Training Reviews
ADI Training Part 2 & 3 Reviews
I contacted Colin after failing the ADI part 3 exam and generally feeling that my £2000 training fees paid to a well known national driving school (famous for its high prices and Fiat 500′s) had been a waste of money. Colin took me out for 2 hours and straight away we could both see why I had failed.
I got home afterwards feeling that I had a mountain to climb. Colin helped to break this down into easy to sort pieces and compared teaching skills to other skills I had developed in life. He helped me to build in flexibility to my teaching and to see things from the learner’s eyes – essential for an efficient teacher I’d say. The work and learning curve was hard but he helped me through every step and got to the root of each difficulty I had.
I booked my final attempt and went in armed with what he had shown me over 4 months. He helped me turn a 3-3 fail in to a 4-5 pass and an ADI licence. This guy is worth every penny.
My advice to PDI’s – choose your training carefully and spend your money with someone who actually cares if you pass, and won’t just string you along on a pink badge to screw franchise payments out of you. You get what you pay for in life… driving instructor tuition is no exception.
Ian Dickman
Leicester 2011
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Semi Intensive Option – Passed Part 1 in July and now 5 months later Fully Qualified
Hi Colin,
People talk about “gut feelings” in life and I can only say ignore them at your peril. Based in Lancashire I read the testimonials and decided after speaking with you to travel to Leicester and follow my gut instinct and train with you. From day one you were good to your word, two days training to pass the Part 2 test with your colleague Paul Davis – test taken result – job done! You then said that I would require around 45 hours training at part 3 level to get through. That seemed like a long time but we split that into one day for me to get my bearing on the level that needed to be achieved, then two bursts of three days intensive ADI training to get the job done. Now, at this stage the perfect ending would be that I passed first time with a grade 6 but that would be too good to be true and sure enough it was, I missed passing by 1 mark getting a 3/4. This needs to be put into context that for 27 years I have had a totally different career so to get that close with my first attempt was indication to me that my decision to go with
you was right. Two days more training later I am now a qualified driving instructor having passed second attempt 5/4. I always believe in telling it as it is and you can give my number to any prospective instructor so that I can tell them that you are as good as it gets !
John Pilling
JPS School of Motoring – Mobile 07810171243
Accrington – Lancashire
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42 Hour Semi-Intensive ADI Part 3 Course (7 full days spread over 6 weeks – just one of many options)
Having decided to pursue a career as driving instructor upon retirement from the Police Service I did my research with the instructors in my locality who had built up good reputations.
By far the best advice received was to study and pass part one myself with the resources and media available from the DSA and DVD training aids from the open market & online. The challenge then was to find an independent trainer to attempt parts two and three. TV & press advertised colleges, schools and other driving organisations promising the earth did not seem to be that well regarded.
The learning curve at this point gets steep. My research led me to choose Driving Innovation in Leicester.
I am a grade 1 Police trained advanced driver. Paul Davis is an experienced Police Driver Trainer. I passed part two first time with Paul’s expert guidance and instruction. It was not easy at first because I had to adjust my advanced level of driving over thirty years to a different, but nonetheless demanding, standard to pass part two.
Part three, the test of instructional ability, is as daunting as most people perceive. I can only attribute my first time pass at level 5 to the coaching I received from Colin Scott. The holistic approach he applies provided me with all the tools to achieve the required core competencies. No parrot fashion learning of pre-set tests etc. The road and traffic conditions are ever changing in front of us so why learn a script that may suddenly change!
I cannot recommend Driving Innovation highly enough and will continue to use their expertise for my ADI Check Test and for continuing professional development on the road ahead.
Dave Williams – Warwickshire
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ADI Part 3 Pay As You Train Option – first time pass – grade 6!!
I learned about Driving Innovation through the ADI Forum where an ADI trainer called Colin Scott was recommended to me by several people who responded to my thread.
After completing my theory test without expensive assistance from large, extorting driving instructor colleges I began my pay as you go ADI training with Driving innovation. Pay as you go training meant I wasn’t financially committed to receiving training from any company and that I had the flexibility to change my mind should I think the training was unsuitable.
Part 2 training was with Paul Davis – former head of driver training for Leicester Police Force. Paul, despite having to methodically undo years of my bad driving habits, was very patient and friendly. It was clear from the offset that he had much experience and subsequently was able to teach me to an advanced test standard quickly and efficiently. I passed at the first attempt.
