This article, about my current availability, was updated on 9th August 2026.

My Current Position

While I do not operate a waiting list as such, any new slots that become available are initially offered to learners who have already formally expressed an interest (often weeks or months in advance of lessons starting). If you are considering starting lessons later in the year and wish to register an interest, please complete my enquiry form and I can update you on any future slots that become available.

Following a recent review of my current commitments, including plans for new pupils who are starting this month, I have decided that I am now in a position to take on 2 or 3 new pupils in the coming months (subject to their location and availability). While most of the information you may be looking for about my services should appear on my website (such as prices), do not hesitate to contact me via the website message system if you have any questions. I usually respond to messages within 24 hours.

If you are a fully qualified driver looking for Refresher Sessions or a Pass Plus course, there may be an opportunity for a one off session.

Please note that I do not take on new pupils who have a test booked within 3 months of starting lessons.

Following a number of new practical test booking rules, introduced by DVSA in 2026, only a learner can book their own practical driving test, can not change the date more than twice and any changes in the date of a test will only be allowed at the same test centre or at one of the nearest three test centres to the original test booking. Given these changes, close liaison is needed between the learner and instructor before booking a test, to ensure that a suitable date has been assessed both in terms of readiness to take the test and the instructor’s availability (if using their car). The following outlines the required approach for my pupils:-

Prior to booking your practical test, it is essential that we have discussed and agreed a likely timeframe for when you may be ready to take a test and have mapped out a lesson plan, including mock tests, that keeps you on track so that you are sufficiently prepared. When you do book your test, it is important that you use the official website to book it and be aware that new dates are uploaded every Monday at 6am and have usually been taken by 7am. When booking a test, please use my DVSA Ref Number (460309), when prompted to do so. Using my reference number will help ensure that I am available (in the two hours leading up to and during your test time) as the system will not allow you to book a test for a date/time that I am not available.

I only take my pupils to tests at Chilwell Test Centre and would suggest booking a test date on the same day of the week and around the same time of the day that you usually have a lesson, as you will be more familiar with the type of traffic experienced at this time and it is more likely that you and I will be available. At Chilwell, there are two tests every hour. The earliest starts at 8am and the latest starts at 3:39pm. I tend to avoid tests at rush hour or at time when there will be extra traffic around schools and colleges (during term times). Therefore, I tend to favour the following test times (in order of preference) 12:18pm, 11:58am, 9:54am, 10:14am, 11:01am and 11:21am, as these times avoid rush hour traffic and the start and end of the days at schools and colleges.  I am also more familiar with the possible test routes used at these times.

Finally, if you have a practical test booked and are actively looking for a cancellation, it is important that any new date falls within the timeframe when you have been assessed as being ready to take it and that you do not rearrange a test date for when I am not available.

I have three standard daytime lesson slots each day with some options for evening sessions (please read additional notes):-

Morning One Regular Session (9-10:30am/9-11am or 9:30-11am/9:30-11:30am)

Lunch One Regular Session (11.30-1/11:30-1:30 or 12-1:30pm/12-2pm)

Afternoon One Regular Session (1:30-3pm/1:30-3:30pm or 2-3:30pm/2-4pm or 2:30-4pm)

Early Evening One Weekday Session (6-7:30/6-8pm or 6:30-8/6:30-8:30pm)

Late Evening Periodic Session (9-10:30pm or 9:30-11pm)

Some learners do not find fixed lesson times/days are suitable for them (especially shift workers or university students on placement). If you require lessons at different times/days of the week every week, I am happy to explore potential options but it may be more difficult to provide regular weekly lessons for you.

Additional Notes:

– Morning Session – The start time will depend on the location of the lesson.

– Lunch Session – The start time will depend of the finish time of the morning lesson and the distance between locations

– Afternoon Session – The start time will depend of the duration and location of the previous lessons

– Early Evening Session – Regular slots are only offered during British Summer Time (BST) i.e. from end of March until end of October, as the evenings are lighter during these months.  While I still provide evening lessons during the autumn and winter months, these are generally only offered to existing pupils who require experience of driving in the dark.

– Late Evening Session – Offered to pupils wanting an experience of driving at night/in the dark during the lighter, summer evenings

– Please note that driving test times are at specific times and require a 2½ hour slot in my diary. Therefore, on days when I have a test scheduled, my standard lesson times are likely to change.

