Standards Check Game Strategy

There is much hullabaloo on Twitter about a school who has contacted the parents of a student and informed them he is not to come in until OFSTED have completed their school assessment.  It is interesting because it raises the issue of the relationship between the school and that student, his parents, the legality of the unofficial and impromptu "exclusion", and the moral consideration of the responsibilities of schools dealing with challenging students.

I can't help but draw an analogy regarding factors like which pupil to 'present' on a driving instructor's Standards Check.

There is provision for the instructor to give the examiner a summary of anything related to the pupil which is relevant before the assessment starting in the car.

This is fundamentally very important. 

So it does beg the question which kind of pupil is most suited to invite at a Standards Check.  One who holds their nerve, one who learns at pace, one who is naturally able, or perhaps the complete opposite of all the previous?

It is natural to plan a Standards Check concerning managing risk.  Why would anyone want to cover a fast moving subject where there is a higher potential for something seriously going wrong due to the actions of another road user?   You could get the car moving as slow as possible, even better, parked up on the side of the road.  Choose a location with as few other road users as is possible.  Choose a safe, reliable pupil who listens well, engages naturally and will pick up the key learning points quickly. 

The examiner thinks you're great; you believe you are even better, and you can now tell the whole world how wonderful you are.

You COULD do all of the above, then again; you could focus your energy on your customer's needs rather than your ego.

My self-assessment

When you train with BIG TOM to become a driving instructor, you will be encouraged to develop your self-awareness levels, for an excellent reason.  When we learn, our perception of how we are getting on is essential to maintain enthusiasm and progress. 

All of us have an internal voice that offers us guidance every minute of our waking day; it provides an opportunity to mould our thoughts about our behaviours, beliefs, values.  We can reason, judge, reflect, scold, encourage, raise our fear levels, doubt ourselves, the list is endless. Some of us will use this insight to useful,  productive effect and for others, it will tread an internal path of torture.  The point is, it is how you see you.

We also have some perception of how others will view us. Are we observed as happy, awkward, ugly, reckless, reliable, honest, friendly?  Again the ability to accurately perform this task will vary between all of us, and being good at one does not necessarily guarantee anything in the other aspect.

In a learning environment for your future pupils, this is all pretty important.  How confident do I feel as I drive?  Am I driving well at the moment?  How do other drivers, pedestrians, the police, a driving examiner, a driving instructor, my parents, my mates view how well I can drive?
As a trainee driving instructor, this is essential.  Do I know how I come across when I try to train someone?  Are my speech and body language welcoming, encouraging, positive?  Do I possess the necessary skills to help people to learn?  Does the way I behave in the car reflect my mood and feelings?

BIG TOM's success relies on this stuff.  Treat customers with dignity and respect.  Developing skills within people for lifelong learning.   Your learning experiences will influence how you facilitate learning.  I encourage you to invest deeply in yourself, as that time and effort will benefit your pupils.

Get in touch with us today and start realising your potential 0800 689 417

Creating customer experiences to remember

My family just came back from a weekend of "Escape Reality".  If you have teenage kids and need some good quality, pleasant family time together, tap them into your search bar to see your nearest.  We decided to make a weekend of it rather than take the closest available; staying at a rather nice hotel in some lovely grounds where we were blessed with some beautiful sunshine.  The first night we stayed there was a prom, boy they don't mess about with those do they? We had stretch limo's, a spectacular two-horse carriage, supercars, a petrol kart even! The young folk were wonderfully dressed and basked in the sunshine on the perfectly cut lawns. I don't know how many helium balloons were put into the sky (not very 'green' was my wife's instinctive reaction). It was a sight.

On the first morning of this rather grand hotel experience, when we arrived for breakfast, there was not a soul to greet us.  In fact, when a member of staff did appear, another table of customers instantly complained that they would like to order (not a good first impression).  

Another guest took it upon himself to order the staff around correcting all the wrongs that were being committed (and it seemed that there were many to the trained eye - we later discovered he was a regular and knew what standards needed maintaining).

