RED Frequently asked Questions

Yes. RED Driving School is a national organisation providing training and instructor development across the UK.

Bear in mind the course is not full-time and because we work around your other commitments, some of your time will be spent studying at home.

No. RED Instructor Training believes the course should be fully comprehensive and the student should not be faced with hidden charges.

We are committed to delivering a high level of training to ensure the student passes the examinations successfully.

Providing the student follows all the written advice and recommendations to the reasonable satisfaction of their trainer, then relevant extra training will be provided at no extra cost.

As with any driving instructor training course you will be expected to pay for your DSA tests and your licence applications, whether it be green or pink (ADI or PDI).

Yes. When arranging your training we try to take into consideration your existing job or family commitments and your course structure takes into account both your ability and your availability.

Yes. If necessary we can arrange much of your training on a Saturday, bear in mind the Driving Standards Agency tests are held during the week.

We will give you all the support you need and would recommend you consult with your training officer to assess your readiness for each test.

The Part 1 test can be taken as often as you like (except in Northern Ireland where you have 3 attempts), although most of our students pass first time.

You can have three attempts each at Parts 2 and 3 (DSA test fees apply).

If you are unlucky enough not to pass at the third attempt, you can restart your course with no extra training costs, we will train you until you pass, (provided you follow the advice of your training officers!).

We can provide you with an introduction to our own RED Driving School under our Guaranteed Placement Scheme, plus other local and national driving schools.

With RED Driving School, you will get guidance and advice from a local Business Development Manager in addition to a full compliment of marketing materials, free pupil referrals, holiday allowance, a fully-maintained car, business banking, accountancy services and a fuel card on top of a successful national advertising campaign.

We can also offer advice on setting up on your own as an independent driving school. When you have completed Part 2 of your training, you will have the opportunity to discuss your future career options with one of our Course Consultants.

We offer a business development course at no extra charge which provides advice on being self-employed and building your business.

No. Some people train while working full-time and slowly build up their driving instruction work part-time until they have enough to leave their existing full-time employment.

No. A standard driving lesson is for 60 minutes.

We encourage pupils to take double lessons or a training package of multiple lessons. With this in mind a full time instructor with our own school (RED Driving School) will only need to see 20 to 25 pupils per week.

Our training programme will move at a pace to suit you; we get very positive feedback from the customer satisfaction surveys we regularly conduct. 96% of trainees rate our training as either ‘good’ or ‘exceptional’

There are a few factors to consider in how long it will take you to pass. Firstly the amount of time and commitment you can put in will determine how quickly you will move through the training.

There are also some factors outside of RED’s control that could affect your progression through the course, such as your CRB approval and the availability of DSA test dates, however RED is there to support you every step of the way.

As a guide, you can expect to complete the training within six to nine months.

In response to customer feedback, we have made improvements to the training process to speed up the qualifying timeframe. Customer feedback to these improvements has been extremely positive.

Yes. RED Instructor Training is the largest trainer of driving instructors in the UK. The majority of driving schools are in need of both ADIs and PDIs – we know this because quite simply, driving schools across the country contact us asking for more driving instructors to fulfil their demand.

Our own school, RED Driving School, has experienced unprecedented growth in the number of pupils learning to drive with them, doubling its size, to become the third largest driving school in the UK.

In addition, many instructors choose to diversify in their career, into areas such as fleet training, driver re-education and niche markets.

In essence, driving instruction is not just about teaching learner drivers; it opens up a wealth of career opportunities.

RED has both national and local advertising campaigns running throughout the year, which promotes them as one of the largest and most prominent driving schools in the UK.

The national contact centre supplies RED instructors with pupils, however it is a partnership, and franchised driving instructors are expected to source their own pupils too.

RED Driving School’s franchise package does guarantee pupils but not a specific number of pupils; this is not something that is promoted in its literature.

RED Driving School do not charge for pupil introductions as some other driving schools do. We also put on local promotions for new instructors as a way of helping to launch their business in their local community. This is a service unique to RED Driving School.

In addition to this, RED has dedicated Business Development Managers who help their instructors grow their businesses, providing the guidance, support and marketing materials needed to promote their businesses locally.

No. Nearly all driving instructors in the UK are self employed whether as an independent driving school or as part of a franchised national school.

As a driving instructor you are your own boss – you decide your own hours and how you wish to organise your diary to balance your work/life commitments. Many of our instructors will tell you the flexible working hours are a real bonus to this job and are not something you will experience in many other roles.

