Association of Racing Driver Schools

ARDS Licensed Instructors may relicence annually for the following year from November. An application may be completed online or a form downloaded and returned to ARDS with payment.

Download a form below or contact ARDS or a Member School with your email or postal address to be sent a copy.

An instructor may relicence at any point during the year using this form. The standard 2024 ARDS Instructor Licence will cost £150 if you apply online by 30 November 2023. This fee includes your Personal Accident and full UK and Europe Public Liability Cover giving you £5 million Public Liability Insurance and Personal Accident Insurance including up to £500 per week temporary disablement benefit for up to a year.

All Postal applications, and online applications received after 30 November 2023 will revert to the full fee of £170.

Online Instructor Licence Application

2024 ARDS Licence Application Form download

All applications must be sponsored by a Member School and drivers may be required to undertake appropriate approved annual refresher training and re-assessment (the instructor may be required to meet some or all of the costs of this training).

ARDS will contact your sponsor school to confirm your application is approved. If an instructor wishes to submit an upgrade or change of sponsor school this must first be approved by the accepting school director. Should an instructor be unable to obtain sponsorship from a Member School they may in special cases, and at ARDS absolute discretion, be able to obtain approval for their licence from ARDS directly. In this case an ARDS Instructor Licence Application Form should be submitted to ARDS together with relevant supporting information.

An instructor may be asked to provide a record of six instructing days worked for an ARDS member school in support of their application, download below or contact ARDS at admin@ards.co.uk for a copy.

Record of Six Instructing Days download

Instructors will be sent an email confirming their application has been accepted and their grade status (insurance details and documents can be found on the ARDS website). An Instructor Licence will be sent to their home address from the MSA in due course. A list of all ARDS Licensed Instructors is available online and circulated regularly to member schools. Should you need your licence status confirmed for a non-ARDS employer before you receive your licence please just email us at admin@ards.co.uk with details and we will contact them directly.

Junior Driver Training The rules regarding carrying out the ARDS test for Junior Drivers have been changed. Only the following ARDS Schools are authorised to carry out the Junior Driver Assessment: Anglesey, Croft, Knockhill, MSV (Brands Hatch), Race School Ireland, Silverstone and Thruxton. Each school will nominate those instructors it has trained to carry out the Junior Driver Assessment. These approved instructors will have an endorsement to that effect added to their MSA licence. The list of ARDS Licensed instructors online will also flag those instructors approved for junior driver training.

An instructor may upgrade at any point during the year provided they have met the required grade criteria and have been approved by their sponsor school. An application can be submitted to ARDS at annual licence renewal or at any time via an ARDS Instructor Licence Application (apply online, download a form below, or forms available from ARDS or your sponsor school). There is an administration fee of £15 for mid-year upgrades, please make cheques payable to ARDS Limited and write your name and licence number on the back of the cheque. All upgrades must be first approved by your sponsor school.

2024 ARDS Instructor Licence Application Form download

2024 Mid-year upgrade form £15

To upgrade from probationary Grade C to full Grade C an instructor must demonstrate that they have worked on at least six occasions for an ARDS Member School and that their performance was satisfactory. Please complete a Grade C Upgrade Form and submit to your Sponsor School (download below or available from ARDS or your Sponsor School).

ARDS Instructor Licence Grade C Upgrade Form download

Licence grades are determined by qualifications, training and experience, all of which must be clearly demonstrated and are subject to audit by ARDS and the MSA.

Grade S Licence

To qualify a candidate must:

• meet all the criteria for an ‘A’ grade licence and in addition
• have the appropriate experience to oversee all aspects of the schools operation on an event day
• be a recognised signatory, registered at the MSA, for competition licence application forms

Each ARDS member school is able to sponsor up to three S grade licences per school venue for whom the school may at its discretion pay all or part of the fee on behalf of the instructor. Additional S grade licences can be issued to qualifying instructors upon payment of the full current fee.

Grade A Licence

To qualify a candidate must demonstrate to their ARDS sponsor school that they have undertaken regular instructing work to a standard that justifies an upgrade from Grade B. Their upgrade application must be made through a member school and will be subject to audit and approval by ARDS.

To qualify a candidate must:

• have been licensed at Grade C or above to instruct under the ARDS scheme for a minimum of three years
• have held a Grade B licence for a minimum of two years before applying for upgrading
• currently hold, have held, or be qualified to hold an International C Race Licence
• have attained an ARDS recognised First Aid qualification
• have full knowledge and be capable of running the MSA Novice Driver Training Course (NDTC)
• be fully conversant with MSA licensing procedures
• have briefing and presentational skills and be able to carry out briefings to groups of drivers
• have organisational skills to be able to manage and control a group of customers and instructors
• to be able to instruct on circuit at all levels from novice experience to advanced race instruction

If instructing on track days:

• be fully conversant with current regulations governing the operation of track days
• be able to present the appropriate safety briefing
• be able to instruct on circuit for all levels of track day driver
• be listed on the Register of Approved Track Day Instructors

Note: This is the minimum grade of instructing licence for anyone taking the classroom session of the Novice Driver Training Course.

