Become An Instructor – JSB Driving School

Become a driving instructor

Why become a driving instructor?

Becoming a driving instructor or an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) as they are known in the industry is a fantastic career. As an ADI you will be a qualified driving instructor, helping students learn to drive in a professional manner, having a high regard for all aspects of road safety and providing an excellent standard of driving and instructional ability.

Talking from personal experience, I have been an ADI for 7 years and owned JSB Driving School for 6 years, previously before this I worked under a franchise for another driving school. Throughout this time, I have found this career incredibly rewarding, we get to see students’ progress and become competent and safe drivers. See students pass their driving test and get their first car and see the opportunities this makes for them and the freedom they gain. Being a driving instructor also comes with its own freedom, it allows you to be self-employed, work the hours you desire and obtain a work-life balance that benefits you.

As you are self-employed, the salary of a driving instructor can vary depending on different factors. (Indeed, 2022) states that the annual salary for a Driving Instructor in the UK is £32,411 per year. I have earned a good salary throughout my time as a driving instructor and as of 2022, JSB Driving School charges £35 per hour of tuition, therefore depending on the number of hours you would want to work, you could earn a decent income. You also must be mindful that you’re self-employed and would have expenses to pay, such as franchise costs, car loans, fuel, etc. Again, currently as of 2022, there is a large demand from customers looking to learn how to drive, (Gov, 2022) survey conducted with ADIs shows that 72% of driving instructors have a waiting list for learners. Driving lesson demand is set to increase further over the next decade, as the number of ADIs has decreased and the backlog for lessons continues to grow.

I am now wanting to help others become driving instructors, having been through the process myself and gained several years of experience as an instructor, I am now able to help others become ADIs. I want to keep things as simple and transparent as possible, therefore we offer three different packages to get you through each stage of the process.

If you want to find out more about the services we offer and the process of becoming a driving instructor, please see below.

Janine Hancock Owner of JSB Driving School

If you want to find out more about the services we offer and the process of becoming a driving instructor, please see below.

Janine Hancock Owner of JSB Driving School

JSB Driving School Instructor Training Packages

Costs of training with JSB Driving School

ADI Part 1 Training Package

Theory test books
Online access to The Official DVSA Theory Test and Hazard Perception Kit for Approved Driving Instructors
£50

ADI Part 2 Training Package

10 hours in car 1-1 training with an ADI (including part 2 guide) £360
2 hours for the day of your test (if using our car) £80
Hourly rate if you prefer to pay by the hour £40

ADI Part 3 Training Package

40 hours in car 1-1 training with an ADI (including part 3 guide) £1440
20 hours in car 1-1 training if on trainee (Potential Driving Instructor (PDI) license) £720
5 hours additional training (required if not successful on Part 3 test) £180
Hourly rate if you prefer to pay by the hour £40

Additional Costs

The following costs will also be needed to become a driving instructor and are not payable to JSB Driving School:

DBS Check (Disclosure and Barring Service) required before you apply for the role)- £8.22

ADI Part 1 (Theory Test) – £81

ADI Part 2 (Driving Ability Test) – £111

ADI Part 3 (Instructional Ability Test) – £111

Trainee License (if you choose this route) – £140

ADI license when fully qualified (payable every 4 years) – £300

To keep up to date on the DVSA costs (test, licenses etc), please visit their website.

The 8-Step Guide to becoming a driving instructor

1. Check you’re able to become a driving instructor

To be eligible to become a driving instructor in the UK, you must be 21 years old or over, have a full car license for at least 3 years and have not been banned (disqualified) from driving in the last 4 years.

To find out more, we would advise you to read Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) register guide.

2. Apply to become a driving instructor

You must get a new disclosure and barring service (DBS) check to start your application, even if you already have one. Get a DBS check.
You can then start your application to become a driving instructor.

3. Get a trainer

This is where we come in as a driving school and help you prepare for the three qualifying tests. To find out more about our packages, please contact us.

4. Take ADI Part 1 (Theory Test)

The ADI Part 1 (Theory Test) has two parts, the multiple-choice questions, and the hazard perception test. The questions in the theory test are based on:

The ADI Part 1 (theory test) costs £81. You can book your instructor theory test, using the link.

5. Take ADI Part 2 (Driving Ability Test)

There are 5 parts to the driving ability test:

An eyesight check
‘Show me, tell me’ vehicle safety questions
General driving ability
Manoeuvres
Independent driving

To find out more, please click the link.

The ADI Part 2 (Driving Ability Test) costs £111. You can book your driving ability test, using the link.

6. Gain practice teaching learner drivers

Once you’ve passed your ADI Part 2 (Driving Ability Test) you can apply for a trainee driving instructor license.

A trainee licence:

helps you get experience instructing pupils to drive so you can prepare for the ADI part 3 test
lasts for 6 months

You can charge for lessons to cover the cost of things like your insurance and vehicle costs.

Who can apply?

You can apply for a trainee licence if you:

have passed your ADI part 1 test in the last 2 years
have passed the ADI part 2 test
have had at least 40 hours of training from a qualified ADI in providing driving instruction (at least 10 of which were done in a car), recorded on the ADI 21T declaration form
are eligible to take the ADI part 3 test

JSB Driving School will provide any students you may need at this point.

7. Take ADI Part 3 (Instructional Ability Test)

The final and most difficult assessment is the ADI Part 3 (Instructional Ability Test), where a DVSA examiner will watch you give a client-centred driving lesson that lasts approximately 45 minutes to one of your pupils.

To find out more about this test, please visit the DVSA website.

Again, the ADI Part 3 (Instructional Ability Test) costs £111. You can book your Instructional Ability Test, using the link.

8. Register and start working as an Approved Driving Instructor

Finally, well done on making it this far and if you’re a driving instructor and you’ve passed all the assessments, congratulations, you’re about to become an Approved Driving Instructor.

Once you’ve passed the tests you must register for your ADI certificate within 12 months. This costs £300 and you can use the link to complete this.

We hope this step-by-step guide helps you become a driving instructor. If you would like to start training with JSB Driving School, please complete the form below.