Learning to drive - PDI / ADI

Flugelhorn

Have been helping relative to sort driving lessons, all got booked then I was told it was a PDI - queried further and became apparent that this is a "potential driving instructor" - appreciate people have to learn somewhere but feel I should have been told this at the beginning. Anyone any experience of PDI teaching ? 

SoftCentaur

To become an ADI (Approved Driving Instructor) Parts 1, 2 and 3 of the ADI exams need to be passed. However, once parts 1 & 2 have been passed, a Trainee ADI bdge can be obtained to gain experience before the Part 3 is taken. Anybody being paid for driving tuition must display their ADI badge on the windscreen during lessons. A Trainee ADI badge is pink, whilst the Fully Qualified badge is green. Always examine the badge - if there isn't one, ask why not!. If you are getting a Trainee, I'd expect a reduced fee.

Many driving schools use Trainee Instructors. - always ask what you are paying for.

Flugelhorn

Seems this instructor has a pink badge, company finally spilled the beans after I queried it all - they spent quite a lot of time bigging up the person but that didn't help with the fact that they hadn't been open in the first place. Reduction in fee is absolutely minimal.  Think I will look elsewhere

daveyjp

Sounds like this is a booking through a larger driving school group.

Try and find a local recommended sole trader.  Ask friends, keep a lookout in the area and see if you notice an instructor a lot, busy instructors will be out and about most of the day.

Flugelhorn

daveyjp said:

Sounds like this is a booking through a larger driving school group.

Try and find a local recommended sole trader.  Ask friends, keep a lookout in the area and see if you notice an instructor a lot, busy instructors will be out and about most of the day.

agree - seems that is the case the more I look into it - last time I did this it was a sole trader and he was great but he is too far distant and we are looking at auto this time. Have now found a sole trader (recommended) and he seems promising and is definitely qualified

Car_54

My knowledge of the industry is several years out of date, but the two largest providers had very different approaches.

BSM used a very high proportion of PDIs

AA Driving School used only ADIs, and made that a selling point.

However, they are now both under the same ownership, so things may have changed.

Flugelhorn

I am finding the whole thing very interesting, as a medic I grew up in the less than ideal "see one, do one, teach one" world.

 Appreciate that people have to learn to teach people to drive somewhere and somehow  but there is the risk of increased costs if lots of extra lessons / change of instructor is needed - all of which falls on the pupil. 

Feels a bit like the incredibly cheap  (and excellent) haircuts you could get at the hairdressing training schools, they were seriously cheap and well supervised - not sure what the supervision would be for a PDI?

ontheroad1970

PDIs do have to have some supervision, but generally at assessment times.  RED is a driving school company that uses a lot of PDIs as their model is a franchise model.

Car_54

ontheroad1970 said:

PDIs do have to have some supervision, but generally at assessment times.  RED is a driving school company that uses a lot of PDIs as their model is a franchise model.

All driving schools use a franchise model.

The instructors are self-employed, and don't earn enough to have to charge VAT.

GenieBoy

That's why it's always best to book one or two single lessons with an instructor first to see what they are like and how you get on with them before you do a block booking.