top of page

Devon & Cornwall Driving Instructor Academy

If you have ever thought about becoming a Driving Instructor, then now is a really great time to re-train. The demand for Driving Lessons is at an all time high, mainly because of a growing population and an aging work force of Driving Instructors. The average Driving Instructor has a full diary for 2 to 3 months ahead.

What is it like?

Every day is different. Every student is different. The job brings a great amount of variety and you'll discover places you never knew existed.

Here's what some of the team say:

​

"Genuinely, I love it. The best job I've ever had and I love that every day is different" - Tristan

​

"I love seeing the students figure it out and what they need to do to operate the car safely. I also love seeing them wave once they've passed their test" - Carl

​

"Its challenging but rewarding especially for some of the more nervous pupils. The feeling when they pass and they get their independence is amazing" - Claire

What is an average day like?

It very much depends on what you want to do! One of the great things about the job is the flexibility to decide what you want to do and when you want to work.

Some instructors like to start early and finish early. Some like to only work Monday to Friday. Some like to work evenings and some like to work weekends. Their are so many choices and their will always be students available for when you want to work.

Lesson lengths vary from 1.5 hours to 2 hours and intensive courses can be 8 hours long. 

There are so many options available in this job.

The area you work in can be very much decided by you too. Some like quite a confined area whereas other prefer to work a larger area for the variety.

What do I have to do?

Firstly, you need to have a full category B driving licence with no points and you must be aged 21 or over. You also must have had your full licence for more than 3 years.

Then you have to be DBS checked and cleared and then you can apply to become a Trainee Driving Instructor (aka PDI).

 

Then comes the testing:

Part One - Enhanced Instructional Theory Test

Part Two - Advanced Driving Test

Part Three - Instructional Ability Test

​

Part One can be taken as many times as required to pass however Part Two and Three can only be taken a max of 3 times. Failure at the third attempt means you will need to restart.

​

"If you're committed then we're committed to you"

Richard Butterworth

DVSA ADI - Grade A

RoSPA Gold Advanced Driver

Diamond Elite Advanced Driver

AA Advanced Diploma 3 Star

Richard Butterworth DVSA ADI Company Director

Does it sound okay so far? My name is Richard and I am a DVSA Approved Driving Instructor. I have been an instructor for around 10 years and I love my job. I have such a great team of instructors who work for SW-ADT and they bring fun, diversity and joy to every day. I didn't imagine that I would have my own Driving School in the future but it happened and I wouldn't look back on it. I absolutely cannot say to you that every day is joyful as that wouldn't be true but mainly, It is a great well paid job and very rewarding. When I chose to train as a Driving Instructor, I did my homework well. There was a lot of very tempting offers out there and I soon realised that what they offer doesn't represent what you'll actually receive. For me, the key important factor was having a good trainer that was local to me. A lot of the big Driving Schools offered tempting packages but no trainer in the same county! I was very fortunate to find a great Instructor Trainer who lived only a few hundred yards away from me. After speaking to the trainer before I committed, I decided that he was the Trainer for me so I took the plunge and went for it. My trainer (Mike), was incredible and he couldn't do enough to help me. I attribute the Instructor I became to him.
 

I was one of the lucky ones and I had a great training but sadly, every day I see or hear of Trainee Instructors who are not getting what they paid for and often end up failing. I see offers advertised like  "Train to be a Driving Instructor for £499", sometimes that advertised figure can be £999 or £1499. The reality is, you cannot train to be a good driving instructor for anything close to what these companies advertise it for. 10 years ago, I paid £2500 and I still needed to buy more time with my trainer. You may be thinking "so what! I'll take a cheap package and try to scrape my way through". Yes, this may be possible but reputation and your own integrity are very important factors in this job and you will be assessed on your candidates results by the DVSA. If you're no good at the job, then you won't last.

So you think It may be for you. What first?

You need to be sure Its for you and we need to be sure it's for you. Training to become a Driving Instructor is a huge time and financial commitment and something most Instructor Training Schools don't do is insist on a 2 hour consultation with a dedicated Instructor Trainer. They are more interested in selling you a package and earning some commission for the sale. We want you to be 110% sure that training to be a Driving Instructor is the right move and we are very fortunate to have a dedicated Instructor Trainer, Justin Stanbrook. His only job is to train Driving Instructors.

​

​

Who is Justin?

We are one of the only establishments that has an Instructor Trainer solely tasked to teaching Trainee Driving Instructors. 

Justin is a former DVSA Examiner and until recently, he spent 7 years with the DVSA. Prior to this, Justin was a credible Approved driving Instructor. Justin brings a skillset to SW-ADT that not many places can rival and training with Justin is invaluable. We are very proud to have him as part of our team.

​

​

Justin Stanbrook DVSA ADI

Justin Stanbrook

DVSA ADI

Instructor Trainer

What does a 2 hour consultation involve?

Firstly, it'll be in a car as it makes sense considering that's what it's all about. During the session, you'll have the chance to talk about the job, have a go at teaching Justin and decide if it feels right for you. It's also very important to like your trainer so it's a good opportunity to meet Justin and see what you think of him and if you'd work well together. You'll be spending a lot of time with him, so its a small investment of £120 before committing.

​

Send us an email if you would like to book a consultation with Justin Stanbrook

info@swadvanceddrivertraining.co.uk

​

What does a Driving Instructor earn?
A full time Driving Instructor working 35-40 hours per week and taking around 6 weeks holiday per year should expect to earn £35k - £40k per year as part of the SW-ADT team.

Like the sound of it so far? Read on...

 

Step One

You will need to follow the link below and complete a DBS check. There is no charge for the DBS but you will have to take your application to a selected Post Office and have your documents verified. There is a very small charge for this service by the Post Office.

You will be kept up to date as your application progresses.

​

Get a criminal record check to become a driving instructor - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

​

​

Step Two

Once you've received your DBS certificate, you will need to register as a Trainee Driving Instructor (PDI) with the DVSA. Upon approval from the registrar, you will receive confirmation and your "ADI reference number" which will stay with you for your entire career. Its like your unique code and you'll use it for all sorts of things.

​

​

Apply to become a driving instructor - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

​

​

​

Step Three

Start to train for your ADI Part One Test. The Part One test is a multiple choice question test and Hazard Perception test. You have to pass both parts in the same sitting to progress on to Part Two. We recommend the app "Driving Test Success - 4 in 1 Kit" with the Trainee ADI option selected on setup. 

You will have already been added to our PDI whatsapp group where you will be able to ask as many questions as you like!

​

Driving Test Success | Driving Theory Test & Learner Driver Revision

​

​

Step Four

When you feel ready to take ADI Part One, you will need to book it using the link below. As a guideline, you should be scoring pretty much 100% on all your practice tests and scoring high on the Hazard Perception Test.

​

​

​

Book your instructor theory test - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

​

​

Step Five

Once you have passed your ADI Part One Test, It's time to start your ADI Part Two training. Part Two is an Advanced Driving Test conducted by a Senior DVSA Examiner. There is absolutely no way of telling how much training you will need until you start the training process. Depending on your level of skill, you may be able to do it in as little as 8 hours or you may need significantly more.

We have multiple ways for you to pay for your learning at the bottom of this page.

​

​

Step Six

Once your trainer has told you that you are ready to take your ADI Part Two test, you will need to book it through gov.uk

Top Tip: We will always advise you to take the test in a town or city that you don't live in. This encourages focus on the day.

You are only allowed to take your test 3 times so it is important to try and get it right.

​

Book your driving test - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

​

​


At this point, you have excelled yourself and you have developed great road knowledge and driving skills and now you will start the hardest part of your training journey - ADI Part Three.

​

Congratulations on your achievements so far.

Step Seven

If you've passed your ADI Part Two test, it's now time to start your ADI Part Three training. This is the instructional training. Essentially, its now time to turn your knowledge in to words and learn how to effectively teach a Learner Driver. This part takes the longest to complete and once you have completed 40 hours Part Three training with your instructor, we will sponsor you for a DVSA Trainee Licence. This licence has a 6 month validity and its purpose is for you to experience teaching Learner Drivers for yourself and practice for your ADI Part Three test. At this stage, it would be advisable to continue your training with your trainer alongside it.

We will guide you on what you need to do to set yourself up ready to teach Learner Drivers. We will also provide a branded roofbox and stationary.

​

​

Step Eight

Once your trainer agrees you are ready, you will need to book your ADI Part Three Test. This is normally taken in the test centre local to you as you need to be familiar with the roads. You will have to bring your own student with you and a Senior Examiner will sit in the back of the car and observe you deliver a training session. It is very advisable to take your trainer with you too.

You can only take your ADI Part Three test a maximum of 3 times so its important to get it right.

​

​

Book your driving test - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

​

​

Step Nine

Once you have passed your ADI Part Three test, you can then apply to become an ADI (Approved Driving Instructor). Upon receipt of your licence, you will become legally allowed to teach Learner Drivers and get paid. We sincerely hope you have enjoyed your training and want to stay with SW-ADT, either on a low-cost franchise or employed as a Driving Instructor. 

You will be re-tested by the DVSA within 6 months of qualifying so you will find the continued support of SW-ADT very valuable in your early days as an ADI.

We will discuss these options with you when before you qualify so we have an idea of your intentions and how best to support you.

​

​

Paying for your training

We have put together some different ways you can pay for your training.

​

Option 1​

No gimmicks, no falsely promised packages, just one flat rate:

​

£200 registration fee and then £50 per hour (sessions are normally 2 hours minimum).

Part one training is free.

All trainee's will be added to our comprehensive group chat full of very experienced Driving Instructors who are always ready to help you. We are very supportive.

​

All training sessions are with our Instructor Trainers, Justin Stanbrook or Richard Butterworth.

​

Once qualified, you will be contracted to SW-ADT on a 12 month contract at a very competitive low cost fee of £300 per month. You will have the option to extend your contract with our happy team, every 12 months.

​

Option 2

​

SW-ADT Training Package - £2500

​

The package consists of:

Part One Training - Free

Part Two Training - 8 Hours

Part 3 Training - 40 Hours

​

Additional training if required is at £50 per hour.

​

All trainee's will be added to our comprehensive group chat full of very experienced Driving Instructors who are always ready to help you. We are very supportive.

​

All training sessions are with our Instructor Trainers, Justin Stanbrook or Richard Butterworth.

​

Once qualified, you will be contracted to SW-ADT on a 12 month contract at a very competitive low cost fee of £300 per month. You will have the option to extend your contract with our happy team, every 12 months.

Option 3

​

SW-ADT - Free Training Program

​

The package consists of:

Part One Training - Free

Part Two Training - Free

Part 3 Training - Free

​

All trainee's will be added to our comprehensive group chat full of very experienced Driving Instructors who are always ready to help you. We are very supportive.

​

All training sessions are with our Instructor Trainer, Richard Butterworth. You will be responsible for the cost of the Part 1, 2 and 3 test fee's.

​

Once qualified, you will be contracted to SW-ADT on a 36 month contract at a very competitive low cost fee of £300 per month. You will have the option to extend your contract with our happy team, every 12 months.

​

This program is limited to only 8 people per year and the application process and criteria is very tough. This package is for the most deserving individuals. Click Here for more information

bottom of page