Could you give some hints and tips on how to include things like decision making from an early stage? Maybe even before the first lesson? What did you do when you were teaching?

Thanks Les

You will usually be invited to book a Standards Check at your local driving test centre. It will be expected that you will book this in a timely manner and that there will be no undue delays. If you are unable to attend the DVSA will expect proof of this. You will receive a communication from the DVSA confirming the time and place for the Standards Check, which will also explain the procedure on the day. If it is your Part Three exam you will choose the date and time.

There were changes brought in to limit the length of time of the exam during the Pandemic. This shortened the duration of the exam and meant the examiner would be ringing you in advance to discuss things with you. This means you are able to paint a much fuller picture of what the examiner can expect on the day. It also means you can give details about the way you normally work with this pupil. The advice from DVSA is that you should only stop when necessary, to reduce the Covid risk. This does not mean you cannot stop! If you are unsure about any aspect of this, then take the time to ask the examiner in advance of the test during the phone call.

Examiners have expressed a desire to keep this phone call in advance of the test as it gives them a better idea of what to expect on the day. At the time of publishing this document it is unclear as to how this will be going forward.

In 2021 the DVSA introduced changes as to when you might be called for standards check. Although this has caused an uproar among ADIs it really isn’t so different to what has gone before. The DVSA have always had a system in place that allowed them to call in ADIs for a standards check if it was felt that their performance was substantially under par or they were presenting candidates for test that were a danger to themselves, the examiner or other road users. The change announced is a formalisation of this process. There is nothing to fear for the average or above average ADI, this is targeted at the below average ADI and as you can see from the example report, you have to be consistently underperforming to be called for a standards check. This is, I believe, because of the low standard of candidate presented by a significant minority within the industry

You will normally get one standards check in every badge cycle (4 years) but, you may get one sooner, if, in a rolling 12-month period (12 months back from today) you trigger the criteria.

Trigger criteria:

• average number of driving faults per test (5 or more)
• average number of serious faults per test (0.5 or more)
• percentage of tests where the driving examiner had to take physical action in the interests of public safety (10% or higher)
• overall pass rate over the rolling 12 months (55% or lower)

In this example a Standards check would NOT be triggered because only 1 of the 4 triggers (driving examiners taking physical action) has been met

You took your pupils for 30 tests throughout the last 12 months

Across all 30 tests, your pupils made a combined total of 130 driving faults. This is an average of 4.83 per test (130 ÷ 30)

Across all 30 tests, your pupils made a combined total of 14 serious driving faults. This is an average of 0.47 per test (14 ÷ 30)

Across all 30 tests, driving examiners had to take physical action in 5 tests. This is 16.67% of tests (5 ÷ 30, multiplied by 100)

In total, 18 of the 30 tests were passes and 12 were fails. This is a pass rate of 60% (18 ÷ 30, multiplied by 100)

You will not need to take a standards check

In this example a standards check WOULD be triggered because all 4 of the triggers have been met.

 You took your pupils for 20 tests throughout the last 12 months.

Across all 20 tests, your pupils made a combined total of 120 driving faults. This is an average of 6 per test (120 ÷ 20).

Across all 20 tests, your pupils made a combined total of 12 serious driving faults. This is an average of 0.6 per test (12 ÷ 20).

Across all 20 tests, driving examiners had to take physical action in 4 tests. This is 20% of tests (4 ÷ 20, multiplied by 100).

In total, 8 of the 20 tests were passes and 12 were fails. This is a pass rate of 40% (8 ÷ 20, multiplied by 100).

The indicators will only be used if you bring 5 or more pupils for driving tests in a 12-month period.

If you bring fewer than 5 pupils, or you do not teach learners, you will still have to attend a  standards check once during each 4-year period you’re registered as an ADI.

The DVSA will contact you (normally via email) to tell you when you have to book yours.

If called for a standards check the examiner will call you to arrange a date and time for a 30-minute phone call.

This appointment is voluntary and will take place about 8 weeks before your standards check.

If you refuse the offer of a phone appointment

You will not be sent your ADI driver test analysis report if you refuse the appointment.

You will still need to take your standards check, but DVSA will not contact you again to offer support.

During the phone appointment

During the 30-minute call, the examiner will talk to you about:

• your ADI driver test analysis report
• where you can get further support and guidance (they will advise approaching an ORDIT registered training establishment or trainer)
• what will happen when you take your standards check

They cannot give you any technical training during the call.

The examiner will email a summary of the discussion to you. This will include links to guidance or information you should read before your standards check.

Getting a copy of your ADI driver test analysis report if you’ve not been asked to book a standards check

If you have not been asked to book a standards check, you can still request a copy of your report.

It can take several weeks to get your report. This is because DVSA prioritises sending reports to ADIs who have been asked to book a standards check.

