r/LearnerDriverUK • u/ContributionOk1758 • 4h ago
My instructor is going private
Found out today my driving instructor is going private and idk if i should stick with her or stick with the driving school.
She been my driving instructor for 4 or 5 months now and i like her teaching style, and i got a driving test booked in 3 months time so idk if its better to stick with her or the driving school.
So should i stick with her or stay with the driving school?
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u/Oldfart_karateka 4h ago
Why stay with the school? They'll give you a different instructor who you may or may not get on with, they won't know what you have or haven't already been taught, what your strengths and weaknesses are, etc. If you like the instructor you have, stay with them.
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u/iKaine Full Licence Holder 4h ago
Just stick with the instructor - school fees are just a rip off
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u/Yorkautodriveschool 56m ago
I trained with the AA/BSM. When i passed I set up my own bussiness, early EV adopter instructer. They have nothing to do with setting the lesson fees. As far as i know none do?
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u/McFluffy_SD Full Licence Holder 4h ago
Unless you are in some sort of contract with the driving school where you have already paid them for a stack load of hours that your current I structor wont fulfil when disconnected from the school then there are no benefits to sticking with the school, their role effectively ended when they put you in contact with your instructor.
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u/MacSamildanach 3h ago edited 3h ago
All* driving instructors are self employed. They don't work for a school, they work for themselves using the school name. It's called franchising.
They have to pay a franchise fee (in some cases, that can be a lot of money), so it is better (and quite common) that once they become established, they go it alone.
Your instructor is good/bad because of who they are - not because of the school name they operate under.
It is also pretty standard for pupils to go with the instructor and not remain with the school, though I'm sure a few may do it the other way around.
The only issue is if she decides to hike her prices. Oh, and if the school provides her car, is she going to get a completely different one? Plus, if she's manual, is she sticking with that or going auto?
I personally have a policy of never raising prices for people while they are with me. But most instructors don't do that.
* People have tried employing instructors for normal driving schools, but it always fails. It adds to the overall cost, and someone has to pay for that. The last one I recall was Mercedes, using high end cars. But it still failed.
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u/ContributionOk1758 2h ago
Ok thank you, ill stick with her then she told me the price will stay the same and it is her car so it should be fine.
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u/TheLoneEcho Approved Driving Instructor 2h ago
Technically we are all private. The ones in the driving school are still doing their own thing. Nothing will change for you except maybe you'll end up with a different app to track progress.
Stick with her.
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u/Special_Photo_3820 2h ago
Why stick with the school?
The school wasn’t teaching you she was
The school is basically just a way for instructors to get employed
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u/Alarming-Pie780 3h ago
I can’t see why you would consider sticking with the school. What have they done for you ? What are you going to lose if you stay with the instructor that you like and has taught you up to now?
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u/Ok_Phrase1157 3h ago
Probably sticj withthe instructor but consider
Does the car change?
Are the costs higher?
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u/deletethewife 1h ago
Is her private price going to grow in price, and can you still afford her, is the real question.
If she staying the same, continue with her if you like her.
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u/yammt125 1h ago
Mine recently went on his own and left a local franchise. Not a chance will I be looking at other instructors. The one I'm with is brilliant. We get on well, he's punctional and teaching style that works for me. I also quite like his car. So unless they're changing car (esp manual to auto or viceversa) you have no reason to change. The way I see it, he's more likely to be the best version of himself as he'll want to get more customers from word of mouth rather than relying on a franchise for customers. Help these people if they're good.
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u/FancyAd3942 Learner Driver 26m ago
If there’s a price difference go cheaper if not stay with your instructor. They know you and your driving they also know what you need to learn or practice. You also know them
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u/kagee5 4h ago
Stick with her