Download - Become a Driving Instructor

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Page 1: Become a Driving Instructor

a unique approach to becoming adriving instructor

refreshing - honest - different

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Thank you for requesting information on Express Instructor Training. We are sure youwill find the information in this brochure useful and interesting.

A career as a driving instructor is for many a fantastic choice. You really can work thehours you choose, enjoy job satisfaction, and of course great earning potential. Sadlyhowever this profession has become swamped with big names, many of which reallyhave given the whole business a bad name. We pride ourselves on being different!

This information pack contains much more than a price list and a load of sales blurb -our aim is to firstly dispel some of the myths surrounding becoming a driving instructor,and to help you to fully understand the profession, the prospects, and the training, inorder for you to make an informed choice about whether this is the right career foryou, and if so who to train with.

Please do take the time to read this information carefully, and if you have any queriesor would like a chat do call us on

welcome ....................................................................... 1we are different ....................................................................... 2guaranteed pass - the truth ....................................................................... 3trainee licence - the reality ....................................................................... 4guaranteed jobs - can you earn £40k? ....................................................................... 5your options as an ADI ....................................................................... 6the qualifying process ....................................................................... 7entry criteria ....................................................................... 8making great instructors - one at a time ....................................................................... 8frequently asked questions ....................................................................... 9-10training fees ....................................................................... 11contact us ....................................................................... 12

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We are not a college, nor are we a national school. We are an independentsmall business based in the North West of England offering driving lessons anddriving instructor training.

People come from all over the UK to train with us (we offer intensive training for thosewho are not local) thanks to our growing reputation, world class training, andunprecedented pass rates. But what makes us special? We would like to share withyou some of the things that we are very proud of...

Our Trainers are amongst the best in the business. We only have a small team but eachof them hold all the usual qualifications you would expect but additionally hold manymore optional accreditations such as ORDIT, IAM, DSA Cardington, and more.

Our Pass Rates are good - and we mean really really good. We will talk more aboutwhat affects pass rates later in this brochure.

We are a family firm - no board of directors, no shareholders to please, and not drivenby profits. We are here to make an honest living and we really enjoy doing what wedo best - helping people to succeed in qualifying to become a driving instructor andthem helping them to develop a rewarding career.

We don't operate a school - so we are not concerned with forcing you into franchises,or long term contracts. Instead we will help you to find the best path into teaching foryour individual circumstances.

We don't make false promises, and we don't make worthless guarantees. Instead wedeliver great training that gets results and only charge for what we deliver. No smallprint, no hidden charges, just good honest value for money.

Our prices are really rather good! We price our courses realistically - we all need tomake a living but because we are so busy and because we don't operate multi-siteexpensive offices we are able to keep our prices affordable.

No Car-Sharing, No Classrooms, & No Buddying Up. Just simple, one to one trainingtailored to your specific needs.

National Service - although we are based in the North West, we are able to cater forpeople from all over the UK thanks to our "stay and train" scheme.

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Every day, more and more companies are offering so called "guaranteed pass" courses which give the impression that if you train with that company youare guaranteed to qualify as a driving instructor. Let's explore that in more detail...

Firstly, the actual tests are conducted by the Driving Standards Agency. Nobody in theworld can actually guarantee what will happen on the day of the test. You could bethe best candidate in the world - well prepared and fully ready but still fail becauseof a silly mistake, or nerves getting the better of you - so nobody can actually guaranteethat you will pass any of the tests.

With that in mind, many companies sell their guarantees as reassurances that extratraining is available should you fail. All we advise is that you do the sums. Thesecourses can often cost thousands of pounds, so are you getting "free" training if youfail a test or are you paying for that in the initial up-front fees? Think about it!

With a national pass rate for the ADI Part 3 test being less than 25% how do thesecompanies stay in business? They often charge a huge fee for their course that ensuresthat you are paying for all the training you may need - whether you take it or not.Obviously if you do pass first time the training company are laughing all the way tothe bank. If you need more training it is fine because you have paid for it anyway!They often also pay their trainers low hourly rates. You really do get what you pay forin this business. Our trainers will not work for peanuts but why should they - they arethe best in the business. With us, all the money you spend goes into your training.