Shortly after I began my part 3 training with Colin Scott. I was able to get regular quality ADI training when I wanted and each lesson always presented me with new challenges and invaluable learning curves. Colin’s methods meant my newly developed skills as an ADI were well hardwired into my memory which I can only put down to years and years of experience. This wealth of knowledge and experience meant Colin knew exactly how to get results and soon I began to feel like a real driving instructor. Despite the national low pass rates at part 3 I could see that passing the ADI part 3 exam was well within my capabilities, and anyone else’s given the right training.
I’d noticed before taking the exam that a grade 6 was the highest mark I could hope to achieve. I was a little surprised when I achieved this on my first attempt, but on reflection afterwards I began to understand how that was possible given the quality of training I’d received from Colin.
When I began training for real it also became apparent that I’d not just been trained to pick up a certificate. The transition from my ADI training to teaching was seamless and I was able to offer what I’d learnt through Colin to my pupils with clarity and confidence.
I can thoroughly recommend Driving Innovation to anyone who wishes to become a driving instructor.
Shaun Garner – Hinckley, Leicester
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ADI Part 3 - Intensive Driving Instructor Course
‘Colin Scott of Driving Innovation is without a doubt a highly skilled and very talented trainer indeed. But more than that he is also a rather nice guy as well, which does help when you are stuck in a car for several hours at a time with him! Colin has a great skill in rapidly assessing your needs during ADI part 3 training, and then molding his tuition around you rather than the other way around.
The level of tuition is exactly right. Never too much that you can’t cope, never too little that you feel left out. Colin manages to bring out the very best in you as a potential instructor and hones in on your best qualities to expand them in the right directions.
His role play is superb and some of the characters he portrays are simply brilliant. He makes you adjust and adapt to a changing situation with supreme confidence and thus you cope well and professionally.
In summary, I can’t speak highly enough of Colin Scott. He took me from part 3 beginner to qualified in just 22 hours and without his input and encouragement, I would not have achieved a grade 5 on my first attempt at part 3! Genuinely satisfied and very happy customer.
F W, ADI
Nottingham.’
ADI Part 3 Intensive Course
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After contacting several different ADI Training companies, having found their details on the Internet, I was impressed by what Colin had to say on the phone. He was the only one out of the half-dozen that I rang that actually sounded like he knew what he was talking about and who appeared to be totally honest in his perception of my success potential.
Even though I had an 80-mile journey each way to meet with him, it was he that I chose for my ADI Part 3 Training. Colin’s training periods are beautifully crafted and most thorough in their content. His role play was excellent and his knowledge of all the stunts that are pulled during the ADI Part 3 pre-set tests makes one believe he has been doing this for far more years than he has had birthdays.
A very experienced and capable instructor who offers good quality ADI Training with a no bullshit approach that got me through my ADI exam first time after only 27-hours training, and with a notoriously difficult examiner.
If you want to pass part 3, this is your man.
Thank You!
Julian Smith
Aylesbury
(Director – Car Operations)
Ride Drive Limited
Advanced Motoring Consultancy
Tel: 01296 427889
Mob: 07801 518391
www.ridedrive.co.uk
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Does this sound like you?
Your ADI Part 3 is approaching not sure if you’re ready, not sure how the test goes, not sure what they are looking for, feel you’re not progressing how you should be, dread your training sessions, feel something is wrong but can’t put your finger on it. Never mind I’ll give it a go and see what happens.
This is how I felt going into my first attempt at part 3. Guess what I failed. Afterwards I felt annoyed as on the debrief with S.E. he told me of some of my mistakes I’d made, which were obvious, but hadn’t been highlighted by my previous ADI trainer. I decided to find a new trainer, where I came across Colin Scott, Driving Innovation. I found out about Colin on the ADI Forum.
After a couple of sessions, Colin had found my weaknesses and tailored his training to suite me. Building on my previous knowledge and altering my thinking about teaching.
My previous trainer told me not to try and find out any information from other sources because it’s probably wrong, “if its not done my way, it’s not right.” I could write a long list about things I wasn’t allowed to do and a short one that I was allowed to do.
After each training session with Colin I left feeling I’d learnt something and if certain situations arose I had various tools in my toolbox to fix it. After three or four 2 hr sessions I felt my confidence growing and started to believe I could actually do it.
I can’t thank Colin enough, after 22 hours pay as you go training I tried again and passed Part 3 (6/4). I know if I hadn’t swapped trainers I would still be going round in circles frustrated at the restriction I was put under.
He is also a really good bloke, and I’m looking forward to further training with him to help develop my career.
