Driving Schools in Leeds

Tips on Choosing the Right Driving School or Driving Instructor for You!

With more and more driving schools and instructors on the market it can be a difficult decision as to who to choose to learn to drive with.

When looking for driving lessons it may be tempting to just look at prices and search for the cheapest deal. Maybe not always the right way to decide: the old saying of 'you get what you pay for' springs to mind.

Rather than focusing just on how cheap the lessons are, look at several other factors, such as:

• How local they are,
• Can they fit and do lessons at the times and days you are free for lessons,
• Do they offer pass plus or motorway lessons when you have passed,
• Is the car suitable for you (too small or too large),
• Can they help with Theory Test training,
• Will they offer you a discount for lessons of longer duration or block bookings
• Can they pick you up from home, school, college/uni, work etc
• Do they supply you with a progress log (if you want to use one)
• Does the instructor smoke? (no instructors are permitted to smoke in their vehicles, but they may still 'smell' of smoke)

Also consider the following too:

• Is the driving instructor fully qualified or a trainee?
• How much experience has the driving instructor?
• What Grade has the DSA awarded the driving instructor?
• Does the driving instructor have any additional qualifications?

Qualified or Trainee?

There are currently around 43,100 fully qualified instructors in the UK.

Source: 'DSA May 2011'

There are also around 7,000 Trainee instructors on the road

First thing to look for would be that your instructor is fully qualified and displays a green badge in the front windscreen.

A trainee dispays a red triangle on a pink badge- if you choose a trainee ask the question are you getting the right training / instruction and should you receive a discount on your lesson fee?

Grade of Instructor

The DSA regularly checks and monitors all instructors to ensure they are teaching correctly and are providing the learner with value for money lessons - basically that the instructor is providing you with the right instruction and using the correct teaching techniques.

Out of the 43,100 fully qualified instructors in the UK only 5% are the top Grade 6!

2,834 are Grade 6

15,768 are Grade 5

24,529 are Grade 4

Source: DSA May 2011

Below Grade 4 is substandard and are re inspected following training and development.

DSA describe the Gradings as follows:

Grade 6

Overall performance to a very high standard with no instructional weaknesses

Grade 5

A good overall standard of instruction with some weaknesses in instructional technique

Grade 4

A competent overall performance with some deficiencies in instruction

Grade 3

An inadequate overall performance with some deficiencies in instruction

Grade 2

A poor overall performance with numerous deficiencies in instruction

Grade 1

Overall standard of instruction extremely poor or dangerous with incorrect or dangerous instruction

Experience!

Normally speaking, as with most trades or skills, the more experience someone has generally results in more knowledge, a more efficient service and use of best practices and techniques.

Qualifications

You can also determine whether an instructor is dedicated or serious about their job and service they provide if they have undertaken any additional training, development or qualifications to enhance their skills, such as Diploma in Driving Instruction, Diamond Advanced Driver (DIA) or Institute of Advanced (IAM), or even ROSPA qualifications.

Hope you have found this information useful.

Driving Schools in Leeds

Go To Home Page & All Leeds Areas