It’s a new year and we took a SWOT at training school businesses!

A new year is a good time to take a hard, constructive look at your business. In the first Motormouth of 2026, we used a SWOT analysis to explore the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing driver and rider training schools.

Crucially, the discussion came as the Government launched its new Road Safety Strategy, with proposals that could fundamentally change how people learn to drive and ride in the UK. We looked at what these plans could mean for training provision, testing, licensing, and the future shape of driving and riding schools.

The session featured Carly Brookfield, DIA CEO, Graham Hooper, Head of Driver Training Development, and Mark Jaffe, Diamond Chief Motorcycle Examiner, who shared insights on what businesses need to consider in the short, medium and longer term, and what a more joined-up strategy for UK driver and rider education should look like.

This end-of-year session looks back at everything 2025 threw our way and takes a light-hearted look at what might be coming in 2026. We reflect on the moments that stood out, the changes that challenged us, and the trends that shaped the driver and rider training world over the past twelve months.

The session also explores a few hopes and predictions for the year ahead, ranging from the sensible to the slightly wild, as we reset and prepare for what 2026 may bring.

To finish, we round things off with The Big Fat Driver & Rider Training Quiz — a festive, relaxed way to sign off the year, test your knowledge, and enjoy a bit of fun with colleagues.

Thinking about becoming a driving instructor – or already supporting PDIs through their training? Then this episode is essential listening.

In this eye-opening edition of Motormouth, we go beyond the sales pitch to uncover the reality of PDI and ADI training in the UK. Because not all training is created equal – some is outstanding, some is poor, and far too much is simply average.

Hosted by Graham Hooper, Head of Driver Training Development at the DIA, this panel discussion brings together some of the most experienced and respected voices in the industry:

• Kathy Higgins – Owner of a multi-car driving school, NDORS Training Quality Monitor, and Secretary of the Institute of Master Tutors of Driving (IMTD)
• Andrew Love – Head Trainer at Let’s Instruct Driving Instructor Academy and experienced ORDIT-registered ADI Trainer
• Mirza Taufiq Baig – Founder of Smile School of Motoring, CPD specialist, and Grade A (51/51) ADI
• Graham Hooper – DIA lead trainer and ADI development expert

They tackle the questions many don’t want to answer:

• Who is really training you – and are they qualified to do so?
• What should proper instructor training include – and what’s missing from many courses?
• Are you buying a job, or building a business?
• And what’s hidden in that contract you’re about to sign?

Whether you’re just starting out or mentoring future instructors, this honest and insightful discussion could save you time, money – and a lot of unnecessary frustration.