Instead we deliver really good qualitytraining at a sensible, realistic, honest price. Although our pass rates are high, you doalways need that touch of good luck on the day and occasionally someone does fluffup a test but if that happens to you then because you will already be very thoroughlytrained you will probably just need to pay another test fee. If you feel you need moretraining then just pay for what you need (and we are so confident in our training thatif you do fail we will provide any extra you wish to receive at a discounted hourly rate).

Don't pay thousands of pounds for something that appears to be fantastic - do yoursums first, work out the actual hourly rate, look at the hours you get and other factorslike how many people are in each session etc. Soon you will realise that guaranteed

pass really means nothing more than guaranteedbonuses for the shareholders of these establishments!

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This is another thing that really bugs us - companies thattry to sound good by offering you a guaranteed traineelicence. Some even claim that you can't qualify withoutthe one.

So what is a trainee licence? The trainee licence schemewas set up by the DSA to allow people who are trainingto become a driving instructor the opportunity to gainexperience with real learners once they have completeda minimum amount of training towards part three, butbefore they attempt the exam itself.

Despite what you may read, every year many people train to become a driving instructorand successfully qualify without the need for a trainee licence. Despite this, it is often"sold" to trainees as a way to earn money sooner, or the "only" way to qualify.

Frankly, this is often just a ploy to entice the poor unsuspecting trainee into signing along term, and often costly franchise agreement. Don't be fooled - if you become atrainee instructor you will usually pay the same, if not more than a qualified instructor.You will also be required by the DSA to take additional training, and regulations prohibitspecific advertising being done to get work for a trainee instructor so your diary willalmost certainly not be full. At best you will cover your costs.

If we feel that any of our trainees will benefit from a trainee licence, or if the traineespecifically wants to pursue this route then we have close relationships with a numberof schools and can certainly help the trainee find a suitable, fair placement, but in manycases this is not necessary. When you train with us you know that we don't have afranchise to try and sell to you so you will get honest, impartial advice.

We firmly believe that if a candidate is capable of passing their part three test withoutthe trainee licence then that is the route that should be pursued. As previouslymentioned, in some cases the licence is appropriate but in those cases we will assistin finding a school with only good intentions to sponsor you.

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Most training companies offer some kind of placement or "job" once qualified. We feel it is our duty to ensure that anyone who trains with us understands all of the options available to them once they are qualified.

Firstly, one of the main reasons that schools offer you some kind of position is simple -they want more money from you. Most franchises will charge £600-£1000 per month.Some appear to charge far less but they usually have hidden fees such as pupil referralfees, mileage clauses, etc.

The average price of a driving lesson is£20 per hour but a lot of schools chargefar less - some make their instructors doone or more lessons free for every newpupil, or a substantial discount on thefirst block (for example, 1st 5 lessonsfor £25) - YES - REALLY! The personwho pays the cost of this is theinstructor, not the school. Offerssuch as these are open to "offer

hoppers" - learners who take a freelesson with one school, then a discounted block

with another, and so on. This means franchised instructorswill often end up busy but continually doing cut price lessons.

The bigger the school, the bigger the problems tend to be. Many large schools,particularly those who train instructors simply have too many instructors for the numberof pupils their advertising budget provides - this means only one thing - instructors withno work. One or two schools now offer a pay as you earn employed position but thehourly rate on this kind of deal tends to be very low.

When you train with us we do not try to sell you a franchise - we don't operate afranchised driving school. Instead we specialise in helping you to obtain yourqualification and we have no hidden agenda! What we do however, is help all of ourcustomers to find the solution that is best for them and their individual circumstances -enabling them to earn as much as possible. £40,000 is achievable as a drivinginstructor, but not always by joining an expensive franchise with the school you trainwith!

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Well, firstly not all driving schools are bad! There is a genuine demand for gooddriving instructors - but this demand comes from good driving schools.

The busy schools tend to be the smaller, local schools with a great reputation and theseare often looking for new instructors. We can help you to find such schools in your areaand we can even check out what they are offering in order to ensure you are gettinga fair deal.

Any franchise obviously comes with costs and it is important to think franchises throughcarefully. In many cases you can make far more money by setting up your own drivingschool. This may sound daunting but it's actually pretty straightforward and can be avery rewarding option in so many ways.

We have a close association with a leading business startup consultant who has helpedliterally hundreds of independent driving schools set up and grow their own school.

