Working towards the top grade on the Driving Instructors Standards Check

Aiming for the A Grade.

Here I begin a series of blogs on studying to become a better client-centred driving instructor and achieve a pass on my next standards check. Brought to you by Russ Chaplin driving lessons Nottingham. All driving instructors are required to take a test of continued ability and fitness to give instruction when requested to by the DVSA. This involves an examiner accompanying the instructor on a 40 minute lesson. WE will take a look at what the examiner is looking for in these articles. The whole idea behind the client-centred approach is to involve the pupils in the learning process and make them do the work. Actively learning will help the pupil to maintain a high driving standard for the rest of their driving lives.

By doing a standards check a driving instructor has the opportunity to see any weaknesses in their technique and improve on these to become a better instructor. This helps improve the public image of the industry and as well as improving business for the instructor. There are several triggers the DVSA will look at which could mean an instructor is called in for a test as described in a previous article. These are not entirely fair as the instructor cannot help the pupil being nervous on the day and is not responsible for the standard of drive on the test.If you present less than 5 pupils for test or do not teach learners then these criteria cannot be used. Hopefully the better the pupil is prepared the better chance they have of passing but nothing is guaranteed. A standards check can be requested by the DVSA in any 4-year-period, regardless of test results. This can be a real source of stress for an instructor as we cannot take the pupil's test for them. The people who drag the pass rate down are generally the ones who need the most patience and support from a driving instructor. we cannot become annoyed with pupils who have difficulty passing the test nor can we tell them that they will need to find another instructor for future tests. We must stand by them and do our best to make sure they are fully prepared and have the best possible chance of passing on the day. We can't do much about pupils who are nervous and don't perform to their full potential under test conditions.

During the standards check it is expected that a learner-centred teaching method will be used. The results could be an A grade, a B grade or a fail depending on the number of points scored. If the result is a fail then the instructor can expect another standards check within 12 weeks. You must achieve a pass grade to remain on the register of driving instructors. Competence must be shown in 3 key areas. These are Lesson Planning, Risk Management and Teaching and Learning strategies.  Results show that Risk Management is the main area of difficulty for some candidates. The pupil must be made aware of how risk is always a factor in any driving situation and how they can keep risk to a minimum. Instructors must be careful when going over safety critical incidents with pupils as they are already nervous and can feel like they are being negatively judged. An instructor needs to be warm and diplomatic when discussing risk so as not to harm the pupil's confidence and hinder progress.

The whole test is based on the GDE matrix which stands for Goals in Driver Education. The goals are to get the learner to plan the lesson with the instructor. This makes it more likely that the learner will retain the information when they drive in new situations. This is not so different from the old Question and Answer technique always used by instructors with a more personal feel and a greater onus on the pupil to take responsibility for their own training.

It can be a nerve -acking experience to take a standards check so the better prepared we are the greater the chance of achieving the top grade. I try to include the principles of the standards check into every lesson. Some pupils respond well and some don't prefering a more traditional teaching approach so it can be tricky at times. I hope through perseverence and experimentation I can find a way to develop a fluid technique suitable for all pupils which becomes effortless. Until next time.