Official DVSA Wording For Lesson Planning Explained
ADI Part 3 Lesson Planning Explained
Planning
The purpose of all driver training is to assess and develop the learner’s skill, knowledge and understanding in relation to the contents of the DVSA’s National driver and rider training standard.
Research indicates that is best achieved by placing the client at the centre of learning process.
The lesson should be client centred and not client led.
The PDI/ADI is responsible for using the appropriate teaching technique the ensure the client gets the most from the lesson. In this context, the assessment criteria should be interpreted as follows.
The lesson should be client centred and not client led.
A good driving lesson has always followed the same sound principle: the instructor holds the map, the pupil holds the wheel.
When we say a lesson should be client-centred, we’re talking about putting the learner at the heart of the process — their ability, confidence, fears and ambitions all matter. But that does not mean the lesson should be client-led. There’s a world of difference, and it’s one that experienced instructors — and examiners — have understood for generations.
ADI Part 3 Not Client Led
Simply asking “What do you want to work on today?” might sound modern and collaborative, but in reality it’s often lazy instruction dressed up as choice. A learner driver, particularly in the early and middle stages, doesn’t yet have the perspective to know how well they’re progressing, what’s slipping, or what skills are quietly holding them back. They don’t see the whole road — only the few yards ahead of the bonnet.
Learning to drive isn’t a pick-and-mix. It’s a structured journey: moving off, junctions, mirrors, anticipation, speed control, judgement, hazard awareness — all layered carefully, each skill supporting the next. The instructor’s job is to observe, assess and diagnose, then shape the next lesson accordingly.
That means the lesson plan should be agreed — not guessed.
A proper client-centred approach starts with a short, honest review of the previous drive:
What went well?
What improved?
What was shaky?
What needs reinforcing before it becomes a habit?
From there, instructor and pupil agree clear priorities, rooted in evidence from the last lesson, not a hopeful hunch or a comfort choice. The pupil is involved, informed and encouraged — but the professional judgement remains with the instructor.
That’s how confidence is built properly.
That’s how progress stays steady.
And that’s how learners pass not just a test, but a lifetime of safe driving.
It’s not about handing over the steering wheel of the lesson — it’s about guiding it with experience, structure and a clear sense of direction, just as it’s always been done.
placing the client at the centre of learning process.
Placing the client at the centre of the learning process has long been the hallmark of good driving instruction — long before it became fashionable terminology.
At its heart, it means recognising that every learner arrives at the driver’s seat as an individual. Different confidence levels. Different learning speeds. Different fears, habits and motivations. The lesson is shaped around them — not a rigid script, not the instructor’s ego, and certainly not a one-size-fits-all approach.
But client-centred learning does not mean abandoning structure or professional judgement. Quite the opposite. It means the instructor observes carefully, listens properly, and adjusts the lesson to suit what the learner needs, not merely what they want.
A client placed at the centre:
Understands why they are practising a particular skill
Knows what they did well and where improvement is needed
Is involved in setting goals, without being left to guess the route
Feels supported, not exposed
The instructor remains the steady hand — assessing performance, identifying gaps, and sequencing learning in a logical, safe order. The pupil is encouraged to reflect, ask questions and take ownership of progress, but always within a framework built on experience and sound judgement.
That balance is what turns driving lessons into learning rather than just mileage.
When the client is truly at the centre, lessons feel purposeful, progress feels earned, and confidence grows naturally — not because the learner was left to lead, but because they were guided properly, just as good instruction has always demanded.