The decision to become a driving instructor is one of the most rewarding you’ll ever make. The satisfaction to be gained from guiding a student from their first tentative moments behind the wheel to the day they pass their test is hard to beat.
However, the learning curve involved in training to become a qualified instructor can be dauntingly high, and the tests are exacting to say the least.
To succeed, you need great training – Wimbledon Driving School provides some of the best – and the right mentality.
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Is Instruction For You?
First of all, you should establish if instruction is for you. It’s a tough, demanding job that doesn’t suit everyone. At Wimbledon Driving School, we won’t take any candidates on without first putting them through a free, hour-long aptitude test. This will help to ascertain whether you have what it takes to be a driving instructor in London.
One-On-One Training
If you’ve cleared this initial hurdle, it’s time to start learning the skills needed to be a qualified driving instructor. This takes focused hours of practical driving instructor training.
At Wimbledon Driving School, we don’t waste time lecturing classrooms of students. Our course concentrates on dedicated one-on-one training with a senior instructor who will effectively drill all the skills you need to pass the tests.
There are three tests you’ll need to pass to qualify as a driving instructor. To pass them all, you will be training for several months – perhaps between four and six – but the three sections of the training can be tackled separately. So let’s take a look at these tests individually.
Theory And Hazard Perception
The first test is a computer-based test of your knowledge of theory and your hazard-perception skills, similar to the one used in a standard driving test but a lot harder. The pass rate is around 50%, but you can retake it as many times as you need.
Practical
This is a practical, in-car test of your driving ability. Again, it’s structured like a basic driving test, including vehicle-safety questions, driving-ability assessments, manoeuvres, and a stretch of independent driving. The pass rate for this test is also around 50%.
Instruction
The third test is a practical, in-car assessment of your ability to instruct, and this is where people often struggle the most, with a pass rate of just 30%.
With the second two tests, you are allowed three attempts within a two-year period of passing the first test, failing which you’ll need to start the whole lot again from scratch. To avoid this from happening and resulting in a lot of wasted time and money, make sure you choose your instructor wisely.
Learn From The Best
If you enrol in your instructor training with Wimbledon Driving School, you’ll be learning one-on-one with Russell Platel, one of the best-trained instructors in England. He is qualified to Grade 6 with the Official Register of Driving Instructor Training (the top accolade, awarded by the DVSA to only 6% of UK teachers). He has passed the Driving Instructors Association Diamond Special Test, and has a RoSPA Gold Driving Award. In other words, not only is he trained to the highest level as an instructor, but his driving skills are proven to be superlative too.
Platel also has strong background in business education, so he will help ground you in the financial side of setting up as a driving instructor too – a vital part of the puzzle for any aspiring teacher. Who better to take up your instruction training with, then?
Flexibility
Wimbledon Driving School understands that you have other commitments that learning has to fit itself around. Instructor training is priced in manageable blocks that you can take at your own pace, paying as you go.
Everyone learns at their own pace, so a precise time estimate from start to qualification is impossible. But with Platel’s help, you can feasibly become a trained driving instructor in a matter of months. We can even promise driving instructor jobs to those who pass.
With dedicated, one-on-one training from the best teacher, becoming a driving instructor is an exciting possibility. Contact Wimbledon Driving School to arrange your free aptitude test, and take the first step towards your future as a driving instructor.