We offer extremely flexible 1-1 driving instructor courses.
And we are proud to now offer training courses to become a driving instructor with a guaranteed position with 1st Time Pass.
Simply join our training programme and whatever you pay for your training will be refunded by 50% of the training fee when you have qualified if you decide to work with us as a driving instructor once you are qualified, if you join our driving school we will refund 50% of your training fees by means of a reduced Franchise.
Terms and conditions apply
Why train with 1st Time Pass Instructor Training?
Driving instructor training is our speciality as demonstrated by our leading pass rates.
From training to beginning your new career.
We provide the complete package.
We also operate training course packages for those who do not live close to our college.
Fit your training around your current commitments.
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We provide The Complete Package to make your career a success
With 1st Time Pass Instructor Training you get a lot more than just a course. Each of our students receives a comprehensive package including:
All the training sessions needed to pass
Carefully selected books and materials from the DSA recommended reading list
Use of our vehicles for training and local test purposes
Our Guaranteed Placement Scheme
A free 6 month subscription to adiNEWS, the driving instruction industry’s leading publication
We operate all over the region. Feel free to Contact us to check availability
ORDIT is a register of Driving Instructor Trainers and training establishments which have been inspected by the DSA to ensure that they reach minimum standards. It is not compulsory for trainers to register. To achieve an entry in the ORDIT register, an instructor training organisation has to reach ceretain minimum standards.
The fact that an instructor trainer is on the register does not guarantee that the training is good value for money. Being on the register only relates to the standard of training. The DSA does not check an organisation's financial standing and inclusion in the register does not guarantee its financial stability. In the event of a contract dispute, the DSA will not usually intervene. Each entry lists the name, address and telephone number of the establishment, together with the name of the contact point (normally the person in control who may be the principal or manager) and the tested trainers, with the elements of training inspected shown in brackets.
The code against each establishment entry under the heading "Training Offered" indicates:
The subjects covered which have received approval:
1 = ADI part 1 (the written exam)
2 = ADI part 2 (the driving ability test)
3 = ADI part 3 (the instructional ability test)
R = ADI retraining
The types of course offered:
F = Full time course
P = Part time course
C = Classroom
D = Distance learning course
A = Residential accommodation service
If an establishment is offering courses that are not listed in their entry, it is likely that these have not been approved.
Any person who has a complaint about the standard of training from a trainer on the ORDIT register that cannot be settledwith the establishment itself, may write to the DSA ORDIT Team. The DSA is not responsible itself for the training provided.
Driving Instructor Training Organisations
There are many different driving instructor organisations in the UK, ranging from large national companies to small local driving schools.
The Instructor College
Current TV ads by Red Driving school and The Instructor College suggest that it's easy to become a driving instructor, that you'll easily earn £30,000 per year as a driving instructor and that you get a "guaranteed placement" with a local driving school. Do these claims stack up?
Firstly, although it's easy to sign up for training, and you can carry on your existing job while you train, you need to recognise that the majority of people who sign up for an Instructor Training Course fail to qualify.
Secondly, the claim that you will earn £30,000 needs to be carefully assessed. Is this before or after expenses? As you will effectively be self-employed, you will not be getting a guaranteed salary. A "guaranteed placement" is not a salaried position. There is no guarantee that any driving school will definitely provide you with enough work to earn £30,000. It is probably true to say that the majority of driving instructors do not stay with the driving schools attached to the big training organisations because they do not get allocated enough pupils. Of course this is ideal for the training organisation as this gives them another space to fill!
Remember that your training fees are paying for their expensive tv adverts and sales staff.
BSM
Before the advent of the Instructor College, BSM were the main national Instructor training organisation. Many of the same accusations about The Instructor college (TIC) have been made about BSM. Many regard BSM's success as being about image and marketing rather than the quality of their training.
