Choosing the right driving instructor (ADI) is very important. The best way is personal recommendation. If that is not available to you, you must be sure that your instructor is qualified. This can be identified by a green badge with an octagonal logo on one side, and then a photo of the instructor on the other side. This must be displayed on the left hand side of the windscreen. If the badge is pink with a triangular logo, it means that it is a trainee instructor (PDI).
There are many people teaching illegally. This can be identified by the cheap lessons so don’t be fooled, as in the long run they can cost you more money, as a good instructor will take fewer hours of teaching to reach test standard.
I would recommend enquiring how long your driving instructor has been qualified for – the more experience the better. The national driving schools, on some occasions, have instructors who have only recently qualified. These instructors therefore have less experience, and yet often charge more for driving lessons.
It is very important to ensure that your instructor has good communication skills, which I do possess. Before I became a driving instructor I spend over 25 years in the sales industry, giving me a solid background in the ability to communicate at all levels. Patience, understanding and a good sense of humour are all qualities needed to be a good driving instructor and are all things I possess.
Another method of choosing an instructor is to go to the Driving Standards Agency (D.S.A) (http://www.dsa.gov.uk). I am registered here. This will enable you to identify if an instructor attends driving instructors’ courses for CPD (Continuous Professional Development). This is a condition of the instructor’s license to teach.
Also does your driving instructor also below to the local Driving Instructor Association (T.A.D.I) like I do? This implies that he is keen and interested in keeping up with the changes in the driving instructor industry.