You can start learning to drive at 17.

You must have at least a provisional license before you drive on the road and you need one to take driving lessons. Complete driving licence application form D1 and photo card application form D750 (available from most post offices). Or apply online here.

You can book online here, or by phone on 0870 0101372. You will need your driver number (from your provisional licence) and a credit/debit card to pay.

Yes, we would recommend you have a few lessons prior to applying for the theory test. The practical driving experience will help make more sense and the instructor can assist in your study for the exam.

The minimum length of a lesson is one hour, but you can have any length lesson which you and your instructor feel is appropriate for the stage you are at. Two hour lessons are very popular with pupils and instructors as it is possible to learn a lot in this time. However, we do not make it mandatory like some schools. You can have 1½ or 2½ hour lessons.

We recommend you have a lesson at least once a week, otherwise you may spend too much time recapping what was achieved last time. You can have more than one lesson a week and students often do this leading up to their test.

We do this by continual training of our instructors, by recruiting only the best, and by giving our students an extremely good lesson plan which includes a trial test with another instructor prior to the student taking the real test.

Anyone who is at least 21 years old and have held a full EU motor car licence for at least 3 years can supervise your private practice. It is illegal for anyone else other than a registered driving instructor to charge money for teaching you to drive. The vehicle must be insured for you to drive.

An international licence is valid for a year from when you come into this country. However, you cannot take your theory or practical tests without a UK provisional license so you should apply for this as soon as you start taking lessons.

You will be ready for the test when you show that you have reached the standards set in The Official Driving Test. Learners who pass first time do so because they are well instructed and get plenty of practice. They pass because they wait until they are ready. Our instructors have the knowledge and experience to advise you when this is. It is their responsibility to ensure that you are capable and safe to drive alone, without supervision. If you book your test without our prior approval, we may not allow you the use of the school cars. We do not like having to refuse, but the safety of you, the examiner and other road users is our primary responsibility. Most people fail their driving test, so are you really ready? The pass rate for the practical car test is 43%, and for first time candidates it's even lower. The reason for such a low success rate is because candidates are not properly prepared. You must be able to drive consistently well, with confidence and without help or guidance from your instructor. If you can't then you are not ready for your test. If the examiner has to intervene then you will have failed the test. Those who pass have had, on average, about 45 hours of professional training, combined with 25 hours of private practice. Candidates who combine professional instruction with private practice are also more successful on the test. Remember that it's practice that makes perfect, it's perfect that will pass the test.

Statistics show that new drivers are more likely to have an accident in the first two years of passing their test than at any other time in their driving career. In the first year of driving, one driver in five is involved in an accident. This is mainly down to a lack of driving experience, and this is where Pass Plus comes in. Very often serious accidents occur when one driver make a dangerous error and the other road users have not been paying attention, and have been caught by total surprise. An accident may well be someone else’s fault, but you can still be the person that is hurt. If you had been driving defensively, with a margin for error, it may have been a near miss, or a less severe accident. Pass Plus is a training course specifically aimed at new drivers, designed by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) with the help of insurers and the driving instruction industry. Pass Plus will build upon your existing skills and knowledge, it will teach you how to anticipate, plan for and deal with all kinds of hazards, and can help you to become more confident on the roads. A Pass Plus certificate may also qualify you for cheaper insurance. Pass Plus is made up of six practical modules which include; driving in town, driving in all weathers, driving on rural roads, driving at night, driving on dual carriageways, driving on motorways. Anyone who holds a full UK licence is eligible to take part in the scheme. You will not have to take a test at the end of the course but you will be continually assessed. You must successfully complete all the modules in the course to an achieved or exceeded standard.

It is risky teaching a new driver in a vehicle not fitted with dual controls. Driving instructors have these fitted in their cars as a requirement of their insurance. The learner may then be allowed to make mistakes without endangering themselves or others and they may drive in traffic without disturbing other road users. Driving Instructors have passed examinations and are periodically assessed and graded. Instructors are encouraged to improve their effectiveness by gaining more qualifications such as the Diploma in Driving Instruction and even a University Degree in the subject.

Good Driving Instructors like to prove their abilities by taking additional driving qualifications and achieving successful driving test results for their Clients. Each year Instructors receive analysis of the faults committed by their candidates and a comparison of their pass rate with others in their profession. The Instructor may then know if he is achieving his objectives and indicates where improvements may be made in his tuition. This is a confidential document so that Driving Instructors are not pressurised into taking on only easy people to teach. He is also graded from time to time by a supervising examiner. Since this is only a snap-shot based upon the occasional check-test, this is also confidential. It is very useful to the Instructor who has an independent professional judging his abilities.

Follow this link and follow the instructions – local theory test centres will be listed for you.

Test Cost
Theory £ 23.50
Practical : Weekday £ 51.50
Practical : Evening or Weekend £ 61.00

We often use the following car test centres: St Albans, Stevenage, Luton and Watford.

For a full listing of UK test centres click here.

Tests can be booked online but please seek advice from your instructor first.

Please see our prices page.

Ring us on 0800 023 29 27 or click here to send us your booking preferences.