Since I qualified as a driving instructor (over 14 years ago), I have always offered a free introductory meeting for brand new learners (and/or their parents) before they started their driving lessons with me.  In recent years, I have extended this offer to learner drivers who already have some driving experience and plan to resume their lessons after a break from lessons or are looking for a new driving instructor.

The introductory meeting is free of charge and used to help me fully understand your needs, goals, expectations and your style of learning and communication (which can be easier to establish fully in person, rather than by email, text and phone alone). If you have driven before, the meeting helps give me an insight into your current level of skills by chatting about your previous experiences (what you did and where you’ve driven). However, the meeting is mainly an opportunity for you to meet me, ask me questions, and learn a little about the process of learning to drive and how I work (my teaching methods and lesson structure) and discuss a potential lesson plan before starting any lessons. Therefore, the introductory meeting is without any obligation to purchase driving lessons (full details of lesson prices can be found in the Prices section of this website) but is subject to your location and our mutual availability (to accommodate your future lesson plans).

The meeting is usually held within my car, parked outside/close to your home but I might need to park in a different location if there are parking restrictions where you live. If you are under 18, or if a parent is paying for lessons, I would encourage a parent to accompany you at the meeting (you would sit in the driver’s seat and your parent would sit directly behind you).  If preferred, the meeting could be held within the family home.

To book or express an interest in taking lessons with me, please contact me using my contact form, by telephone or send me a message (text or WhatsApp) using any of the contact details at the bottom of this page.

As we are now in January 2025,  I’ve taken the opportunity to update the statistics of practical tests covering every test taken in my car since I started recording driving test results (in 2012). As I’ve found that the pass rate for learners who have more than one instructor is much lower than for those who have one instructor throughout their lessons, I show my statistics in this way.

Following a pass rate of 75% during 2024, my overall pass rate over the last 12 years is now 75% for learners who took all their lessons with me i.e. 75% of all tests undertaken in my car between 2012 and the end of 2024, by learners who started learning to drive with me, resulted in a pass.  This rate compares to 56% for learners who took their test with me but had most of their lessons with another instructor and, in many cases, had already taken and failed a test before starting lessons with me. This compares to the national average pass rate of just 46% (from DVSA stats published for the year ending March 2018).

In addition, 79% of learners who passed their test after taking all their lessons with me passed first time and 19% passed on their second attempt (with 2% of learners passing on their third attempt). The success rate is much lower for learners who had lessons with other instructors first or even took and failed at least one test before starting lessons with me (62% of those who passed did it on their first attempt and 24% on their second attempt with 14% of these learners needing 3 or 4 attempts before passing).

Please be aware that the result of a driving test reflects the performance of a learner’s driving in test conditions. Some learners, who drive very well in their lessons, find it difficult to cope with their nerves when being scrutinised by an examiner.

Finally, do be careful when looking to compare my pass rate with other instructors. I keep accurate records and update a published position every year. However, while many instructors may tell you that they have an “excellent pass rate” or a “high rate rate”, I have never seen any other instructor publish their actual pass rate.

It is important that any car you drive is suitably roadworthy, safe to be on the road. This forms part of the legal responsibilities of the driver of any vehicle being driven.

The acronym FLOWER may help drivers remember some of the simple weekly checks that can be performed to minimise the risk of a breakdown.

Fuel – Whether the vehicle uses petrol, diesel or is charged by electricity, it is important that there is sufficient fuel for your journey. This is particularly important in the winter months, as breaking down due to lack of fuel will quickly leave occupants of the vehicle subject to colder temperatures.

Lights – All lights should be in working order and a weekly check of all lights is advised, with any failed bulbs changed immediately. You may need help to check that the brake lights are working (but could use the interior mirror and see if the lights are working against reflective surfaces).

Oil – The oil rarely needs topping up but should be checked periodically. Frequent topping up may indicate an oil leak.

Water – Similar to oil, engine coolant rarely needs topping up unless there is a leak but should be checked periodically. Windscreen wash (in a separate reservoir) will need replenishing as this is used every time the front/windscreen is cleaned using the windscreen wash.

Electrics –  The instrument panel on the dashboard will have a number of coloured icons. Any that remain on (after the engine has been turned on) that are coloured yellow indicate a component that needs attention. If the icon remains red, the car should not be driven until the issue has been fixed (but note that the parking brake icon should remain red while it it applied).

