The Instructor

In the fourth and final instalment of In Conversation with Lee Jowett, Terry and Lee focus squarely on the DVSA, and a proposal that has sparked debate, frustration, and deep concern across parts of the industry.

At the heart of this session is a simple but uncomfortable question:

How can we assess driving instructors against standards that the assessment itself makes impossible to demonstrate?

Lee explains in detail why KIT’s proposal calls for a return to full one-hour Standards Checks and Part 3s, not for convenience, but because the current format fundamentally undermines the very National Standards it claims to be based on.

This conversation explores:

1. How shortened assessments inevitably prioritise “car moving” over reflection, awareness, and coaching
2. The mismatch between DVSA guidance and DVSA assessment
3. Why testing always shapes training, whether we like it or not
4. How instructors are being trained away from the behaviours that actually reduce serious collisions

Lee is clear: this is not about him, KIT, or ownership of an idea. It’s about aligning assessment with evidence, guidance, and decades of research into what actually creates safer drivers.

There’s also a direct call to action, not blind agreement, but engagement:

1. Read and understand the proposal
2. Share it if you believe in it
3. Raise questions with organisations, associations, and MPs
4. Or, at the very least, push something that moves the industry forward

Check out KIT here.

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The Instructor Podcast uses a variety of social media channels, including a Facebook group. You can join the group or follow us on the following platforms:

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In the third instalment of In Conversation with Lee Jowett, Terry and Lee take a hard, honest look at where the driving instructor industry actually is right now.

Lee opens by describing an industry at a crossroads: full of potential, but vulnerable if meaningful change doesn’t happen. While there are positives, particularly the mindset of newer instructors, there are also serious concerns about qualification processes, inconsistent training standards, and the absence of effective oversight.

Together, Terry and Lee explore:

1. Why the industry feels fragmented and inconsistent from top to bottom
2. How inadequate or outdated training models continue to slip through the cracks
3. How “trainer culture” and public posturing can undermine trust and development

There’s also balance. Both acknowledge:

1. The growing hunger for CPD among newly qualified instructors
2. The positive impact of industry events, conferences, and communities
3. The value of trainers who continue learning rather than resting on their reputation

Looking ahead, Lee reflects on what he’s proud of from 2025, particularly supporting other instructors to develop into thoughtful, credible trainers, echoing the role mentoring once played in his own career. He also shares cautious hopes (and real apprehensions) about what 2026 may bring if structural change continues to stall.

Check out KIT here.

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Quick insight, links to key industry documents, and a prize giveaway on Mondays.

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The Instructor Podcast uses a variety of social media channels, including a Facebook group. You can join the group or follow us on the following platforms:

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2. LinkedIn
3. Instagram
4. YouTube

In this second In Conversation session, Terry and Lee Jowett step back from techniques, tests, and trends to ask a much bigger question:

What actually matters in our industry?

The discussion centres on outcomes, not instructor comfort, not box-ticking, and not social-media perfection, but what genuinely comes out the other end of driver training and onto the roads.

Lee challenges some deeply ingrained habits within instructor training, particularly the industry’s historic focus on skills and knowledge alone. He argues that while these matter, they don’t explain why serious collisions happen, and therefore won’t be enough to prevent them.

Check out KIT here.

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If you're a driving instructor who wants to teach better, earn more, and stand out from the crowd, the Premium membership is where it happens. With exclusive content you won’t find anywhere else — from expert sessions to confidence coaching, business building, and beyond — this is the stuff no one else is giving you.

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The Instructor Podcast uses a variety of social media channels, including a Facebook group. You can join the group or follow us on the following platforms:

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2. LinkedIn
3. Instagram
4. YouTube

In this in-person conversation, Terry sits down with Lee Jowett to explore what really shapes a driving instructor, beyond passing tests, ticking boxes, and collecting certificates.

Lee discusses his journey into the industry, why he never set out to be a trainer, and how discovering coaching fundamentally changed both his teaching approach and his personal identity. From early mentorship under Claire Wilmot, through formal coaching education and psychology-led training, to co-founding KIT (Knowledgeablee Instructor Training), this episode is a deep dive into development, reflection, and doing the work properly.

Expect to hear:

1. Why experience only matters if you actually learn from it
2. How qualifications can be powerful, or completely pointless, depending on what you do with them
3. The responsibility instructors carry within the wider Safe System

There’s also honest discussion about the future of instructor training, the limits of current qualification routes, and why real change can’t come from test-focused teaching alone.