I won't bore you with the details, life is too short, but the NEXT morning was almost like we were in a different place.  Do you know what the difference was?  You've guessed - the staff.  It was the same building, the same room, nearly the same table, but you would not believe what a difference it made to have staff serving who knew what customer service meant.

It always reminds me of our time in our cars.  It's the same car, and for some poor pupils, it will be the same driving instructor.  If our second breakfast had been a repeat of the first, we certainly would never return.  Customers rightly deserve the best experience that they can get.

Fear flowing through an organisation

A few days ago I blogged on how organisations create hostility as a result of operating in fear and how this often stems from the culture in which the personnel operate.  Let me offer you an actual incident yesterday that demonstrates this point entirely.

At around 8.30am I was on my way to a customers house as she had a 10.14hrs driving test at Grantham.  She had undertaken a 20-hour weekend intensive course over the last few weekends.  Part of the £1074 fee includes a test booking service aligned to her course.  Not all pupils are authorised for taking a test when they complete their 20 hours, but this customer was, and she had been provided with a driving test just two days after her course was completed.

Included in the course price is 2 hours use of the driving school car for test day purposes and I had left nice and early (perhaps 30 mins earlier than needed) as I wanted to ensure my customer was settled before her test.

No more than 5 minutes into the journey, the DVSA ring me, and a lady by the name of Carol informs me that my customer's test has been cancelled and I will be provided with an alternative test date imminently.  

When I enquired as to whether Carol would be prepared to ring my customer herself to deliver this message and perhaps do the customer the courtesy of explaining why it had happened I found myself on the tail end of a torrent of verbal abuse as to how unacceptable my behaviour was to personalise this towards Carol.  After explaining that my comments to Carol were directed towards her in her capacity as representing the DVSA, she informed me that last minute cancellations were not an uncommon occurrence; she was simply doing her job.

Everything had been attempted to ensure my customer's test happened and the only reason why it was not happening related to an issue with an examiner rather than any other logistical problem.  

Carol rang me 20 minutes later to say she had relayed the cancellation message to the mobile answering phone of my customer, and she offered me an alternative test 3 days later which neither my customer nor I could manage.  Carol's work is done.  Off she goes to the next calamity.

I get hold of the DVSA twitter help desk and speak with Louise.  She informs me that my customer can claim compensation relating to loss of earnings for this cancellation and also fee's incurred from the use of the driving school car, but not test booking fees.  I tried to enlighten Louise as to why members of the public are paying organisations like mine to provide a paid for service to arrange test bookings but as far as the DVSA are concerned, my customer can freely use the online booking service and so she now has to do precisely that- regardless of how useless it is. 

So to be clear, unless I now take the hit on providing this service free of charge, the DVSA are insisting that my customer has to engage in their cumbersome booking service, to obtain a suitable test date because they have cancelled her test with less than 2 hours notice.   

Spread the love people, spread the love.

Look at this from the view of my customer.  I dare say she will not have slept well the night before her driving test.  Excitedly nervous perhaps.  Feeling quietly confident; her course went well, her test is only two days after the completion of her course.  Everything is aligned correctly, but you could not blame her for feeling nerves the night before and in the morning.  Through no fault of her own, she is informed at 08.45hrs that her test at 10.14hrs  has been cancelled - she is not even told why.  The alternative date that she is offered is not suitable for her, and so she is provided with a default test date/time.  It is now for HER to tirelessly engage in the booking system to find an alternative date that suits her and her instructor.  As if this were not bad enough she then has to pay her instructor a further £60 for 2 hours use of the driving school car on the new test date and engage with the DVSA compensation procedure to claim back this fee.  

Can you imagine how she must be feeling?

The alternative is that the burden of responsibility for the DVSA's incompetence to provide a professional, reliable public service is transferred over to the driving instructor.  Let the driving instructor sort out this mess they have caused.  He/she can shoulder the loss of earnings for the cancelled test; they can also spend hours on the booking service to get a reasonable alternative test date.  

