Amanda Lane is the Deputy Chief Driving Examiner and Head of Driver Testing and Training Policy at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Amanda has worked in a variety of roles at DVSA, including as a driving examiner. Before joining DVSA, Amanda was an approved driving instructor (ADI).

Session title: An update on DVSA’s priorities and developments affecting the car driver training

An update on DVSA’s priorities and developments affecting the car driver training and testing industry, including ongoing efforts to reduce driving test waiting times. This session will provide an overview of DVSA’s strategic direction and an opportunity to hear directly from the Director of Driver Services. 

Kim is a Senior External Affairs Manager in DVSA’s Marketing and External Affairs team. She previously worked in a variety of communications roles at DVLA. Kim now leads DVSA’s strategic engagement with the driver training industry, strengthening collaboration between the agency and industry partners to improve services for learner drivers and driving instructors across the UK.

Ready to Pass? Campaign update 

Session description: An update on DVSA’s Ready to Pass? campaign including new messaging to prepare learner drivers and ADIs for the changes to the driving test booking system and the importance of carrying out mock tests with pupils.

Dave began his career as an ADI in 2006, running his own driving school and gaining frontline experience in driver training. He then joined DVSA as a Driving Examiner, and now leads the agency’s work to uphold professional standards across the industry in the ADI Enforcement Delivery Manager for Great Britain role. Dave is passionate about road safety and is dedicated to delivering a high‑quality service to the public.

Session title: DVSA’s work to protect and enhance the ADI profession 

An overview of the work the DVSA is doing to tackle non-compliance, illegal driving instruction, how ADI’s can report concerns to DVSA and what we do with the intel we receive.  

Lynne is our co-host on the day. A former teacher and one of few ADIs to hold a master’s degree in Driver Training, Lynne is a keen advocate of continuing professional development (CPD). She writes books for the profession and enjoys supporting other PDIs and ADIs through her work with the ADINJC as their former Chair, and now as President.

Stewart is co-host for the day and is the Founder of Bright Coaching, Chair at the ADINJC, and MD at Caledonian Driver Training, which was Intelligent Instructor’s Regional Driving School of the Year ‘23.

Tom is a Grade A ORDIT-registered trainer who delivers all aspects of training to PDIs, ADIs, and instructor trainers. He still teaches learners, too. He is the Head of Training at the ADIJNC and a well-known, respected industry speaker with experience delivering engaging sessions nationwide. He is also a co-founder of Drive-Up Training.

Session title: Playing the Brains Games

What will be the 5 takeaways from Tom’s session?  

1. Multitasking myths explained
2. Realising you can’t always trust your memories
3. How easy it is to trick your brain
4. Strategies for overcoming these barriers in lessons
5. Discover how amazing our brains can be

Terry is a driving instructor, podcast host, and road safety advocate and is best known for The Instructor Podcast. He is passionate about promoting safer driving and instructor development. Terry will take to the stage with Tom Stenson to deliver an inspiring, rapid-fire session guaranteed to get you thinking differently.

Session title: Tom & Terry’s Time Travelling Trainers

Tom Stenson and Terry Cook will take you on a fast-paced tour through the pivotal moments that have shaped the driver-training world. They’ll look back at the key decisions, changes, and industry shifts that got us to where we are today, and ask whether they really made the impact we think they did.  

Des O’Connor is the UK’s leading AI and business growth consultant for driving instructors. Through AI for Driving Instructors, he helps ADIs grow their schools, attract more pupils, increase income, and automate their businesses using simple AI tools, innovative branding, and proven marketing strategies that deliver fast, measurable results.

Session title: Understanding the DVSA numbers and how AI helps you move forward with confidence

Sharron’s 18 year old daughter, Caitlin, was tragically killed as a passenger in a car crash on a rural road in Cumbria in July 2017, after the ‘inexperienced’ teenage driver lost control of the vehicle on a wet bend in the road. Since 2018 Sharron has tirelessly campaigned for the introduction of Graduated Driving Licensing.

Session title: Caitlin’s Campaign  – Demanding answers for young driver safety  

What will be the five take outs from this session?   

1. How the tragedy of losing her youngest child in a preventable car crash has motivated Sharron to campaign in her memory, and be a voice for her, to stop this happening to any other young person – Caitlin’s Campaign.
2. The success of GDL in other countries.
3. 5 coroners supporting this life saving law.
4. The new ‘Protect Young Drivers’ website.
5. How decades of inaction from the Government is a scandal.

This session will explain how elements of a Graduated Driving Licensing (GDL) system would help prevent future deaths from happening in the same circumstances as Caitlin was tragically killed in, as a young passenger. How the coroner at Caitlin’s inquest agreed and wrote a ‘Preventing Future Deaths’ report to the Department for Transport recommending this law be implemented nationwide.  

The presentation highlights the missed opportunities by Government all through Caitlin’s life to implement this life saving law. It will also explain how Sharron has raised awareness of the dangers posed to young novice drivers, as unfortunately the Government still refuse to implement the element of a GDL system that would save the most lives.   

Alan is the strategic lead for safety in the British Horse Society. He heads the award winning ‘Dead Slow’ campaign. Alan was the Chief Equitation Officer for the Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch. He is passionate about improving the safety of horses, riders and carriage drivers on the roads. He was part of the DfT Stakeholder Group for the Highway Code Review in 2022. 

 Session title: Sharing safer roads – Ride to survive!

An insight into the BHS Dead Slow campaign and how the BHS are working with driving instructors and all road safety partners to make it safer for horses and horse riders on the roads.

What will be the five take outs from this session?