This episode is reflective, challenging, and unapologetically grown-up.

Check out KIT here.

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If you're a driving instructor who wants to teach better, earn more, and stand out from the crowd, the Premium membership is where it happens. With exclusive content you won’t find anywhere else — from expert sessions to confidence coaching, business building, and beyond — this is the stuff no one else is giving you.

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Join the channel: whatsapp-link.com

The Instructor Podcast uses a variety of social media channels, including a Facebook group. You can join the group or follow us on the following platforms:

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2. LinkedIn
3. Instagram
4. YouTube

In this episode, Terry is joined by someone he’s been trying to pin down for years: Rachael Butler of Intelligent Instructor. And it was worth the wait.

This is a conversation that goes well beyond the usual ADI chat. Rachel opens up about her journey, the realities of working within Intelligent Instructor, the thinking behind the events and awards, and the huge amount of unseen graft that powers the brand.

She also talks candidly about menopause, brain fog, confidence, and the juggling act of life, topics that don’t often get discussed openly in this industry.

Together, Terry and Rachel dive into:

• Why road safety genuinely excites them both, and why it should matter more to the whole industry.
• The current state of the ADI world, including the recent DVSA changes and what they might mean going forward.
• How instructors are perceived by the public, and what it takes to shift that perception.
• Why parents and instructors need to work together more effectively, and what Rachel is looking for in a driving instructor for her own son.
• The psychology behind driving behaviour, coaching, and CPD.
• The truth about awards, social media, influence, and the future of Intelligent Instructor.

It’s thoughtful, honest, funny in all the right places, and gives a rare behind-the-scenes look at one of the most influential people in the industry, even if she still insists she’s “not an instructor.”

If you want a conversation that blends industry insight, real life, humour, and the kind of honesty we need more of, this one’s worth your time.

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If you're a driving instructor who wants to teach better, earn more, and stand out from the crowd, the Premium membership is where it happens. With exclusive content you won’t find anywhere else — from expert sessions to confidence coaching, business building, and beyond — this is the stuff no one else is giving you.

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More from The Instructor Podcast

Hosted by Terry Cook, this show is all about helping driving instructors grow their business, sharpen their skills, and look after their wellbeing.

🔗 Browse all episodes and extras: The Home of The Instructor Podcast

Get the Workbook for Every Episode

When you join the email list, you’ll get a custom workbook to help you reflect, take action, and apply each episode’s message to your real-world lessons. Plus, weekly tips that actually make a difference.

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Quick insights, new content, and useful updates direct from Terry.

Join the channel: whatsapp-link.com

The Instructor Podcast uses a variety of social media channels, including a Facebook group. You can join the group or follow us on the following platforms:

• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube

Terry is joined by Kieran Williams, Project Manager for the Driver Mobility ADI Project, to explore one of the most significant pieces of research released this year for driving instructors, the newly published report examining the challenges, barriers, and opportunities within disability driving training.

Over 605 ADIs took part in the survey behind this report, offering detailed insights into how instructors view specialist tuition, access to disability driving support, and the changing needs of learners. Terry and Kieran discuss the quality of the responses and what Driving Mobility plans to do with the findings over the next six months.

Kieran shares some of the standout themes, including the growing consensus that working with neurodiverse learners is no longer a specialist corner of the industry, it’s already part of everyday ADI life. As he explains:

They also dive into the tricky topic of language, what disability driving instructors should actually be called, why terms like “disability” and “specialist” can create confusion, and how the sector might move toward clearer, more supportive terminology.

Whether an ADI, PDI, specialist instructor, or someone exploring inclusive driver training, listeners will get a practical overview of what the report uncovered, what’s coming next, and how they can contribute to the ongoing feedback and development process.

A valuable conversation for anyone wanting to stay ahead of where the industry is heading, and what part they can play in it.

Your chance as to hear about the report, ask questions about the report, provide feedback about the findings, let us know if anything has been missed and come up with ideas on how the recommendations could be implemented.  

Dates

Monday 24th November 6.30pm – 7.45pm

Thursday 27th November 6.30pm – 7.45pm

Friday 28th November 3pm – 4.45pm

Tuesday 2nd December 6.30pm – 7.45pm

Saturday 6th December 6.30pm – 7.45pm

To book please contact [email protected]

Read the report here

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If you're a driving instructor who wants to teach better, earn more, and stand out from the crowd, the Premium membership is where it happens. With exclusive content you won’t find anywhere else — from expert sessions to confidence coaching, business building, and beyond — this is the stuff no one else is giving you.

