Like many instructors out there, when I first enquired about becoming a driving instructor I was wowed by low costs for training. I put the price above the quality and it took me, COVID delays included over a year to get from first thought to first lesson and nearly two years to become fully qualified.
As someone looking to become a driving instructor, you are on the threshold of a truly rewarding career, both financially and emotionally. You are seeing a wide range of offers, from £2500 with some driving schools to the truly alarming £380 for training with others.
What matters is the quality of the training, not the price.
England, Scotland and Wales only.
The information on this page relates to becoming an Approved Driving Instructor in England, Scotland and Wales. People looking to become an ADI in Northern Ireland are subject to a different procedure administered by the DVA and should seek local advice.
Why train to become a driving instructor?
Job Satisfaction
Do you remember your driving lessons? The nerves on the first lesson. The sense of achievement when you finally nailed that hill start. The blessed relief and joy when you passed your driving test.
As a driving instructor you share in those emotions with your learner drivers. It’s a privileged position to be in and seeing success in the learner drivers you’ve spent months developing into a safe road user is one of the best feelings in the world.
Great Earning Potential
You will see a range of claims about the earning potential of a driving instructor. Some of them are very enticing, like 80 grand enticing.
It’s true, you could bring in £80k a year but there are some things to consider. A realistic take home figure is £45,000.
35 x £38 = £1,330/week
£1,330 x 46.4 =
£61,712p/a
Deductions:
Car Lease: £7,280p/a
Fuel: £7,200p/a
Insurance: £1,000p/a
Franchise: £3,120
Total before tax:
£43,112.00
Set Your Own Hours
The hours you work are completely up to you. Some instructors work a day or two a week, others work full time. As your own boss, you chose the hours you want to work.
A word of caution here though, there will be significant pressure from learner drivers for you to work evening and weekend hours. There can be money to be made here, but only if you are willing to work antisocial hours.
It is fully your decision when you want to work.
Costs of Becoming a Driving Instructor with RPS Driven School of Motoring.
RPS Driven School of Motoring offer three payment plans for people wanting to become a driving instructor to receive training.
Single Payment
£1,850
Three Payments
£617
Pay as you Go
£60 per 90 minutes
- Single payment due before the start of training.
- Pays for Theory support, 15 hours pre-Part 2 training, 40 hours pre-Trainee Licence training.
- GoGreen Driver Training Workbooks.
- Theory test preparation software.
- Additional hours available at £40 per hour.
Failure to successfully complete the ADI Part 2 test will entitle the candidate to a £617 refund only if Part 3 training hasn’t begun.
- Payment 1 is due before any materials are provided.
- Payment 2 is due before 15 hours in-car training for Part 2.
- Payment 3 is due before 40 hours in-car training for Part 3.
- GoGreen Driver Training Workbooks
- Theory Test preparation software.
- Additional hours available at £40 per hour.
- Payments required 48 hours before each session.
- Theory test training available at £30 per hour. (90 minute blocks.)
- GoGreen Driver Training Workbooks at additional cost.
- Theory test preparation software at extra cost.
Start the Journey to Become a Driving Instructor with RPS Driven SOM.
Unlike with other driving schools, we are concerned only with getting you qualified and on the road to your new career. We would love for you to decide to join RPS Driven School of Motoring as an Approved Driving Instructor; but we aren’t going to force that decision on you until we’ve proven what we can do for you.
Major driving schools are constantly playing with the formula for how to train an instructor. Some have gone to Virtual Reality for their training. Others have developed the truly alarming concept of teaching an instructor via webcam; not classroom stuff, actual on the road training via cameras and the internet.
Its bonkers frankly.
At RPS Driven SoM we feel that for this task, the old ways are the best. Your training will be 1 to 1 and in car for as much of the time as possible. It will also be scheduled to fit in with your other commitments.* You can learn intensively in a week, or you can learn over time. We work for you and with you to reduce the impact of your training on your life.
* Subject to trainer availability. If your availability is constrained it may involve a wait while a trainer becomes available at a time which matches you.