FAQs

Get your first provisional driving licence for a car from DVLA online. To apply you must:

• be at least 15 years and 9 months old

• be able to read a number plate from 20 metres away

• have been given permission to live in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) for at least 185 days

It costs £34 when you apply online. Search for provisional driving license.

You can also complete form D1 ‘Application for a driving licence’, available from the DVLA form ordering service or most Post Offices.

Send your application to the address on the form, along with a cheque or postal order for £43.

How often you have your lessons is entirely up to you. I recommend at least 1 session of 2 hours per week (subject to availability).

You can cut the cost of learning to drive by taking advantage of block booking discounts. Savings can be made on courses of 10 hours.

Driving Standards Agency research shows that the current average is 45 hours of tuition, with an additional 22 hours private practice to pass. I will give you an idea of how long you are likely to need after your first lesson. You can help keep this low by taking two-hour lessons and following our easy tips for practice with parents or relatives.

No. In fact it is a good idea to learn the theory whilst you are learning the practical as it can bring the subject alive making it easier to understand and remember. You do need to pass your theory test before you can book your practical test.

Books I recommend:

The Highway Code

Knowing your traffic sign

The Official Driving Test

Driving: the Essential Skills

You can obtain these items from any local bookshops or you can buy online.

I can advise on APPs that are available to use to prepare for your theory test. These will help with both the multiple choice and the hazard perception part of the test. See the Useful Links page on theory test preparation.

The Driving Standards Agency strongly recommends that you take lessons from an Approved Driving Instructor. If your friend or relative teaches you they must be over 21 years of age and have held a Full British Driving Licence for at least 3 years. It is worthwhile remembering too that learning with a friend or relative means you could pick up their bad habits. However, private practice alongside paid tuition will support your learning and help you get ready for your test.

Driving instructors are aware of the anxieties you may have when you start your lessons so they should be able to put you at ease. I also have dual control pedals in the car that I teach in. This means we can work together to keep each other safe.

I am usually full however, I do hold a waiting list. When you make contact I will let you know what your expected starting month may be. When a time slot becomes available this will be offered to the first learner on the list. If they cannot make that time slot then it will be offered to each learner in turn until it is filled.

I am registered to teach Pass Plus, which is a 6 hour course to develop your skills in a more advanced way. Some insurers provide discounts if you have completed the Pass Plus course.