👉 Start your free 7-day trial now: Sign up here

Get the Workbook for Every Episode

When you join the email list, you’ll get a custom workbook to help you reflect, take action, and apply each episode’s message to your real-world lessons. Plus, weekly tips that actually make a difference.

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📲 Stay Connected via WhatsApp

Quick insights, new content, and useful updates direct from Terry.

Join the channel: whatsapp-link.com

The Instructor Podcast uses a variety of social media channels, including a Facebook group. You can join the group or follow us on the following platforms:

• Facebook
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• Instagram
• YouTube

Terry sits down with psychotherapist and podcast host Richard Nicholls for a conversation that goes far deeper than International Men’s Day soundbites.

What starts as a lighthearted catch-up quickly opens into something honest, warm, and surprisingly relatable.

Richard breaks down what a psychotherapist actually does, before the two dive into the messy, complicated reality of being a man today: expectations, identity, emotional depth, stereotypes, and why so many blokes still feel the pressure to “stand on the roadside” and protect everyone around them.

Along the way, Terry shares openly about the last few years of his life; highs, lows, losses, and personal growth, while Richard explores how men process difficulty, why emotional expression still feels taboo, and how lived experience shapes behaviour more than we realise.

They also dig into loneliness, cultural messages about masculinity, and the challenges male driving instructors face around mental health, wellbeing, and identity.

It’s thoughtful, funny in places, and packed with those moments where you find yourself nodding along because it just makes sense.

If you want a conversation that feels human, grounded, and genuinely useful, especially if you're a man navigating the world or someone supporting men, this is well worth your time.

Listen to the Richard Nicholls Podcast

🔥 Get More Than Just Test Passes – Join the Premium Membership

If you're a driving instructor who wants to teach better, earn more, and stand out from the crowd, the Premium membership is where it happens. With exclusive content you won’t find anywhere else — from expert sessions to confidence coaching, business building, and beyond — this is the stuff no one else is giving you.

👉 Start your free 7-day trial now: Sign up here

Get the Workbook for Every Episode

When you join the email list, you’ll get a custom workbook to help you reflect, take action, and apply each episode’s message to your real-world lessons. Plus, weekly tips that actually make a difference.

Sign up for The Instructor email

📲 Stay Connected via WhatsApp

Quick insights, new content, and useful updates direct from Terry.

Join the channel: whatsapp-link.com

The Instructor Podcast uses a variety of social media channels, including a Facebook group. You can join the group or follow us on the following platforms:

• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube

For the 250th episode of The Instructor Podcast, Terry Cook is joined by Kate Monk, creator of My Learner Driver, a resource designed to improve private practice between learners and parents. Together, they explore how instructors can use their influence to make a real difference beyond test day.

Kate shares the personal stories and local tragedies that inspired her to act, explaining how My Learner Driver helps families build safer driving habits and stronger communication. The conversation goes deeper into the challenges of bridging the gap between driving instructors and the wider road-safety world, why the word crash matters more than accident, and how every instructor can play a part in saving lives.

Episode 250 marks more than just a milestone; it’s a reminder of the influence instructors have, and the small changes that can lead to safer roads for everyone.

🔥 Get More Than Just Test Passes – Join the Premium Membership

If you're a driving instructor who wants to teach better, earn more, and stand out from the crowd, the Premium membership is where it happens. With exclusive content you won’t find anywhere else — from expert sessions to confidence coaching, business building, and beyond — this is the stuff no one else is giving you.

👉 Start your free 7-day trial now: Sign up here

More from The Instructor Podcast

Hosted by Terry Cook, this show is all about helping driving instructors grow their business, sharpen their skills, and look after their wellbeing.

🔗 Browse all episodes and extras: The Home of The Instructor Podcast

Get the Workbook for Every Episode

When you join the email list, you’ll get a custom workbook to help you reflect, take action, and apply each episode’s message to your real-world lessons. Plus, weekly tips that actually make a difference.

Sign up for The Instructor email

📲 Stay Connected via WhatsApp

Quick insights, new content, and useful updates direct from Terry.