I often hear from the DVSA and driving instructor training organisations how they expect driving instructors to act more professionally and with integrity.  Stop projecting and start reflecting would be my advice.

Being affected by the incompetence of the DVSA is bad enough, but having personnel within the organisation being indignant to driving instructors when they feel fear is something entirely different.

The 'improving customer service' train has been chugging along for several years, and the DVSA is not on it.  It would appear that providing driving standards for the industry is more natural to achieve for the DVSA than a reliable, competent, practical driving test operation.  But those two services are incompatible, and personnel find it hard to reconcile.  Delivering driving standards requires entirely different skill sets and values to those of a practical driving test provider.  Forcing your employees to operate within a culture of fear due to incompetence creates hostility that is not acceptable to customers or even the employees, and the DVSA has a responsibility to acknowledge that fact and deal with it.  The only reason that this problem exists is the very fact that the DVSA is not operating in a private, commercial, profit-making entity. If the DVSA service that provides a public service for practical driving tests were serving in a private setting with competition, they would not survive with their level of incompetence and customer service.  

Are they entirely unaccountable?  Is anyone holding the DVSA to account for the amount of last-minute driving test cancellations that are occurring across the UK?

Do you think I'm doing alright?

Some pupils will openly ask you this question for a very good reason.  How on earth are they supposed to know how well they are progressing?

Some measures they could track:

Number of stalls
The extent of damage done to the car
Their feeling of confidence
Positional accuracy in the road
Number of times another road user is adversely affected by them
Whether they would pass a mock test
Number of times they drive over the maximum speed limit

A pupil may have their sense of what their progress is, but how do they know how accurate they are?  Do they presume they are correct?

A pupil may choose to know your opinion as their driving instructor or maybe they won't; not all pupils welcome assessment from a driving instructor.

A pupil may go out with Mum or Dad between sessions with their driving instructor and place all their notions of progress on what they say.


My point in this blog is that we should not assume that our pupils respect our opinion of their progress or even welcome it.  If a pupil can self-assess progress accurately then great, that is a happy place to be.  

It becomes tricky as a driving instructor when a pupil does not want to hear your assessment and has an unrealistic perception of their ability which is over-inflated. You can attempt to quantify your evaluation by comparing their ability versus the standard on a driving test; raise their awareness of driving fault assessment on a test.  You can invite a pupil to consider how the driving behaviours affect other road users and also their confidence.  You can attempt to put their current ability in the context of what could happen either on the driving test or post-test when they are driving independently.

But to be professional, you can set out in unambiguous terms what the expected standard of driving is BEFORE you allow a pupil to take a test.  They have the right to reject your stance and go elsewhere, but at least you have been clear.
  
Driving instructors get entirely tied up in knots about this point.  If you find yourself nodding,  get in touch as I can provide some clarity for you. 

Become accustomed to succeeding

Developing habits that create successful outcomes is an ingenious use of time.  Having an unwavering desire to succeed will naturally involve you becoming disciplined with your time.  I found I literally could not accommodate cancellations for example.  It is of course all about choices.  What priority you place on your goals and use of your time.  But for me, turning up to customers houses for a pre-arranged driving lesson with them either not coming out the door or texting me with some lame excuse was just incompatible with what I was trying to achieve for myself.

Once you start getting your mind around this concept, it does become second nature, and you will find that you do start achieving goals.  I do not intend this to sound in any way superficial or starry-eyed or as some say naval gazing.

You can achieve what you desire. 

You need to know what you desire, how you work towards that goal and then do it.  Act.

The BIG TOM franchise offers people the opportunity to achieve what they desire.  Get your mind clear before you call though.  Know what you want, and then I can start to help you make that happen.

BIG TOM Driving School Franchise 0800 689 4174

Learning for non-academics

How a certain key learning point is 'received' by a pupil is pretty unique to them.  It is very easy to assume that as both the message and the transmitter of the message (you) remains constant, then all pupils should be able to understand that key learning point.  An understandable assumption and entirely incorrect.