Leasing a car is easy - there are plenty of specialist contract hire companies that supplydual controlled cars to driving instructors. There are also some very good deals fromcar dealers on new, or nearly new vehicles. Insurance only takes a phone call. Apartfrom this you will probably need a bit of guidance in choosing a school name, havinga logo, website, and business cards created, and most importantly getting your schoolknown. We can give you help with all of these. Once you have qualified we will takethe time to help you decide what is best for you.

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There are three tests to take to become a driving instructor. Before you can take the first exam the Driving Standards Agency need to formally approve you.This process includes a criminal records check. We give you all the info on how to getthis simple process completed when you enrol with us. The CRB check can take a fewweeks so we advise to use that time to prepare for the first exam.

Part one is a theory and hazard perception test and both are done on acomputer at your local theory test centre. You will be asked 100 simplequestions and need to get 85% correct overall in order to pass. You will thenbe asked to watch a number of short video clips filmed from inside a movingcar. You simply need to click the mouse when you see a hazard developingahead. Both of these parts are straightforward and we even provide you witha comprehensive home study pack which includes all the possible questions

you may be asked (and the answers), a selection of reference books, and somecomputer software. As always, if you need any help along the way just give us a call.

Part two is a driving test. It's done in exactly the same way as the learnertest but obviously the examiner is looking for a higher standard. Thewhole test lasts about an hour and you will also be asked to answer afew basic questions about the safety and maintenance of your car.During the drive you will be asked to do some basic reversing exorcisesand a controlled stop. We provide a really comprehensive trainingpackage so by the time you take the test you should be naturally drivinglike a professional!

The final test is the part three test - the test of your ability to instruct. Duringthis test the examiner will portray the role of the pupil. Your job is to teacha given subject, spot anything the pupil does wrong and act on thataccordingly. The one hour test is split into two 30 minute sessions. In thefirst half the examiner will play the role of a beginner and in the secondhalf he or she will become a new pupil who is a little bit more advanced.

Part three is the most feared element but with the right training, designed togive you a good understanding it is in fact relatively simple. Our training for part threeis unrivalled and if you follow some basic rules you will soon be passing part three andsending off for that all important licence to teach!

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There are no formal qualifications required in order to train to become adriving instructor, but in order to be allowed entry onto the register of instructorsyou must meet some basic criteria...

� You need to have held a full UK or European driving licence for at least the last3.5 years.

� Any motoring convictions will be taken into account when assessing your suitabilityto become a driving instructor. Some penalty points may not necessarily preventyou from becoming an instructor, but if you have points please call us for advice.

� You need to be a ‘fit and proper person’ and the DSA will carry out a criminalrecords check on all applicants. Any current or spent convictions may be taken intoaccount when assessing your application, although historic minor events may notalways pose a problem (call us to discuss your situation).

� Your eyesight must be capable of reading a number plate from 26.5 or 27.5metres (depending on the type of number plate). This will be tested during thepart two test. If you wear glasses or contact lenses it is perfectly acceptable to usethem for this test.

If you satisfy all of the above, enjoy driving, and think you would like to pass on yourdriving skills to others then a career as a driving instructor could be just the right thingfor you!

When you train with Express Instructor Training you will benefit from completely one toone training. We do not share training and we don’t do ‘classrooms’. You will beallocated your own personal trainer who will look after you all the way through yourcourse.

Having your own personal trainer means you get to really know your trainer, and moreimportantly he or she gets to know you - they learn how you work, what makes youtick and can then ensure you get the very best training - in the way that works best foryou! Also, one to one training means more time for developing your skills as in instructor,not just teaching you to pass a test. We will teach you how to ‘do the job’ and everythingyou need to know to be a successful driving instructor!

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For anyone considering embarking on a new career it is important that you find the answers to any questions you may have. We would love you to call usfor a chat and we will be delighted to talk you through your queries or concerns. Inthe meantime here are a list of some of the most common questions our customersask us.

This does depend on things like how long your criminal records check takes, and howlong the test waiting times are in your area. It also depends on your availability andseveral other factors. Generally though, once your CRB is complete an average coursetime is about 8-16 weeks.

Tax is something that is different for everyone but generally as a self employed DrivingInstructor you will pay far less tax for every pound that you earn because there arecertain benefits to being self employed. Call us for more detailed information.