Many thanks
Jim G
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ADI Part 3 Course
Whilst teaching as trainee driving instructor and getting instruction from my local collage I attempted my first ADI part 3 practical test. Unfortunately, due to a lack of confidence and poor teaching at my college I was not successful. Colin Scott proved to be the only hope of me passing this part of my ADI training course. Through only a few lessons with him I noticed a marked improvement in my teaching skills which was reflected in lessons with my own students. During this period I had 18 learner students pass their driving in a matter of 4 months. With his continued help I too was successful in my part 3 practical exam and passed my second attempt at the part three test with a very good grade. I have finally achieved my dream and as a result am massively grateful to Colin for his expert guidance.
Khalid Gill (ADI)
ADI Part 3 Training
Having failed my ADI part 3 for the second time I realised if I wanted to succeed I needed to review my training. As part of this process I decided to look for another trainer to get a different perspective on why I was struggling. I found Colin via the ADI Forum whilst reading the trainer review section. After reading the reviews I was immediately impressed with the comments from former PDI’s. I contacted Colin and from our very first conversation new this would be a turning point in my quest to become an ADI.
We arranged an initial training session to establish where I was in terms of preparation and to decide my options. This first session was brilliant! I came away with a clear understanding of what I needed to do to achieve my goals; we arranged regular sessions from then on to prepare me for my final attempt at part 3.
Colin is a genuinely nice bloke. His calm, considered approach is underpinned with immense knowledge and experience in preparing PDI’s for part 3. I always looked forward to my training, even though I had a 3hr drive each way to get there! Colin gave me more than knowledge and skills, he gave me believe in my ability and a better understanding of what is required to become an ADI.
If you are about to start ADI training, or are struggling at the moment, you owe it to yourself to get the best training available.
In my opinion the best is Colin Scott of Driving Innovation Ltd.
Colin, once again, Thank you.
Regards
Jim Egan
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
ADI Part 3
“After an unsuccessful ADI Part 3 first attempt and realising that my national college wasn’t going to help me anymore, I turned to Colin, who within 20 minutes had found out what my big weaknesses were and had started to work on them. Colin showed me how to pass the ADI exam from the SE’s point of view, but from more of a holistic approach, where the college would have let me fail for 2 hours, or another trainer in Surrey would have wanted me to fit into a small box marked ‘ADI’. Colin’s careful approach and knowledge of the SE’s mindset helped me through with some creative teaching techniques which I would never have entertained before. After all how come the college hadn’t told me what the left hand column on the examiner’s marking sheet was for, turned out to be very important indeed.
Many thanks Colin, you’re a star”
Steve G DSA ADI (Car)
Carmarthen, South Wales
Colin,
Thank you for helping me pass the ADI part three exam.
The ADI training you have given me has proved invaluable not only when I took and passed my part three but in the day to day training of my new drivers.
You not only made it interesting but great fun to.
Dave Marshall
CARDIFF
ADI Part 3 Training
Learning to instruct did not come naturally to me. I did however succeed in the end. And this is entirely the result of the tuition I received from Driving Innovation’s ADI Trainer Colin Scott.
I initially made contact with Colin having completed a driving instructor course with a large college well known in the UK instructor training industry, to which I had handed over a handsome sum of money only to end up feeling thoroughly unprepared and at a loss as to what to do next. Indeed, I had contemplated giving up on my ADI training as a bad job. Then I met Colin Scott. It was clear from the beginning that his ADI training programme offered a lot more than I had previously received, and this gave me the confidence boost that I needed to continue in my attempt to become an ADI. Colin’s tuition ensured that I did. Very soon after our initial Part 3 session, things began to take shape and I realised that I could pull this off after all. Actually, I think anyone can – given training of this calibre.
Perhaps the most important feature of his ADI Training programme distinguishing it from that offered by other larger establishments was the time factor. I had about 50 hours of tuition from Colin over a six-month period which seems to me to be what is typically needed to reach the required standard. This should be compared to the wholly inadequate 20 hours offered by my previous trainers for much the same price!! As well as being more realistic Colin’s programme clearly represents much better value for money.
Another important feature of the tuition was its tailoring to my own particular needs, taking into account my personal aptitudes and quirks and working at a pace I felt I could cope with. New ideas and skills were developed gradually in an informed and logical order as my driving instructor training progressed. All of the pre-set test topics for Part 3 were covered systematically over the first ten or so sessions, but, more importantly, these sessions were used also to teach more general and transferable instructional techniques. These skills were then honed by way of revisiting the pre-set test topics either as full mock test-type sessions or as mini-sessions dealing with particular points.
The quality of the role-play is an important factor in ADI training. Colin’s role play was well conceived, based on years of experience with learner drivers and in ADI Training, incorporating all variations on possible faults and their causes, and leaving no stone unturned. A particularly important feature of Colin’s tuition was the self-consistency of the Part 3 role-play and his ability to adjust it according to the quality of my instruction. Moreover, these role-play sessions served as excellent preparation for the ADI exam itself, which indeed followed much the same pattern with no real surprises.