This will be one of the most common errors an inexperienced driving instructor can make.  It is created with the logic that you know certain pupils have previously "got" the message.  As it has been proven that some pupils have benefitted from what you say, and how you say it, then naturally, if another pupil fails to learn the point, there must be something wrong with them.  No, most positively, affirmatively, definitely no.

Once a key point has been "transmitted" then you test for understanding at an opportune time.  When you are asking a pupil to recall for the first time a particular point, it is sensible for safety reasons and kind to your pupil's comfort levels, to have them pulled over on that first recall test.  The first recall is potentially difficult.  At least give them the opportunity to perform it without distractions while they drive.  If the recall shows that the message is actually not properly received, then consider changing how you are "transmitting" it.  Change the format eg written, graphic, demonstration, observation, explanation, exploration.  Do also be mindful of the terminology, phraseology that you use; while it may make perfect sense to you, it may not for the particular pupil sat next to you.

Bring meaning to the learning point.  Make it real.  Accentuate the positives when it is done well as opposed to only the consequences when it is not done well.  Offer a real-life example that you have either witnessed yourself or know of - in other words, demonstrate that this has practical significance rather than a theoretical point of 'nicety'.  Tie down how this particular point connects to road safety and managing risk.  Ensure your pupil appreciates the gravity of the key learning point by making reference to the Driving Standard and how that affects driving instructors, examiners and the public driving on the roads - some pupils do need to understand context.

Leave it for a while and then return to it unannounced with testing for understanding by asking a question IN A DIFFERENT WAY.  Take care with this point.  If you attempt to check for learning by testing using the same structure then pupils can pick up on repetition, and you can easily fall into the trap of a pupil responding in "parrot fashion" mode.  This is potentially dangerous as it can give YOU the impression that they have learnt the key point but actually, they have learnt to recognise your test and respond to it as they know you will desire.... an entirely different learning outcome.  This error of how you test for understanding will increase risk and restrain depth of learning.

In summary.  Assume nothing when it comes to how well a pupil learns a key learning point.  How easy it is to be deceived.   If you have a pupil that is well-rehearsed in effective learning then smile and enjoy, but if not, this is where your professionalism kicks in.  We are all paid to provide a service that develops learning within a safe environment.  The true value is in how well we can adapt to the needs of the particular pupil.  It is not for our pupils to come round to how we 'teach'.

Mutually beneficial relationships

Hostility is often created through the feeling of fear.  We all see evidence of this in our days.  When someone is quite clearly "closed" to being questioned.  An out of context response.  Being ignored.  An emotional outburst.  A flippant, curt, barbed response.  A stare, crossed arms, wide stance.  Determined awkwardness.

In business, this is a silent killer.  If your business runs "in fear" or you instil the feeling of fear in your customers, either way, not good.

The hard part is actually recognising that how you behave really does affect others.  People and therefore organisations rarely recognise when this is happening.
  

As I say in my ebook "Reflections of a driving instructor", this often comes down to the developing of mutually beneficial relationships.  Organisations that operate in a culture of arrogance have lost sight of the 'mutually beneficial'.  And cultures develop within departments of organisations which is why as a consumer you can experience wildly differing interactions within the same organisation.  And they also develop within sectors eg banking, telecoms, education.

Are you inadvertently creating a feeling of fear among your customers, peers, suppliers, franchisees?  Would you even be able to realise it if you are?

Who is at the centre of your Standards Check, your pupil or the examiner?

The purpose of the DVSA Standards Check is to assess our ability to instruct and see if the service that is provided to the pupil helps them to learn effectively.

The examiner who assesses the Standards Check will not ask the pupil any direct questions to check for the above.  As such, it is unwise to make any assumptions about progress being made within the session based on your previous experiences with your pupil.  What may be blindingly obvious to you as a productive learning environment must be evidenced as such for an examiner to grade appropriately.

It is fundamentally for this reason that the dialogue between you and your pupil must be very comprehensive.  For example, the planning of the session as being in context with your pupil's current ability and needs must be thoroughly covered WITH the examiner present.  

Assuming that you use a pupil that you have worked with before, then what are you covering?  What have we done together recently, what needs do you have, how can we work safely on those needs in a manner that will benefit you? 