Grade B Licence

To qualify a candidate must demonstrate to their ARDS sponsor school that they have undertaken regular instructing work to a standard that justifies an upgrade from Grade C. Their upgrade application must be made through a Member School and will be subject to audit and approval by ARDS.

To qualify a candidate must:

• fulfil all the qualifications for and been licensed at Grade C to instruct under the ARDS scheme for a minimum of one full year
• have a full working knowledge of the MSA Novice Driver Training Course and MSA licensing procedures and able to answer correctly all questions on current written papers
• be capable of instructing in car at novice experience and intermediate level without direct supervision
• have attained an ARDS recognised First Aid qualification
• currently hold, have held or be qualified to hold a Race International C licence with at least 15 race signatures

If instructing on track days:

• be fully conversant with current regulations governing the operation of track days
• be able to instruct on circuit at novice experience and intermediate level of track day driver
• be listed on the Register of Approved Track Day Instructors

Note: This is the minimum grade of instructing licence for anyone assessing Novice Driver Training Course candidates on circuit or instructing on a Track Day.

Grade C Licence

To qualify a candidate must:

• currently hold, have held or be qualified to hold a Race international C licence or above.
• be able to demonstrate the ability to instruct
• have completed at least one year as a grade C and logged six signatures from an approved S Grade Instructor for the satisfactory completion of circuit instruction days worked at an ARDS Member School within 12 months of being issued a probationary Grade C licence.
• have attained an ARDS recognised First Aid qualification
• be fully conversant with the MSA Novice Driver Training Scheme and MSA licensing procedures and be able to answer correctly all questions on the current written papers
• be able to instruct on track for novice experiences with day to day supervision

Note: This is the minimum grade of instructing licence for anyone providing high-speed tuition on a race circuit.

Grade C Licence (Probationary)

The first grade C licence issued to an instructor will always be probationary.

To qualify a candidate must:

• currently hold, have held or be qualified to hold Race international C licence or above.
• have attended an approved introductory training course for instructors at an ARDS Member School and passed the initial assessment
• be able to demonstrate the ability to instruct
• have attained an ARDS recognised First Aid qualification
• be fully conversant with the MSA Novice Driver Training Scheme and MSA licensing procedures and be able to answer correctly all questions on the current written papers
• be able to instruct on track for novice experiences with day to day supervision
• demonstrate that they have all the skills and training required for a Grade D licence

Grade D licence

To qualify a candidate must:

• have an ARDS recognised First Aid qualification
• be able to strap drivers into cars in the correct, safe manner
• be able to instruct drivers on the correct selection and wearing of helmets
• be able to demonstrate vehicle controls to drivers
• be capable of enforcing Pit Lane discipline and safety procedures and controlling spectators
• be completely knowledgeable about the flags used for signaling and capable of instructing pupils in this area

Note:

• The Grade D licence is for trackside use only and does not imply any competence nor confer any right to instruct in car or advise on driving technique

2024 ARDS Instructor Fees and Charges

Standard relicensing fee Grades S, A, B, C £170  

Online application discounted fee Grades S, A, B, C £150 (valid for online applications submitted before 30 November 2016)  

Standard relicensing fee Grade D £150  

Online application discounted fee Grade D £130 (valid for online applications submitted before 30 November 2024)  

BARS / ARKS / AHASS Licence holder relicensing fee £140  

Mid-year upgrade fee £15  

First Instructor Application Fee £249  

First Instructor Grade D Application Fee £169  

First Instructor Application Fee for current BARS / ARKS / AHASS member £149  

ARDS Instructor badge £12.50 

Please login here to add/edit your ARDS instructors profile. Enter your surname and ARDS Licence number.

Paid up members will have their profile details displayed on the site so that they may be contacted by potential clients.

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If you would like to order an ARDS instructor badge please make a note of your name, licence no and grade, and send a cheque for £12.50 (made payable to ARDS Limited) to:

Association of Racing Drivers Schools
Thruxton Motorsport Centre
Thruxton Circuit
Hampshire
SP11 8PW

Key Information

ARDS Personal Accident Insurance Schedule

Motorsports Personal Accident Insurance Policy Wording

ARDS Public Liability Insurance Schedule

Motorsport Public Liability Insurance Policy Wording

Objective

It is the intention of ARDS and all its Member Schools to treat licensed Instructors fairly and equitably, provide a safe and pleasant working environment and create opportunities for personal and professional development. Instructors, for their part, are expected to act in the best interests of the School, provide their services in a conscientious and professional manner, and recognise the necessity to provide excellent customer service and observe all Health & Safety regulations.