Rubber – As tyres are the only thing that keeps the car in contact with the road surface, and are subject to wear, it is incredibly important that they are all in good condition (including any spare tyre). This means that they should be free from damage (cuts, tears, bulges) and that the tread depth of each tyre is above the legal minimum of 1.6mm (across the central 3/4 and around the whole circumference). Windscreen wipers should be checked regularly too, to ensure that there are no tears in the rubber and that they are effectively cleaning the windscreen.

While most people only use driving lessons to learn to drive, many learners supplement their lessons by practising between lessons (with a relative or friend).  If this is an option for you, I fully encourage it as I personally feel that it is really helpful to practise between lessons if there is an opportunity to do this with a suitable (and willing) qualified driver (who must be least 21 years old and have held a full driving licence for at least 3 years). This doesn’t have to be the car owner but you do need the owner’s permission to insure and drive the vehicle. Where this option is considered, I offer my support to ensure that these complement driving lessons e.g. by advising when you would be ready to start, suggesting areas to drive and aspects of driving to focus on.

If practising between lessons is being considered, it is important that you are suitably insured to drive the car you will be practising in. While the supervising driver may choose to add you to their own insurance, any claims would affect their policy. However, it is possible to have an insurance policy specifically to cover the learner driver (that enables a learner driver to practise in a family’s, relative’s or friend’s car, without risking the no claims bonus of the qualified driver). As the cost of insurance for a learner can be as little as around £85 for 28 days or less than £2.50 a day for a 90 day policy, it can be a cost effective way of reducing the overall cost of learning to drive (as it could mean requiring fewer driving lessons and insurance for one month could be less than 2 x 2 hour lessons). There are several companies that offer learner driver insurance and, while I can’t recommend a specific insurance product or advise which insurance cover is the best for you, I am happy to introduce the following four insurance products for you to consider. However, I would strongly suggest shopping around and comparing the cost and features of different policies (including the cost of being added to the qualified driver’s insurance policy) to ensure that the product you choose is the right one for you (e.g. the type of car covered and excess levels varies between each company).

National Learner Driver Insurance

This insurance product is only available through professional, qualified driving instructors. National Learner Driver Insurance offers 6 policy options starting at a 14 day period of cover and policies can be renewed as many times as required. The supervising driver must be at least 25 years old and a UK resident for at least 2 years. For a quote or more information, use the link above.

Marmalade Learner Insurance

Marmalade provide an insurance product for learners that cover periods of 30 days, 60 days or 90 days. Once a policy is held, they can be renewed for as little as a 7 day period.  Any driver who is over 25, who currently holds a current valid full UK driving licence, and has done for at least three years, can supervise you. For a quote or more information, use the link above.

Collingwood Insurance Services (UK) Ltd

Collingwood offer short term policies (minimum 28 days), which can be renewed for periods from 7 days up to 24 weeks. They also offer an annual policy.  You must be accompanied by a driver of over 21 years of age, who has held (and still holds) a valid full UK/EU/EEA Licence in the same category as the vehicle you’re driving for at least 3 years.  The above link introduces this insurance provider via the AA Website.

Veygo by Admiral

This is a flexible Learner Driver Insurance allowing you  to practise with a friend or family member (with policies priced by the hour, day, week or month). You can be supervised by any driver over 21 who has held a current and valid EEC licence for at least three years.

MyFirstUK.com

This company not only offers Learners Driver Insurance and insurance for newly qualified drivers but also a hybrid policy (covering learners on a provisional licence, which continues (without further charge) after passing the driving test). A £100 discount off the price of an annual policy is possible using my referral code 460309.

Please note that the prices and terms mentioned were correct at the time of the article. For accurate up to date information, please check directly with the insurer.

Although it is not an option for everyone, where it is possible, I fully encourage practising between driving lessons to gain additional driving experience and to help learners understand that different cars can feel different to drive.  However, it is really important that the learner is suitably insured (driving without insurance risks having eight penalty points on the licence, a ban from driving and an unlimited fine) – see my post about insurance.