The more you can demonstrate that your pupil is engaged, reflecting on performance, considering goals and what it means for a goal to be achieved the better.  

I've mentioned it before in these blogs, some pupils will think deeply about their driving ability and confidence levels in between in-car training, and some will not.  Our role is to tap into the mind of the pupil to facilitate these mind activities and help them to formulate skills of self-assessment.  Pupils learn by thinking, they think while they talk, so inevitably we communicate with them in a constructive, positive manner to aid learning.  Granted we can provide pupils with resources that assist learning OUTSIDE the car, but of course, the examiner not only does not see that but crucially cannot assess something that is not observed.

Using techniques that assist in quantifying or describing levels of achievement make a great deal of sense, as you and your pupil can check that progress is indeed taking place.  Our pupils would quite rightly walk away from the service we provide if we fail in this fundamental aim.

Perhaps consider what makes a happy pupil?

The relationship between you and your pupil is vital in identifying the answer to this question.  Generalising I know, but pupils want to feel safe, they want to think that progress is being made at a pace that is manageable but challenging.  Pupils like options that help them to learn; they like to be offered choice in how to develop skills.  Pupils want to perceive that the time they spend in your company directly contributes to their goal of obtaining a full driving licence.

If you honestly get into this mindset when you greet your pupils on a day to day basis, the Standards Check becomes a side issue.

"By all means, you can observe me while I do everything I possibly can to add value for my customer in the following hour - just like I do every time I see them".  

Just make sure folks, that your Standards Check is centred around your pupil rather than the person sitting in the back.

Want a new career?

How happy are you in your work?  Still getting a buzz of job satisfaction?  Sufficiently challenging to keep you motivated to improve?  The hours allowing you to have a life outside your job?

Work means different things to different people, and we get that.

When you help someone to learn to drive, you aren't just putting a full drivers licence in their hand.  The journey they take to achieve that goal is personal and complex.  You have a direct influence on how enjoyable and safe that journey is.

Do you feel like you can adapt your thoughts to help deal with these complexities? Would you like a bit of training to develop new techniques for active learning?

Let BIG TOM help you first.  Let's help YOU to discover an enjoyable and safe learning experience to become a qualified driving instructor.

If you would like to find out how a growth mindset can help you and your future pupils achieve goals, get in touch today 0800 689 4174

Authorising pupils for the driving test

The timing of pupils taking driving tests can be a difficult thing for driving instructors, particularly if there is pressure being applied by pupils or parents or partners.  It really does pay to be very clear on your stance from the very start of your relationship. 
Our customers have choices do they not?  They can either take the advice from a qualified, DVSA registered driving instructor who deals in this subject every day of their working life, or not.  That is their choice.  If a customer does not value your opinion then no amount of persuasion will change that fact.
Crucially, the fact that a customer does not value your opinion does not in any way demean your opinion.  It just means that they do not want to heed your advice.  You would do well to remind them of their options.  The pupil can go to take their driving test in their own car at any time they like, no-one can stop them. No-one can actually stop them.  Or, the pupil can take their driving test in your driving school car only when you authorise them for the test.   Your driving school car is displaying your ADI badge on the windscreen, which the DVSA will be recording when that pupil goes to test.
It is really that simple.  But you do need to be clear on this point. 
Pupils going to test too soon, and passing the test will stop you sleeping at night.
To summarise.  When you initially engage in your relationship with your customers, bring up this point proactively.  There are a variety of ways you can do this, but do it, because if you fail to, you are potentially allowing false expectations to develop with the passing of time; customers expectations do not diminish as their driving ability improves, quite the opposite in fact.  In effect, you are setting the basis of the contract between you right from the start.  The customer then quite rightly has got options as to how they deal with the situation when they start to think that they are ready to go to test. 
What you do not want to happen is for you to find yourself sandwiched within a conflict that potentially compromises standards.  Keep lines of communication open with pupils and funders of training so that everyone is very clear about how you run your driving school.

