Alert School of Motoring only use Grade 6 instructors!
Are all driving instructors the same?
Certainly not! Read on…
We start with ‘PDI`s’. That stands for Potential Driving Instructors. PDI’s have pink DVSA badge. A PDI can be someone starting out in the industry with a good and honest intent to become a fine driving instructor, whilst giving tuition on a temporary licence until qualified. Unfortunately though great many have responded to the many adverts on TV and radio believing that becoming a driving instructor is a get rich quick scheme. How wrong they are! Although PDI`s are not qualified and have probably never taught anyone to drive before, they are allowed to charge learner drivers for driving lessons. A lot of multi-car driving schools use these PDI`s as there are plenty of them available. You will be charged the same for your lesson and probably won’t even be told that the person ‘teaching you to drive’ isn’t qualified. I support initiatives to require PDI`s to inform their pupils of their status. I have no problem with PDI`s giving tuition should someone require it as long as their status has been disclosed.
After qualifying a grade system applies, which the DVSA regularly monitors.
This makes you an ADI with a GREEN DVSA badge.
Grades 1 – 3 range from dangerous to substandard, these instructors have a set time to improve or they will be removed from the register.
Grade 4 is adequate – these instructors are just above the substandard level. Most driving instructors in the UK are grade 4 instructors.
Grade 5 is good. These instructors are more dedicated and have reached a higher level. There a quite a few good Grade 5 instructors around.
Grade 6 is excellent. Only 7% of instructors achieve this grade, it is considered an accolade within the industry.
The DVSA grading system has now changed to A and B. Grade 5 and 6 instructors are now put in the A category and Grade 4 instructors are put in the B category. At the present time there are no statistics to say what percentage of instructors are in which category.
Beyond these grades some very dedicated instructors gain further qualifications. A few will have the Diploma in Driving Instruction (accredited by Middlesex University) or a City and Guilds Teaching certificate. Some might even have both and perhaps additional qualifications.
So driving instructors certainly are not all the same.
BEWARE 5 STAR INSTRUCTORS *****
One way of fooling the public into thinking that they are getting the best instructors is to advertise them as ‘5 Star Instructors’. There is no such thing as a ‘5 Star Instructor’ and it is not uncommon for driving schools to use this gimmick, when in reality the majority of ‘5 Star Instructors’ are in fact Grade 4.