Recommendation

DO - speak to someone who is currently, or who has recently taken driving lessons who highly recommends a particular driving instructor. Identify the individual driving instructor, NOT just the driving school. A recommended driving instructor should average a small number of average driving lesson hours to test, (no more than 40 and preferably less than 35) and a high first time test pass rate (better than 75%)

DON'T- presume that all driving instructors from a driving school will be equally as good as any other; the larger driving schools will take any qualified or trainee driving instructor who will pay their franchise fee, irrespective of their ability

Experience and qualifications

DO - Ask any driving instructor about their qualifications and experience. Decent driving instructors will be proud of their qualifications and performance statistics. Many poor instructors will not keep, or if they do, share their statistics for obvious reasons
Fully qualified driving instructors will display a green badge (see left) whereas a trainee driving instructor will show a pink badge. Some trainee driving instructors are very good
Ask any prospective driving instructor for their average teaching 'hours-to-test', pass-rate, and DVSA Standards check grading (Best is Grade 1). The best driving instructors will proudly show you their documents to proove their claims..
The Standards check form (left) shows a Grade A 100% Pass awarded to our senior driving instructor

DO NOT- Engage any driving school or driving instructor who are not willing to give details of their qualifications and/or performance statistics. If you just choose a driving school, and not a specific driving instructor, it will only be a matter of luck as to the quality of the driving instructor that you are allocated

Cost

DO - Ask if the driving school and/or the driving instructor, gives a full hour at each driving lesson. Some driving schools and driving instructors quote price per lesson but will give you only 45 or 50 minute driving lessons so you pay more in the long run

DO - Look for a driving instructor who will give driving lessons at least 2 hours in duration. A good driving instructor can get as much work done in one 2 hour session, as in 3 - 4 single hours. Poor driving instructors will get far more money through giving shorter driving lessons. This is because after the: 10 minutes start briefing, getting the car ready etc. and the 10 minute debrief and feedback time at the end of a driving lesson, there is very little time left for teaching and practice. This will mean that you will end up paying for many more drving lesson hours.. Driving lessons are expensive: but cost much more if you have perhaps 50 single hours rather than 20 double hour sessions..

DO NOT- just consider the basic cost per lesson. Some schools offer a very cheap hourly rate, but then give shorter lessons, and/or have a longer average 'hours to test', and/or have a low pass rate. Paying many more 'cheap lesson hours' will be more expensive in the long run

Large School v Small Independent

Large schools often rely on attracting clients by their name (we tend to believ ifa company is large, it is better?) or by cheap gimmicks, and availability to attract business
A small independent must rely on quality service and reputation. (I have worked in both environments)
Most large driving schools will accept franchise payments from any driving instructor they can sell work to. A small driving school needs to provide quality service in order to compete
Most really good driving instructors often start off by working with a large school, and will then set up their own independent driving school
If you call a large driving school, or use a computerised booking system, it is only a matter of luck what quality of tuition you will receive
If you telephone a driving school and hear a driving instructor obviously on a driving lesson, giving instructions, he/she is not a professional (and is breaking the law) and should be discounted