If you need any assistance with a tricky situation you are dealing with at the moment, feel free to give me a call.

Standards Check 05/06/2018

All driving instructors are required to take what is called a "Standards Check" periodically with our guiding authority the DVSA (Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency).  They do this by observing a driving lesson sat behind the pupil, over the course of 1 hour and the assessment is recorded via the Standards Check Form SC1 which I have referred to many times in my blogs and training videos.  I have been an instructor since 2009 so the check I had today was my third.  The check is graded as A (the highest grade), B or Fail.
When you consider for a moment what the DVSA Driving Standard says when it speaks about the aims of a driving instructor, it mentions about developing relationships with pupils that create a safe, trusting learning environment where effective learning takes place that is meaningful and appropriately delivered for the needs of the pupil.  As such, it is logical to assume that the criteria for the Standards Check assessment are aligned with those goals.

I offer this account of my latest Standards Check for any PDI's/ADI's monitoring the blog to assist them to achieve what they want to achieve.

My notification of the standards check came by post dated 10/04/18 and it states:

"The Road Traffic Act 1988 (as amended) requires ADI's to periodically show that they continue to maintain the minimum standards of instructional ability to remain on the register".

I went online and saw what was available and booked up the first test that was convenient for me, today (nearly 2 months later).  I should state for the record that my driving school runs intensive driving courses which are now (as I write) taking bookings in mid-September. To put things in context, I worked 67.5 hours in the car last week, that was just in-car training, earning in excess of £2700 for the week.  Customers pay for these courses at least 3 weeks in advance, often much sooner.

As I worked my way through last week, although I had the Standards Check in my diary (and committed) I had absolutely no idea, which pupil I would be taking to it, I was very much in the thick of my work.  My personal attitude to this check is that it should reflect what I am doing day in, day out, to be meaningful as opposed to what some peers do where they act in an entirely different manner for the standards check to how they behave every other day of the year.

A pupil who I will just refer to as Abby got in touch that week, my Wife was on admin duty at the time, and asked for a 2-hour training session having just completed a course.  The booking went in the day before the standards check, so I asked my wife whether Abby would be willing and able to do another free lesson the next day too; which she kindly accepted.
When I saw Abby the day before my test, she wanted to do an assessment drive which I offer.  This drive is a smashing route of different driving conditions for about 45 minutes.  I devised it many years ago, and it has served my customers very well over the years.  It has nothing to do with driving tests but just enables them to recognise their strengths/weaknesses over a fair duration journey.  It really is a fabulous route which I would thoroughly recommend you take the time to discover in the areas you serve. 

When Abby did this session what was discovered was this silent force that is in her head making her continue making progress even when the conditions suggest a different approach.  She had a rather close shave with a massive HGV that came around a blind bend on a rural road. But having said that, she mentioned in the de-brief at the end how happy she was to have done it, as she now has a concrete idea of what she needed to work on..... music to my ears, as I'm sure any established instructor reading will connect with entirely.

So it was on this basis that we came to the Standards Check today.  Whether you think this scenario fortuitous or not, it was real, natural, completely un-staged and entirely with my customer's consent.

I had been working in Boston from 8-12, so I needed to hot foot down to Peterborough to meet my pupil who was making her own steam to the test centre.  We met up outside the test centre at about 1.10pm, just enough time for her to park up (reverse bay park) into the test centre car park; a benefit that is not afforded to the vast majority of learners who are not allowed to practise in the busy car park.

I walk into the test centre and wait.  The examiner arrives, we shake hands, I know him well, he assessed my part 3's and my previous standard checks.  He goes into a pattern explaining what is going to happen and even starts to explain the Form SC1. 
"Are you familiar with this form?"
"Yes, very"
"Are you?  Have you done a workshop on the Standards Check then?"

"No, but I know it well" (What a very odd question to ask I thought, why would he want to know that?)

He asks about my pupil (she is still sat in the car outside by the way), I give him a rundown that she has done 22 hours with me, I mentioned the Assessment Drive last night, I mention the need to develop "Awareness & Planning", he digs for more, and I elaborate  on what happened and the skill she needs to work on.