As with any self employed career, you will need to bear in mind that you get out what you put in – the more hours you work and the more flexible you can be, the more money you will earn.

Yes. RED’s customer service department has robust procedures in place to ensure all our customers are treated fairly and in an efficient manner.

Any customer concerns received by the customer service team are acknowledged in writing within seven days, with a communication sent to the customer requesting ten working days to investigate and formally respond. Any requests to withdraw from the course must be sent in writing to customer service within the standard cooling-off period, which is stated on the course agreement.

For example, if you write to us to withdraw from the course within seven days of enrolment you will be given a full refund. All initial concerns must be put in writing to our customer service team. The postal address is, The Brighton Forum, 95 Ditchling Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 4ST.

For an important notification, such as cancellation of a contract, it is always advisable to send the request by recorded delivery.

Customer service can also be contacted by phone on 0845 340 2090 or by email, customer.services@go-red.co.uk

RED Instructor Training has full-time training officers who are ORDIT registered. RED is the largest member of ORDIT (The Official Register of Driving Instructor Training), which is the government body responsible for maintaining training standards within the industry.

We continually support our staff to achieve and maintain the highest grades in their ‘check tests’; this means we can be confident the highest levels of training are being provided for our students.

Should you encounter any problems with your training, please communicate this to your training officer ASAP in order for us to address this with you.

RED Instructor Training also has a dedicated tutor support team, offering our trainees additional guidance and support with any training issues.

If you are currently training with RED Instructor Training and have any queries about your training, please email tutor.support@go-red.co.uk.

Our customer service team is also on hand to help you with any queries you may have. Customer service can be contacted on 0845 340 2090, or email customer.services@go-red.co.uk.

The DSA set the tests you need to take to become a driving instructor. The DSA do make these tests challenging in order to ensure those who pass are fully prepared to take on the responsibility of teaching the next generation of drivers to be safe on the road for life.

As the UK’s largest driving instructor training organisation with industry-leading pass rates, RED is proud to produce some of the finest instructors in the country.

As with any adult learning course, becoming a driving instructor requires hard work and commitment, but with determination and drive, and the support and expertise from RED, there is no reason why you cannot pass the tests and begin your career as a driving instructor.

With the flexibility of the job, you can work the hours you choose. For example, you may want to work part-time to spend more time with your family, fit in hobbies, friends or other commitments around your job as a driving instructor.

You may find you need to delay your training due to reasons beyond your control, which is fine.

Please let our customer service department know of any changes to your circumstances that may result in a delay in you completing your training within the 12 months, as stated in the course agreement.

Customer service can be contacted on 0845 340 2090 or email customer.services@go-red.co.uk.

Once you have passed Part 1 the DSA give you a two year limit as to when you need to pass Part 3.

The DSA (Driving Standards Agency) require that anyone wishing to train as a driving instructor has no more than six penalty points on their licence, have held a valid full UK licence for at least three and half years and meet the physical criteria required to safely control a vehicle.

All you need is a willingness to learn as all the training you require is provided as part of the course.

You can earn as much or as little as you want. As your own boss, your income is directly related to the hours you choose to work. It is possible to earn up to £30k. This is a gross figure, before tax and any other deductions you need to make.

As with any new career, it will naturally take some time to build your business and develop your earnings potential.

Students are required to give two clear working days notice of their inability to attend a booked training session.

In the event that you do not attend a booked training session and you fail to give the required notice, then that part of the course will not be covered by RED Instructor Training’s promise to provide free extra training and you will have to pay for that part of the course at the prevailing rate.

We are committed to delivering the highest level of training to ensure you pass the examinations successfully.

Providing you follow all the written advice and recommendations given to you throughout the course, to the reasonable satisfaction of the trainer, relevant extra training will be given at no extra cost.

In the event that you fail to do this, RED will not be obliged to give extra training free of charge.

In such circumstances, extra training will be available to you, but at the then prevailing advertised rate.

Barclays Partner Finance (BPF) previously offered RED students a ‘buy now, pay later’ loan product, which was used by many training organisations as a way for the organisations’ trainees to fund their training courses.

Many of our customers who chose to finance their training with RED Instructor Training via BPF re-paid the loan in full within the 12-month interest-free period.

However, RED Instructor Training decided to review the payment options available to its trainees. RED now only offers an in-house payment option, which eliminates dealings with any third-party financiers, reduces the monthly repayments and improves the overall service we are able to offer our customers.