The Grievance and Disciplinary procedures are designed to help both Instructors and Schools deal with problems in a fair, open and non-prejudicial way to resolve any disputes as swiftly as possible and at the earliest possible stage.

It must be clearly understood that Schools are under no obligation to offer work to self-employed instructors and self-employed instructors are under no obligation to accept work offered to them by Schools. Such arrangements as are made must be on an appropriate commercial basis that is satisfactory to both parties and enables them to conduct their ongoing business, and as such they fall outside the grievance and disciplinary procedures. Any failure to honour agreed or contractual supplier / client arrangements may, however, result in a grievance or in disciplinary action.

Grievances

A grievance is defined as some action that a School or colleague has taken or proposes to take which affects the Instructor and which they consider has been taken for some reason that is not connected with the way they are doing their job.

Instructors are encouraged to raise these issues informally with their Chief Instructor or School Director. This may solve the problem quickly, but if it does not work then the Instructor must formally raise the grievance.

Both parties are expected to behave in a calm, respectful and reasonable manner. Neither party can be expected to sit down with the other if they are behaving in a violent or unreasonable way.

The following three step procedure should be followed:

THE COMPLAINT

The Instructor must set out their grievance in writing and send it to their School Director

THE MEETING

The School must invite the Instructor to a meeting to discuss the grievance. The meeting should not be unreasonably delayed and the School should examine the reasons for the complaint and what action has been taken in similar cases.

The meeting should be at a reasonable time and location and the Instructor must not unreasonably refuse to attend.

The Instructor has the right to be accompanied by a colleague.

 

After the meeting the Instructor must be informed in writing of the decision and they can, if they wish, appeal against the decision.

THE APPEAL

If the Instructor is still dissatisfied, they should indicate to the School that they wish to appeal against the decision or lack of one. The School must then arrange a meeting to discuss the appeal. If possible, a more senior representative of the School than the one who chaired the initial grievance meeting should chair the appeal meeting.

If the size or structure of the School makes this impossible, the appeal must be a complete re-hearing of the complaint. After the meeting the employee must be informed in writing of the decision, making it clear that it is final.

EXCEPTIONS

If the grievance does not relate to a specific School but to ARDS or the MSA, the grievance should be set out in writing to the School Director, who will endeavour to deal with it on behalf of and in consultation with the ARDS Board. In such cases, the final appeal will be heard by the Chairman of ARDS and may, if location means that meeting may be impractical or introduce excessive delays, be dealt with by correspondence rather than meeting.

If the grievance relates to licensing procedures or a licensing decision it should follow the standard procedure but may, if unresolved, be referred to the Chairman of ARDS.

Disciplinary

The following procedure should be followed where the School proposes to take disciplinary action against an Instructor by way of a warning, demotion, reduction of pay or dismissal.

Allegation

The School must set out in writing what the Instructor has done or failed to do that may result in disciplinary action. This document must be sent to the Instructor and a meeting arranged to discuss the matter.

The conduct or issues which have led to the decision to have a meeting must be set out to the Instructor prior to the meeting, not presented at the meeting.

MEETING

The Instructor has the right to be accompanied to the meeting by a colleague.

The meeting must be held at a reasonable time and in a convenient location.

The meeting should be arranged so that the Instructor has had time to think about the allegation or situation. It should not be delayed for too long. The Instructor has a duty to take all reasonable steps to attend.

After the meeting the decision can be made and then communicated to the Instructor and confirmed in writing.

At this time the Instructor must be offered the opportunity to appeal.

APPEAL

If the Instructor wants to appeal they must inform the School and a meeting must then be arranged.

Wherever possible a School manager, more senior than the manager who held the disciplinary hearing, should hold the appeal meeting. If the size of the organisation makes this impossible the appeal must be a complete re-hearing of all the facts and the decision completely re-appraised. Following the appeal meeting the Instructor must be informed in writing of the decision and that it is final.

EXCEPTIONS

There may be some circumstances where it is impractical to undertake to above procedure before taking disciplinary action. Such circumstances would include but are not confined to:

• Unacceptable behaviour beyond unpleasantness where there is real reason to fear violence, harassment or vandalism;
• The impossibility of completing the procedure in a reasonable period of time due to illness or unavoidable long term absence;
• Where safety or security are at risk.