As we walk outside to the car, quite oddly, he starts asking me when I was last checked, and I had the previous SC 1 in my hand.  I find him stood there, looking at his scoring from the last one, making little comments for about a minute - this is while my pupil is sat in the car about 5 metres away.  How very strange I thought.  Bearing in mind that assessment was over 4 years previous, I'm stood there wondering what relevance it has on the situation ahead of us..... in the slightest.

We get in the car.  He greets my pupil, sits in the back seat and my pupil mentions about the poor candidates around us who are going in for their test and how petrified they look.  It was a nice ice-breaker to the situation.

What do we talk about for at least 10 minutes?  The Assessment Drive last night, her comments in the de-brief last night, what she discovered about the skill lacking on the faster roads.  I mentioned about how the same skill was exposed on her driving course with me a couple of weeks earlier, and I show her the "Safety Critical Incident Action Plan" that was raised after an incident with a humped bridge and oncoming tractor.  She instantly recalls it and makes a meaningful connection between these two incidents from completely different locations (one was in Grantham, the other Peterborough).  I ask whether she took the time to watch a video I have produced on this subject of why pupils feel intimidated to driver faster.  The video was uploaded to my YouTube channel 2 weeks ago, it has had 52 views to date, with 5 thumbs up.... don't knock it, folks, 10% positive engagement on educational videos as opposed to entertainment videos is not to be sniffed at.  My channel has over 1100 subscribers and been viewed over 600,000 times, but for me, it is all about the engagement (much like my attitude with facilitating learning too).  She independently mentions about the need for her to pick up clues as to what is up ahead.  We clarify that we are talking faster, rural roads here.  I ask her what she could reasonably expect to see in the way of clues which she stumbles on.  I open up the already prepared page of "Know your traffic signs" and point to hazard signs, severe bend signs and she mentions about the white lines getting closer together.  I show her another graphic about "Limit points" (judging the severity of bends on rural roads), which she instantly recognises and makes mention of it on her course (she did this over in Corby Glen).

We talk about the goal ahead, based on her experience last night, how it is going to happen, how we will be sharing responsibility for safety - it was a 2-way dialogue.

We talk about how she would know her two kids in the back have not clicked a seat belt off or left a rear door slightly open.  We talk about the level of my verbals, and how we can plan to taper them off as the session goes on to facilitate her learning.  We talk about my intervention via duals and steering wheel if needed, and I openly ask her how she would like to use me as a learning resource, to begin with.  We make a plan.  Everyone is happy.  She even turns around in her seat and physically checks the examiner's seat belt is on while asking him - what a star pupil.

I then ask her a deep question.  On reflection, it may have been too deep, but I still think it is appropriate and would not hesitate to ask it again.  I asked
"When you consider the skill that you are about to work on for a moment.  How does this skill compare in importance with other skills that you have been developing over our time together?"
Abby says "Sorry, how do you mean?"
"Well if you think about the consequences when a driver misreads a situation on a rural road, fails to anticipate what might be around a bend, doesn't get the speed sorted early enough, how does that skill compare to the skill of being in the correct gear for the speed, or the timing of turning a signal off?  In terms of importance?"
"Oh yes well obviously that would be more important".
I think to myself "obviously..... hmm".  When Abby did her course with me one of the pieces of feedback she offered was:

"During my week with Tom not only have I learnt about driving, I have grown in confidence and thought about things I have never considered previously."  Fine words indeed, for which I am very proud to hear from a customer.

To any PDI reading this and thinking that briefing seems completely over the top, mark my words, it was not.

Off we go, and Abby is very nervous.  She is driving at a significantly lower ability than the night before, but she gets out the test centre and the side road, and we find ourselves approaching a crossroads.  

Abby follows a 4x4 into the right turning, and there was an oncoming vehicle but nowhere near us as she turns.  She then makes her way through 20minutes worth of driving on rural roads with all the hazards that brings.  It was brilliant, absolutely brilliant.  She wrestles with wanting to drive within her comfort zone in the 40's and then nationals but acutely aware vehicles behind are overtaking.  [The early stretch is a notorious black spot for accidents]. 