Absolutely! There are a lot of instructors out there but in our opinion many of the newinstructors appearing are ‘factory produced’ and trained in their masses by large schools.There is a shortage however of good quality, well developed instructors who want tomake something of their career and who have a passion about what they do. Goodinstructors will always be in demand and that’s why our courses are structured aroundteaching you so much more than just how to qualify - we will train you to be a wellrounded good instructor with an in depth knowledge of the job and the business too.With all that under your belt the qualifying tests should be plain sailing!

We don’t spend millions of pounds on advertising. In actual fact we spend hardlyanything on advertising because the vast majority of our work comes from word ofmouth. As well as training instructors we spend a lot of our time helping existinginstructors to further develop their careers. We are a small family run firm based in theNorth West of England. Our trainers have many years experience in the business oftraining Driving Instructors. We don’t have salesmen, and we don’t do the pressureselling. We would however welcome the opportunity to help you to get on the roadto your new career!

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Yes of course! If you decide you would like to go ahead with a training course,give us a call and we will arrange for one of the team to pop and see you or meetat an agreed location. We will take the opportunity to discuss things in more detailand of course answer any questions you may have before you sign up.

We are based in the North West of England. If you live in our immediate area (GreaterManchester, Lancashire, parts of Merseyside, and the surrounding areas) we can oftendeliver your training on a ‘pick up from home’ basis. Where this isn’t possible we willmeet you at one of our many meeting points throughout the North West.

Strangely enough, we started out initially solely catering for people in our area but asour reputation has grown we now get a lot of enquiries from other areas. In somecases we can offer training in those areas (call for details), but even if we can’t coveryour area why not come and stay with us! Many people now take their training on amore intensive basis. With an array of affordably local hotels nobody needs to missout on our fantastic training packages!

Yes you can. For a small additional fee (to cover extra admin, study material etc) youcan share your training with someone you know if you wish. We are also able to designyou a bespoke course giving you extra hours together to get the most our of yourtraining.

As mentioned earlier in the brochure, we don’t believe in selling ‘guaranteed’ passcourses - ultimately with those course everyone pays for more training whether theyneed it or not. Remember, for the price you pay us all of your training is completelyone to one so you are in with the best chance of passing. If you do need any extrahelp though we will offer this at a reduced rate compared to the standard hourly tariff.

Yes - we have both male and female trainers who all hold the same professionalqualifications and who all have the same level of experience and expertise.

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This option is great for those on a budget. Simply pay by the hour. If you prefer you canpay for each of the three elements in blocks and save on the hourly rate.

Course Study Pack £150In car 1-2-1 training £35 p/h

12 Hours 1-2-1 Training for P2 £36040 Hours 1-2-1 Training for P3 £1200Save £5 per hour by buying modules!

Choose to pay for your course in full when you join and you will make a significant savingon our hourly training rate. This is our most popular package.

� Course Study Pack� 12 Hours 1-2-1 Training for P2� 40 Hours 1-2-1 Training for P3� Substantial Reduction on Hourly Rate!

This package gives you that little bit more. Many people find that the extra hours with thetrainer give them time to further develop their skills and build their confidence.

� Course Study Pack� 15 Hours 1-2-1 Training for P2� 50 Hours 1-2-1 Training for P3� Substantial Reduction on Hourly Rate!

OTHER COSTS

Our courses are transparent, we don’t hide anything fromyou. In addition to the training you will need to pay thefollowing fees...

Test Fee - Part 1 £90Test Fee - Part 2 & Part 3 £111 eachGreen Badge (once qualified) £300 (lasts 4 years)

Our pricing structure is simple. With us there are no nasty surprises, no hidden extras - what you see is what you get. Prices include one to one training with a choice of home pickup (if you live in selected areas), or meet the trainer at one of our many meeting points across the North West of England.

Prices correct at time of going to press. E & OE. We reserve the right to amend our prices.Test Fees charged by DSA and may be subject to change.11

CALL FORPRICES!

CALL FORPRICES!

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ready to join us?

want to ask some questions?

we are just a phone call away and wewould love to hear from you.

(we are a small family run firm and like to devote as much time to eachclient as we can. If you call and get an answer-phone please do leave

a message and we will call you back very soon!)

alternatively you can email us via our website

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Express Driver Trainingwww.expressdrivertraining.comTelephone: 0800 987 5423

This brochure and all of it’s contents are copyright 2010 Express Driver Training.All rights reserved. E & OE