Email DVSA to request your report. You need to include your:

• ADI personal reference number (PRN)
• date of birth
• postcode

ADI driver test analysis reports
adi.enforcement.analysis.request@dvsa.gov.uk

There will be many times when it is useful to use a coaching technique. The principle that underpins coaching is that an engaged pupil is likely to achieve a higher level of understanding and that self-directed solutions will seem far more relevant. This applies in every situation, including instruction. Direct instruction is useful in helping a pupil in the early stages cope with new situations or supporting a pupil who is clearly struggling in a certain situation. Good coaching will use the correct technique at the correct time, matching the pupil’s needs. In some cases, you may need to give direct instruction through a particularly difficult situation. That instruction forms part of a coaching process if you then encourage your pupil to analyse the problem and take responsibility for learning from it. A good ADI will take every opportunity to reinforce learning.

From a training point of view, you are also responsible for developing your pupil’s awareness of and ability to manage risk (as the driver, your pupil also has responsibilities). This is the objective that is being assessed in this section.

It is NOT a requirement that you mention dual controls, try to keep it real. An examiner might expect if you had brought a new pupil a lot of detail of how and why you might intervene, what the pupil needs to do if you do intervene and what would happen afterwards

A pupil you had been working with for some time might not need as much discussion as there will be patterns developed over your time together, so it may be as simple as saying you have their back as always and that if I need to intervene I will, and we would then discuss what can be learned from it.

The important thing is that your environment needs to be safe, you must manage that risk and also help the learner how to manage the risk for themselves by transferring that responsibility to them if possible.

Did the trainer identify the pupil’s learning goals and needs?

As you deliver the lesson the examiner is looking for indications that the elements, which go to make up the low-level competence, are being demonstrated. In this case the sorts of things that would give an indication of competence include:

• encouraging your pupil to say what they want from the lesson
• asking questions to ensure understanding
• checking understanding as the lesson progresses
• listening to what your pupil is saying
• taking note of body language

If you encourage your pupil to say what they want, ask questions to check understanding at the beginning and as the lesson progresses, listen to what your pupil is saying and pick up on body language you are likely to get a 3. If, on the other hand, you do all the listening bits but fail to spot your learner getting very tense and nervous in a particular situation you would probably get a 2. This would show the examiner that you have demonstrated your understanding of the need to listen etc. but have not yet developed your ability to spot non-verbal clues. Indications of a lack of competence could include:

• making assumptions about understanding or experience
• failing to note negative or concerned comments or body language that shows discomfort
• undermining your pupil’s confidence by continually asking questions clearly beyond their knowledge or understanding
• pushing your pupil to address issues that they are not happy to talk about, unless there is a clear need, such as an identified risk or a safety critical issue

So to meet this criteria, agree a plan with the pupil, you should input if you think it is unreasonable or unrealistic and help them come up with a different plan (the reality phase of the GROW model) remember whilst we really do wish to be client centred, this does not mean client led if they are expecting too much or tackling things that are inappropriate or unsafe.

It is vitally important that the learner has input here, just stating you are going to do x, y or z does not show competence and you will score a 1 at best. It may be as simple as stating, we agreed at the end of the last lesson today we would work on x, y, or z, are you still ok with that?

Remember, of course, that this is not just dealt with at the start of the lesson, but constantly throughout the session as you reflect and review as part of the chunking process. These discussions should always lead to new goals and plans, or you are not being effective in your role. If you experience a burst of activity and then decide to repeat that, what is gained? Has there been a change in the levels of help or the levels of challenge? If so, then these are new goals and plans. If you are not matching the needs of the learner in this way you will also lose points in Teaching and Learning Strategies as the lesson would be deemed unsuitable for that pupil.

I will refer to this methodology as we go through the document. It is a simple process designed to deliver results. It has a proven track record.

It not only allows for development in small easily managed steps to allow us to meet the needs of the learner in terms of teaching and learning styles and preferences but allows us to manage the risk in bite sized, easy to understand steps.

It sets expectations of each other for each “chunk” of training meaning we are hitting the mark on all three of the upper-level competencies of Lesson Planning, Risk Management and Teaching and Learning Strategies. As you read through the document, think about how many of the 17 lower-level competencies can be met utilising this methodology.

So, we should help the learner to:

Put together a plan

Execute the plan (8-10 minutes)

Pull over for review or conduct on the move if appropriate, and ask:

Is the plan working?

If the answer is yes, then consider a bigger challenge or less help (or both)

If the answer is no, consider a lesser challenge or more help (or both)

Are we done with this today as we have either completed the plan or because it is too much for us?

Either way a new plan is required – so help your learner to put together this new plan

Whilst stopped also consider the following:

Did anything else occur that we need to discuss?

If the answer is yes, do we need to add this into the plan, or even replace existing plans as it is so safety critical?

Finally consider if what you are doing is working (are you observing the plan develop and inputting accordingly?)

A new plan should now be in place to take account of the above and off you go with the new plan, executing it for 8-10 minutes and then doing the same reflect and review process.

You could conduct the review on the move if the pupil is able to do this. You might ask which they would prefer, my own personal preferred option would be to stop as it allows clear blue thinking time for you both. I would be happy to conduct reviews on the move however for those that can manage it.

Video explanation of this process:

https://youtu.be/-MAUIqkFTa0