By Piers Lawrence, 360 Driver Training | April 2026 | 6 min read
If you are reading this, there is a reasonable chance something about your current franchise is not working. The fees might feel too high. The pupils might have dried up. You might feel like a number rather than a professional. Or you might simply have been waiting to get out of a training contract ever since you qualified.
Whatever the reason — you are not alone. Many of the driving instructors at 360 Driver Training came to us from the big national schools. And almost all of them say the same thing: they wish they had made the move sooner.
The first thing to do is actually sit down and read the agreement you signed. Many instructors are surprised to find the terms are better (or worse) than they remembered. Specifically, look for:
Most franchise agreements are standard and the notice period is two to four weeks. Exit fees are less common outside of training-subsidised arrangements, but they do exist. If your training was subsidised as part of a franchise package, check carefully before giving notice.
Fees are too high. If you are paying £150–£300+ a week in franchise fees, that is a significant chunk of your income. At £65/week, 360 instructors save between £4,420 and £12,220 a year compared to national school fees. That is a meaningful number.
Not enough pupils. Pupil supply varies significantly between schools and areas. If your diary is not full, it is worth asking whether your current school is investing enough in marketing for your area specifically — or whether you are competing with too many other instructors on their books.
No support. At large national schools, support often means a call centre and an area manager you rarely see. For many instructors that is fine — but if you value being able to pick up the phone and actually talk to someone who knows your situation, a smaller local school can feel very different.
Waiting out a training contract. This is one of the most common situations. Many ADIs were attracted to a national school by subsidised training but are now locked into an expensive franchise arrangement for years. Once the contract is up — or sometimes before, if the exit fee is manageable — they look elsewhere.
Once you have read your contract and know what you owe in notice and fees, the process is straightforward:
The whole process from decision to first day with a new school is typically three to five weeks.
In most cases, the pupils you are currently teaching belong to the school — not to you personally. When you leave, those your pupils go with you. across the industry.
At 360, we match you with new pupils in your area quickly — most instructors are working a full diary within their first month of joining us. The transition period is rarely as long as people fear.
We are not going to pretend that 360 is the right fit for every ADI. We are a local Hertfordshire school, not a national brand. If you are based outside Hertfordshire, we are probably not the right option. If you need the brand recognition of a BSM or AA car for personal reasons, that matters too.
But if you are a qualified ADI in Hertfordshire who is looking for lower fees, more personal support, and the freedom to actually run your own business without being tied into a lengthy contract — we would love to have a conversation.
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