It is also essential that learners are properly supervised by an appropriate qualified driver. The supervising driver must:-

1. Be at least 21 years old (some insurance companies insist on the accompanying driver being over 25 years old)

2. Be qualified to drive the type of vehicle being used by the learner

3. Have had their full driving licence for at least 3 years (which must be issued in the UK or a country in the EU or EEA)

4. Understand that they have legal responsibilities as a supervising driver e.g. must not use a mobile phone/device while supervising

If the learner drives without the correct supervision, it is the learner that is liable (and can be fined up to £1000 and get up to six points on their provisional licence).  Supervising drivers must also be aware that it is illegal to use a mobile phone while supervising a learner driver and that only a fully qualified driver instructor (or an instructor being trained and registered with DVSA) can charge for their services.

The DVSA have recently updated their record of private driving lessons. If using this, please bring it to your lessons to help me understand what experience you’ve gained since your last lesson.

Please read this initial statement carefully. The mock test service I offer is a one off session and arranged on the clear understanding that there is no expectation of using my car to take your test in or being accompanied by me on your test. I only allow my car to be used on a test by learners who have been having regular lessons with me (at least 10 weekly lessons totalling a minimum of 15 hours) AND who I am satisfied have reached a standard that could pass a test. Prior to taking a mock test, you will be required to agree to terms for the mock test.

The mock test service I provide is designed to help learners as part of their preparation for a practical driving test. This one-off mock test service is aimed specifically at learners who are not learning to drive with me i.e. they are taking lessons with another driving instructor or with a family member or friend. This mock test service provides a totally independent assessment of your driving standard (by a fully qualified driving instructor) and also the opportunity of driving in test conditions (i.e. being examined by a total stranger, as is the case when driving in the presence of an examiner on the test, which can make you feel more nervous than usual). The mock test service is not designed for learners to work on areas already identified as requiring development by a driving test examiner on a recent driving test.

The mock test session incorporates an initial in-car discussion and then involves a drive (of approx. 15 minutes), aimed at allowing you to become familiar with my car (as it is probably different to the car you’re used to driving) while driving to a suitable location to start the mock test (ideally close to the test centre).  The mock test involves a 40 minute drive (the amount of driving in a practical driving test) but would also aim to assess (but not teach) at least two (if not all) test manoeuvres. The route depends largely on your location but would, ideally, be a typical route used at the test centre where you plan to take your test (from a selection of test routes that I’ve witnessed used by examiners at either Chilwell, Colwick and Watnall test centres).  If this is not possible, I will plan to mimic the conditions and challenge of a typical test route. At the end of the mock test, I will spend some time with you to discuss my assessment and provide you with verbal guidance on areas to work on (with your own instructor or family member) leading up to your test date. The cost of this service is £80. For an extra £15, a written report will be provided (in pdf format) and usually emailed within 24 hours of the mock test.

The mock test is a two hour session but that the price of a mock test is higher than the price of a standard two hour lesson as the set up/admin/preparation time for one off sessions is greater than for pupils who have regular lessons. However, a small discount (£5) will be applied to any subsequent mock test arranged after completing a first mock test.

Please note that learners who are already registered for lessons with me and have regular (at least weekly) lessons with me will have a tailored lesson plan, especially for the month leading up to the practical test, and will receive at least one mock test within their lesson plan i.e. at no extra charge. In addition, they will also have a pre-test session to help reduce those last minute nerves and concerns (which are very natural).

If you are interested in my independent Mock Test Session (or any other of my services), please contact me using my contact form, by telephone or send me a message (text or WhatsApp) using any of the contact details at the bottom of this page.

My business Facebook page was initially designed (many years ago) as a way of advertising my services and promoting my website. The purpose of the page evolved to being a useful platform where I could keep my pupils up to date with relevant driving news, related to their learning.  However, there has been very little engagement with my Facebook page in recent years.  All my new pupils over the last five years have contacted me through other channels or through a recommendation from a friend who was a previous pupil or a sibling of a former pupil. In addition, while recent changes in Facebook’s business pages means that it is no longer possible to know who is following my business page, I do not believe that any of my current pupils are followers of my page. Perhaps this is simply because Facebook is less appealing to the current generation of under 21 year olds but it means that a lot of time and effort is being spent to post relevant articles that are not even being seen by my own pupils. Given all this, I have decided to deactivate my Facebook page. All my current pupils now receive a monthly newsletter to keep them informed of up to date information.

Although Facebook Messenger remains active. It is not my preferred method of contact (unlike WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger does not have a default encryption service so messages are not private). Therefore, any references to my Facebook business page or contacting me by Facebook Messenger have been removed from my website.