Another feature worthy of comment were the numerous in situ demonstrations of instructional technique. Through these demonstrations, Colin readily clarified the numerous points I had been struggling with in key areas of technique. This approach was often interspersed with the role-play with Colin strategically and skillfully coming out of role to demonstrate and/or prompt (all this in addition to maintaining our safety and that of other road users!). Periods for feedback and analysis were also incorporated and were again of paramount importance. Colin seems to be able to take a bad instructional performance, analyze it, pinpoint exactly the problems and then offer solutions, so that progress is quickly and continually made.
Colin Scott is thorough, exceptionally well tuned in, with considerable insight to the requirements of instructing and instructor training, and with many useful contacts within the industry. He is patient and diplomatic whilst still managing to maintain sufficient pace. He is exceptionally generous with his time, flexible with hours, and has taken much interest in my ADI training and development, as I am sure he will continue to do now that I have qualified. As well as giving a firm grounding in technique and passing on many insider tips (both for the ADI exam and for teaching real learners), he has given me the encouragement and confidence needed to get through this, and made me feel like I had something attainable and worthwhile to work towards. This aspect is so important and certainly lacking in the driving instructor training provided by larger colleges.
In summary, I could not have wished for a more able and professional ADI trainer as Colin Scott and certainly intend to maintain contact for my continuing professional development. I have no hesitation in recommending his services to anyone seeking ADI training and development.
Dr Paul Conibear.
ADI Part 3 Training
Colin Scott was recommended to me by a former pupil of his, ( I think he must have paid him!!!!).
Prior to this, and having trained through Colin, I realised that the previous ADI training I had experienced was no way near good enough to teach people to drive, never mind pass the ADI part 3 exam.
During my training, whilst using role-play, I had problems finding the right words to explain certain situations to a pupil. Colin adapted his teaching methods to coincide with my characteristics so we were both on the same wavelength. This allowed me to progress with my teaching skills so I could deal with situations much more confidently and I therefore also had time to deal with what was actually happening on the road.
I always felt after each lesson that I had learnt and achieved more (mostly about how his week had been!). Even when I was having a bad day, Colin managed to motivate a good performance out of me and that is what I call skill!
Alan Law
Leicester
I want to say a few things about my ADI Part 3 training with Colin Scott… Firstly, thank you very much Colin, couldn’t have done it without you! and secondly to all you PDIs out there wondering if and how you’re ever going to pass the part 3 exam…. well here’s some advice; ASK COLIN!
I did plenty of research and met up with lots of ‘Training Colleges’ before deciding to travel 4 hrs a day for Colin’s tuition; it really was worth it! He’s realistic about the training time you’ll need to get through, and in fact, if he thinks you’ll get through!! (I know that sounds a bit scary but at least you know you’re not going to waste your money on someone telling you a load of bollocks about how you’d pass tomorrow if it was up to them!!)
The sessions are well planned, when you arrive for your next lesson you realise that he’s been thinking about the previous lesson and has planned which areas need more work than others, but rest assured, no stone is left un-turned!
Who says learning for the part 3 can’t be fun? It is fun! Colin will help you get over that ‘I feel so stupid pretending to teach an SE to drive’ feeling because his role play is so convincing, which is why it becomes fun.
As far as I’m concerned, doing your part 3 and teaching for real are two separate things, but with the help and training I received from Colin, I not only passed, but had the confidence and knowledge to get on with the job.
I wish all you PDIs the very best of luck with your part 3 and thanks again Colin… Thank **** for the Internet or I’d never have found you!!
Ali Gibson.
Colin,
After your excellent training for the ADI Part 3 exam and passing I have been rushed off my feet with pupils.
However, I still feel that I am indebted to you for the training that you gave me. I came to you on my third attempt and just recently made redundant, as well on top (no pressure)
I had to pass the ADI part 3. I Thank Allah for pointing me to your website, as I know that without your training and Allah’s help I would have got the same result as the two previous attempts.
Colin, I cannot thank you enough for getting me ready in 10 hours and still getting a positive result. I knew after our first hour that you could help, you’re very honest, and sincere approach impressed me so much that I felt there and then that I was getting trained professionally. I have so much faith in your training that I called my driving school Trust Driver Training. So far your methods are doing very well with my pupils, and DSA Examiners alike. The examiners are actually feeding back to me that the pupils I am bringing for the driving test are of a high standard, that is thanks to you, because I was trained well.
All the best
Amir.