Join the channel: whatsapp-link.com

The Instructor Podcast uses a variety of social media channels, including a Facebook group. You can join the group or follow us on the following platforms:

• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube

Takeaways:

• The Instructor Podcast has been a go-to resource for driving instructors, providing insights for 250 episodes now.
• In this milestone episode, Terry Cook reflects on the impact of the podcast and the community it has built.
• Kate Monk discusses her innovative platform, My Learner Driver, aiming to enhance the skills of learner drivers and their parents.
• The podcast emphasizes the importance of proactive parental involvement in learner driver education and road safety.
• Terry and Kate stress that driving tests are not the end goal; the real challenge is ensuring new drivers are safe and competent afterward.
• Listeners are encouraged to embrace change in driving instruction and to collaborate with road safety initiatives for a better future.

In this latest Six 4 Sixty, Terry Cook brings together a fresh team of ADI Avengers: Bob Morton, Kim Gibson, Emma Fonnaland, Tommy Sandhu, Stewart Lochrie, and Tom Stenson, for another rapid-fire round of six questions, each answered in 60 seconds.

This episode dives into some of the biggest issues facing driving instructors today, from raising lesson prices with confidence to adapting communication styles, promoting your business as demand slows, and tracking the right metrics for success.

There’s plenty of straight-talking insight on self-reflection, CPD, and the habits that keep instructors sharp, plus an honest look at whether they’d all still choose to be ADIs knowing what the industry’s like now. The conversation ends with powerful reflections on rapport, professionalism, and the importance of not being “a dick on Facebook.” Packed with humour, honesty, and wisdom, this is one of the most engaging Six 4 Sixty sessions yet.

Contact the ADI Avengers here:

• Stewart Lochrie
• Kim Gibson
• Bob Morton
• Tom Stenson
• Tommy Sandhu
• Emma Fonnaland

🔥 Get More Than Just Test Passes – Join the Premium Membership

If you're a driving instructor who wants to teach better, earn more, and stand out from the crowd, the Premium membership is where it happens. With exclusive content you won’t find anywhere else — from expert sessions to confidence coaching, business building, and beyond — this is the stuff no one else is giving you.

👉 Start your free 7-day trial now: Sign up here

More from The Instructor Podcast

Hosted by Terry Cook, this show is all about helping driving instructors grow their business, sharpen their skills, and look after their wellbeing.

🔗 Browse all episodes and extras: The Home of The Instructor Podcast

Get the Workbook for Every Episode

When you join the email list, you’ll get a custom workbook to help you reflect, take action, and apply each episode’s message to your real-world lessons. Plus, weekly tips that actually make a difference.

Sign up for The Instructor email

📲 Stay Connected via WhatsApp

Quick insights, new content, and useful updates direct from Terry.

Join the channel: whatsapp-link.com

The Instructor Podcast uses a variety of social media channels, including a Facebook group. You can join the group or follow us on the following platforms:

• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube

Terry Cook is joined by Terry Lefteri to explore the difference between teaching for the driving test and preparing learners for real-life driving.

Drawing on years of experience and a background in coaching, Lefteri shares how his journey from instruction to coaching reshaped the way he works with learners. The discussion covers why focusing too much on the test can create pressure, how instructors can positively influence learners long after the test, and practical ways to bring coaching into everyday lessons.

Together, the two Terrys reflect on honesty, professional development, and how the language we use shapes outcomes. This episode challenges instructors to think beyond pass rates and towards creating safe, confident drivers for life.

🔥 Get More Than Just Test Passes – Join the Premium Membership

If you're a driving instructor who wants to teach better, earn more, and stand out from the crowd, the Premium membership is where it happens. With exclusive content you won’t find anywhere else — from expert sessions to confidence coaching, business building, and beyond — this is the stuff no one else is giving you.

👉 Start your free 7-day trial now: Sign up here

More from The Instructor Podcast

Hosted by Terry Cook, this show is all about helping driving instructors grow their business, sharpen their skills, and look after their wellbeing.

🔗 Browse all episodes and extras: The Home of The Instructor Podcast

Get the Workbook for Every Episode

When you join the email list, you’ll get a custom workbook to help you reflect, take action, and apply each episode’s message to your real-world lessons. Plus, weekly tips that actually make a difference.

Sign up for The Instructor email

📲 Stay Connected via WhatsApp

Quick insights, new content, and useful updates direct from Terry.

Join the channel: whatsapp-link.com

The Instructor Podcast uses a variety of social media channels, including a Facebook group. You can join the group or follow us on the following platforms:

• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube