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What grade instructor?

Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 10:28AM
Filed in: All about driving instructors
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What Grade instructor?

Each instructor has a grade

Every driving instructor has a 'check test'. A Government examiner will sit in the back of a driving lesson and grade the instructor on various aspects of his/her teaching

All driving instructors are graded. The grades are 1 - 6.

Grade 6 - very good, the highest standard with no significant weaknesses

Grade 5 - good, only minor deficiencies

Grade 4 - Adequate, some shortcomings that need attention

Grade 3 - Inadequate, unacceptable shortcomings in technique and/or behaviour

Grade 2 - Poor, numerous deficiencies such as inaccuracies, errors, serious ommisions and/or fault in manner

Grade 1 - Bad, instruction is grossly wrong, potentially or actually dangerous and/or serious shortcomings in attitude and approach

Educational Grade - Is given on the instructor's first check test so no actual grade is given.

The number of approved driving instructors (ADIs) graded below 4 for the period 1 December 2007 to 30 November 2008 was

1,869 out of 13,596 tests conducted.

This can be broken down as follows:
Grade 1 - 0
Grade 2  - 173
Grade 3  - 1155
Educational Grade  - 541
All other check tests were graded 4 or above. 

This is the percentage of grades on the register showing the gender of the instructor

 

Check test grade	Male ADIs %	Female ADIs %	Total ADIs %
Ungraded	9.66	12.83	10.33
1	0	0	0
2	0.09	0.06	0.09
3	0.74	0.78	0.75
4	50.57	54.36	51.33
5	32.37	28.22	31.51
6	6.57	3.75	5.99

It is reassuring to know that Iscal is run by a grade 6 instructor - 0ne of only 3.75%  female instructors.

How to find a driving instructor

Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 09:52AM
Filed in: All about driving instructors
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How to find a driving instructor

Finding the right instructor

It is very important that you find the right instructor for you - not for your parents or your friends or the rest of your family. You have to like your instructor or you will find it very difficult to learn with him/her.

Ask around and find out which instructors names keep popping up - if lots of people says they are good it might well mean they are. It does not neccessarily follow that they will be right for you.

One easy way of tracking down driving instructors is to do some online research - put "Exeter driving instructor" (or whichever town you are looking for) into search and then email them all with a brief outline of what you require.

Your email may look similar to this: "Hi, I am looking for a driving instructor in Exeter. I am 17 and have never driven before. I would prefer a small car to learn in. Could you please tell me about yourself and your charges. Thank you"

You should be looking for a response similar to this: "Hi, thank you for getting in touch. My name is ***, I have been an instructor for ** years and my pass rate is ***. My grade is ***. I teach in a dual-controlled *****. My charges are £*** per hour. I offer **** discounts. I would love to teach you and could start your lessons ****. Please let me know if you would like any further information or if you would like to book your first lesson. I look forward to meeting you."

You should expect a reply within 48 hours.

So, when you have received your replies, you will need to decide which instructor to learn with. Look through the emails and discard any that you don't like - go with your gut feeling. Did they give you the information you were looking for? Did they have the right qualifications? Try to narrow the emails down to about 3 or 4 and then phone each one up. Were you able to get through to them? If you left a message, did they get back to you quickly? Did they make a good impression? Were they helpful? One instructor will probably stand out from the others.

A Tip

When you email an instructor it is worth remembering that they are the experts in their field. It would not be right to say "I have never driven before and am looking for an instructor who can teach me in under 20 hours".

You will have little or no idea how long it will take you to learn to drive - everybody is different and instructors would not be able to answer this enquiry.

Governament statistics show that an average 17 year old will take 45 - 50 hours professional tuition plus 23 hours private practice. But please do remember that everybody is different and learn at your own pace. It will be worth it in the end.

 

Answer to Louise -we don't shout!

Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 09:51AM
Filed in: All about driving instructors
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Hi Louise

First of all thanks for getting in touch. I am sorry you have had a bad experience with a driving instructor but remember they are human beings and in life sometimes we do not "click" with some people. It is very important to get on with any teacher or trainer otherwise you will not learn with them. You have done the best thing by stopping your training with an instructor who does not suit you. Perhaps we can have a chat and after talking to you I can place you with an instructor who I think you will be compatible with. Having said that, none of my instructors shout. It only leads to friction and never to learning. It is a shame your previous instructor did not have the sense to recognise a clash and suggest you find another instructor. Wehave found that if a pupil is finding difficulty in a particular area of their training, it is up to us to find another way of explaining. No two people learn in the exact same way so as instructors we need to be adaptable. We feel although lessons can prove difficult, you should have fun and have a sense of achievment at the end of each lesson. Looking forward to hearing from you. Take care!