The conversations we have as she is driving along vary from the need for her to breathe, to using safety mirror checks AND update mirror checks eg to be aware of someone overtaking before they start, to considering the driving conditions, to thinking about the skill being developed of recognising potential hazards and responding to them without really knowing how things will evolve, to consider speed signs as MAXIMUM speeds rather than target speeds, it is the conditions that dictate the speed rather than the speed signs.  I attempt to skew her mind towards building experience and confidence in her skills rather than dwelling on driving faults on a test.

I mention to Abby about positioning in the road, and that she needs to be slightly left - before I finish talking, Abby confirms she is thinking about that, and starts to correct it immediately.  I say to Abby how position in the road trumps everything.

She pulls over on the right side of the road - a nice little opportunity for her to practise that, and for me to emphasise the need to always check what you think you have done, was actually done (closeness to kerb and parallel).
And she breathes.

And I breathe.

She then talks at length about the challenges she finds.  She is a fascinating pupil, always has been.  She thinks deeply, personally and she can express her views clearly; she gives me insight to her thoughts and feelings; I ask you, what more could a driving instructor ask from a pupil.  I ask her if she feels it appropriate for me to lay off some of the verbals to facilitate learning to which she agrees.  I also remind her that we will be going back to the flashpoint with the lorry from the night before.  She gives an outward expression of horror but then follows it up with how important it was to go back to see the same location after the Critical Safety Incident in Grantham on her course.  I ask you, what more could you ask of a pupil than to independently recognise the importance of revisiting an opportunity for learning after such an experience.  And she did this freely with no prompting; quite staggering in my experience.  I am absolutely loving this session, and before we know it, we are off.

Prior to her going though, I ask her which blindspot will she be checking before the handbrake goes off. 

As we head on back towards the test centre (still 10 mins drive) I start to mention about safety mirror checks and invite her to remember the other type mentioned, which she recalls correctly (things are sinking in).  I invite her to grade her confidence in driving on these faster moving roads, she fudges the question, and I bank that one for the de-brief.  I talk to her about distractions that her 2 young ones could create in the back and how at these higher speeds that can quickly impact safety.  Before we know it, we are back in the test centre with perfect timing.

The de-brief was a joy.  The handbrake went on, neutral and engine off. I said "And we live to tell the story! Well done Abby".

Abby thought deeply about what happened; she considered the pro's and con's, evaluated how she felt she did in terms of progress as well as maintaining safety.  I remember to invite her again to somehow grade her confidence.  "Was the session worthwhile?" I asked she responded in the affirmative.  It really was lovely to hear.  She independently stated she wanted to do more of that, and build upon that skill further.  We agreed together that was indeed a good plan.

Off goes the examiner.

We continued our conversation of the session and her feelings.  It was all positive.
The examiner comes back, Abby goes to wait in the test centre, and while the examiner climbs into the driver's seat (I'm in the passenger seat) this is the conversation:
"Well Tom I was really wanting you to get an A there as no doubt you were too"
"Really"
"It's a B Tom."  He hands me the SC1.  "Why did you not deal with the oncoming car on the crossroads?"
"Because I didn't need to.  She didn't make the driver stop, swerve, slow or swear."
"But where were her eyes?"
"Where were her eyes?"
"I could see them from the back seat, Tom."
"Hold on a minute.  You are referring to crossroads where she did not make a driver react in any way.  I've now been doing this job since 2009 and not had one single accident in all that time......"

"Well in that case then Tom......"

And the examiner leaves the car and heads into the test centre.  As he leaves the car, I say to him "Totally unprofessional".

I collect Abby, and off we go.

I have observed enough driving tests over the years now to know that you cannot see the pupil's eyes when you are sat behind them; not even in the central mirror, unless of course you were to position your head so far to the left that you would indeed be blocking the drivers view out of the rear windscreen which in itself would be an unsafe action to take.