Independent Instructor Trainers
There are many smaller, local driving schools that offer excellent Instructor training. Of course the standard of training may vary from one organisation to another. The advantage of going to a local organisation is the local reputation of these trainers
you are more likely to be able to talk with the actual trainers rather than sales people
less likelihood of high pressure selling techniques.
ORDIT provide a voluntary registration scheme for driving instructor trainers.
You can teach yourself some stuff by purchasing instructor training dvd's and recommended books.
Driving Instructor Training FAQ
1. How much realistically do driving instructors earn on average?
Answer: On average full time instructors earn around £25,000.
2. Is there a shortage of driving instructors.
Answer: No. Most driving instructors do not have waiting lists
3. How much is a driving school franchise?
Answer: It can vary from as little as £40 with a local driving school, where you provide your own car, insurance, repairs etc, to £350 with a large national school which provides car, insurance, repairs and pupils
4. How much fuel is used on a driving lesson?
Answer: The cost of fuel per lesson will vary depending on the fuel consumption of the car and the mileage involved. Generally, a one hour will lesson will cover between 12 miles (city centre areas) and 20 miles (rural areas). It's best to budget about £2 per lesson for fuel.
5. What is the pass rate for driving instructor exams?
Answer: It is understood that the number of people who pass all three exams is around 10%
6. Can I get a career loan to help with the cost of training?
Answer: Career development loans are available. They are usually better value than getting a loan through your training provider
7. How many times can I take the tests?
Answer: There are three tests - you can take each one three times. If you do not pass them by the third time, you have to go back to the beginning. You also have to wait two years from when you took your first test.
8. How much does it cost to besome a driving instructor?
Answer: Training courses can cost anything up to around £3,500 for all three parts. Some trainers require the money to be paid in one up front amount and you get no refund if you fail one of the first two exams and are unable to take Part 3. Others allow you to pay for each part as it comes along.
Career Development Loans
With costs of training at about £2,500 or more, many people will need to get a loan to pay for their driving instructor training. Particularly if they plan to go it alone once trained and need to finance a car.
Career development loans are available through many financial institutions. You do not have to make repayments whilst training and for one month after the training has ended. So potentially you can be earning from your new career before you have to start making payments.
Beware getting finance from your training provider. Although it may seem attractive to sign up for the course and arrange the finance in one go, it may not be the best deal. Many people seem to have found that arranging a loan through Red Driving School has been very costly. Shop around for the best value loan,
You should contact a finance provider such as Halifax, Barclays or Natwest for full details of career development loans.
What to Ask ...
Here's our Quick Guide as to what you should ask your potential driving instructor trainer:
1. Be very clear as to how their instructor training fees are structured. What is included and what is not included
2. Ask them to break down how they calculate "potential earnings". Make sure the lesson fee is a true one. Remember you need to add on average 10 minutes per lesson travelling time as well as book-keeping and other admin time. To enable you to have four weeks annual holiday as well as public holidays and a couple of days off sick, you need to think in terms of 46 weeks work.
3. What concrete guarantees do they offer as to how many hours worth of driving lessons they will provide you with
4. Ask to speak to one of the Instructors who completed their instructor training with them and who is now working as an Instructor (not as a trainer!)
5. Ask them what their instructor training pass rate is. Do not let them be elusive
6. Ask them how many driving instructors are still with the driving school a year after they qualified
7. Ask to speak to a trainer not just a sales person
8. Find out if you have to pay for training for all 3 parts in one go, and if so whether you can get the cost of training for Part 3 refunded if you fail parts one or two. Be realistic. Only 1 in 10 people get as far as passing Part 3, so even a training school that says it has double the average pass rate, will have many people who fail.
If they are elusive, don't let them off the hook. If they say they don't know the answer to a question, ask them to do some research and find out! Remember it's your money they want and you have a right to know before you sign up!
At 1st-Time Pass we believe in operating in a transparent business style manner and we believe that with our 1-1 training will set you in a very good position to pass all of your exams.
When you call us, you will speak to an instructor Trainer that has trained with us, not just some consultant that will tell you how many ways you can pay for our courses