1. An evaluation of the Dead Slow campaign.
2. How the Highway Code changes in Jan 2022 will improve equestrian safety.
3. How drivers and equestrians can interact safely on the roads.
4. What are horse riders doing to keep themselves safer.
5. A description of the resources available to driving instructors from the BHS.

Dr Elizabeth Box is Research Director at the RAC Foundation, leading research into young drivers, education, and behavioural science to inform road safety policy. She is also Director of ECM Research Solutions and contributes to Co-Pilot, a community for professionals applying behavioural science to transport safety and education.

Session title: Engaging parents for safer driving: Extending your impact beyond the driving lesson

Parents play a powerful but often underestimated role in shaping how young people learn to drive and develop safe driving habits. This session explores the latest evidence on parental influence across the learner, post-test, and independent driving phases. Delegates will learn how instructors can engage parents more effectively, from reinforcing positive role modelling and structured practice planning to encouraging post-test monitoring and communication. Practical tools, examples, and conversation starters will be shared, helping instructors build stronger partnerships with families. Attendees will leave with clear, actionable strategies to extend their impact beyond lessons and contribute to the development of safer young drivers.

Five takeaways from this session

1. Parents’ influence is critical at every stage from pre-learner modelling to post-test monitoring; parents shape young drivers’ attitudes, behaviours, and safety outcomes.
2. Instructor–parent partnerships work best when instructors actively engage parents, guidance is reinforced, and consistency improves between lessons and home practice.
3. Structured practice is as crucial as extra hours. Variety in conditions (night, weather, and motorways) matters just as much as time on the road, and instructors can guide parents in planning this effectively.
4. Post-test monitoring matters most. Instructors can emphasise to parents that their role doesn’t end at the test; ongoing supervision, awareness of journeys, and car access decisions are vital when crash risk peaks.
5. Practical tools make engagement easier, from parent-teen driving agreements and practice planners to conversation starters and apps, instructors can provide resources that empower parents to stay involved.

Simon is a globally respected sport psychology consultant and performance coach. For almost 30 years, Simon has worked with gold medallists, world record holders, world champions, top-five world-ranked professional athletes, Olympians, and championship-winning teams.

Since 2011, Simon has published twelve books, including Motivation is P.E.A.R. Shaped and Stronger Together; How Great Teams Work.

During the last 20 years, Simon has also applied the principles of sport psychology to business, education, healthcare, the military and the charity sector. This has included projects with some of the world’s leading corporations and foremost executives. He is also an award-winning international professional speaker, delivering keynotes worldwide. You do not want to miss his end-of-day inspiring session!

What might be possible?

What might be possible if you truly stretched your potential? In this inspiring keynote, elite sport psychology consultant Simon Hartley explores how world-class performers push beyond perceived limits, close the gap on their potential, and achieve what once seemed impossible. Drawing on lessons from elite sport, special forces, aviation, polar expeditions, and his own personal experiences, Simon reveals how a growth mindset helps us perform beyond expectations. This session challenges every delegate to explore their next horizon — to see how far they can really go.

What will be the five takeaways from this session

1. Discover what’s truly possible – learn how to stretch your limits and close the gap between current performance and true potential.
2. Adopt a growth mindset – understand how world-class performers use curiosity, reflection, and challenge to keep improving.
3. Push beyond comfort – explore practical ways to embrace discomfort, uncertainty, and pressure as catalysts for growth.
4. Learn from world-class examples – insights from elite sport, special forces, aviation, and exploration on achieving the “impossible.”
5. Define your next horizon – identify the next level in your own journey and create momentum to reach it.

Phillip and Diana are specialists in coaching-based driver training and behavioural learning. Their training focuses on practical communication tools, actionable coaching techniques and real-world results for instructors and learners. Known for transforming teaching habits and confidence, they equip instructors with methods that build independent thinking and stronger performance on every lesson.

Session title: How to Avoid “I Don’t Know” Pupils 

Phillip will be delivering this session alongside Diana Todd.

What will be the five take outs from this session?  

1. How to phrase questions that remove shutdown responses and provoke thinking.
2. The difference between lack of knowledge and emotional self-protection. 
3. Methods to create psychological safety and reduce fear of judgement. 
4. Tools to drive deeper reflection and decision-making. 
5. Proven techniques that change passive learners into confident thinkers. 

This session exposes the real reasons pupils default to “I don’t know”, and how instructors can eliminate it through better questioning and learning psychology. We’ll show you how to build a safe environment where pupils speak, think and explore freely—even when they’re unsure. You will learn to diagnose whether “I don’t know” is lack of knowledge or a defence mechanism, and apply strategies that unlock awareness, confidence and progress. 

Phillip and Diana are specialists in coaching-based driver training and behavioural learning. Their training focuses on practical communication tools, actionable coaching techniques and real-world results for instructors and learners. Known for transforming teaching habits and confidence, they equip instructors with methods that build independent thinking and stronger performance on every lesson.

Session title: How to Avoid “I Don’t Know” Pupils 

Diana will be delivering this session alongside Phillip Cowley. 

What will be the five take outs from this session?  

1. How to phrase questions that remove shutdown responses and provoke thinking.
2. The difference between lack of knowledge and emotional self-protection. 
3. Methods to create psychological safety and reduce fear of judgement. 
4. Tools to drive deeper reflection and decision-making. 
5. Proven techniques that change passive learners into confident thinkers. 

This session exposes the real reasons pupils default to “I don’t know”, and how instructors can eliminate it through better questioning and learning psychology. We’ll show you how to build a safe environment where pupils speak, think and explore freely—even when they’re unsure. You will learn to diagnose whether “I don’t know” is lack of knowledge or a defence mechanism, and apply strategies that unlock awareness, confidence and progress.