time can be 10-15 hours different to the next persons)?

How many weeks a year?

How much will your vehicle cost (could be zero if you own a car, could be up to £500 per month if leasing).

What we will do during the early conversations is to show you a profit and loss sheet so you can work out different annual earning based on your own circumstances.

We can help with this but also understand some people like to keep this information private.

Any Road Ahead sessions cancelled within 48 hours are charged.

This is how we advise lessons are managed as instructors as it's difficult to resell time at short notice.

Any longer suspensions would need to be looked at individually by way of training.

The most important factor here is that the DVSA is NOT flexible with the two-year timeframe attached to successfully completing part three.

There has been no extension offered due to covid and this has NEVER been extended regardless of circumstances, be that illness, loss of a loved one, change of circumstances.

In this instance, the DVSA advise that you return to the beginning of the process.

This has been emphasised when the DVSA has decided not to extend the validity of a theory test certificate through COVID, from the 2-year validity.