1) When applying for driving lessons you will be asked to provide personal information required to create a learner driver account in preparation for your lessons (this also includes any full licence holders requesting refresher lessons, motorway lessons or the Pass Plus course). All such information will be treated confidentially and will not be passed to any third parties, in accordance with Data Protection regulations. I use the Total Drive app to manage my pupil records, including lesson bookings, payments and training progress. You will have full access to this information via your own individual login. Refusal to provide any required information may result in the offer of driving lessons being withdrawn.
2) I use social media, including Facebook, Instagram, and my business website, to promote my business and advertise lessons, and regularly post photos of students celebrating their driving test successes, or achieving training milestones, etc. However, I will not share any images / information without your prior written consent.
3) I will conduct myself in a calm, supportive and professional manner, and will endeavour to create a safe and interesting environment for you to learn, always following accepted safeguarding principles, and delivering lessons in accordance with the National standard for driver and rider training - GOV.UK. In return I expect you to conduct yourself in a sensible and mature manner, with a positive attitude towards learning. Threatening and/or abusive language / behaviour, towards myself or others, will not be tolerated.
4) I pride myself on my professionalism and reliability as an Approved Driving Instructor. Any complaint will be dealt with promptly and resolved to the satisfaction of all parties involved. However, if you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may make a further complaint to the DVSA driving instructor team by emailing instructorconduct@dvsa.gov.uk or by post to:
DVSA, PO Box 967, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE99 2GU
5) A non-refundable deposit (equal to one lesson payment) will be required within 48-hours of your account being created to secure your learner place and confirm your first lesson booking. This is payable via the Total Drive app.
6) Payment for lessons is to be made via the Total Drive app at least 48 hours in advance of the agreed lesson start time to secure the booking. If payment is not received in full your lesson may be cancelled and offered to another student.
PLEASE NOTE: I do not accept cash payments.
7) If you need to cancel / rearrange a lesson please provide me with a minimum of 48-hours’ notice prior to the agreed lesson start time. I reserve the right to charge in full for any lessons where less than 48-hours’ notice is given or where the student fails to attend on the day (I will wait at the agreed meeting point for 15 mins from the start of the session before cancelling the lesson due to non-attendance).
8) If I need to cancel / rearrange your lesson for any reason I will provide you with as much notice as possible and, in the event of a cancellation, will refund the cost of the lesson in full.
9) If you attend for lesson and, in my opinion, are under the influence of alcohol, drugs or strong medication which may impair your reactions and/or judgement you will not be allowed to drive the vehicle, the lesson will be cancelled and NO refund will be given.
10) Mobile phones must not be used during lessons and must be switched to silent / non-vibrate to avoid any distractions. Similarly, smoking / vaping is not permitted in the training vehicle.
11) Before starting lessons, I am required to check your driving licence online to ensure you have the correct category of vehicle, check your start and expiry dates, and ensure you are legally entitled to drive. I will ask you to provide me with your driving licence number and a licence check code so that I can carry out these checks prior to your first lesson. This is accessed via the gov.uk website at https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence
I will also check your physical licence at the start of the first lesson. If I am unable to carry out these checks, or you are not legally entitled to drive the vehicle, the lesson will not go ahead.
12) It is a legal requirement for obtaining / retaining a driving licence that you can read a vehicle number plate from a distance of 20.5 metres (with the aid of glasses or contact lenses if necessary). On your first lesson your eyesight will be checked using this method and if you are unable to read the number plate you will be asked to have an eye test with a qualified optician to determine if you require visual aids for driving before undertaking any further lessons. You will also have an eyesight check as part of your driving test which will only go ahead if the examiner deems your eyesight meets the required legal standard.
13) You may use my training vehicle for your practical driving test if, in my opinion, you have reached a good standard of safety and competence. A few weeks before the date of your driving test I will conduct a mock test of your driving ability. If I do not think you have reached the required standard, I will advise you to postpone your test until a later date to give yourself more time to prepare. If you choose to go ahead with your practical test against my professional advice, I reserve the right to withdraw use of my training vehicle on road safety grounds, and you will need to source a suitable vehicle from elsewhere.
14) It is your responsibility to book and pay for your driving test. However, if you intend to use my vehicle for test, you must ensure that I am available (AND that I agree that you will be ready) for the date and time booked, otherwise my vehicle will not be available for use.
PLEASE NOTE: The DVSA test booking fee (currently £62) is in addition to the cost of using my vehicle for your test. I will book 2 hours in my diary to cover an hour’s practice session plus the duration of the test itself. This will be chargeable at my normal hourly rate.
15) I will offer assistance with your learning and revision for your theory and hazard perception tests, including practical in-car application of the knowledge you require, and advise on suitable apps you could consider using. However, it remains your responsibility to book and pay for the theory test and to ensure that you are fully prepared for it. You must pass both the theory and hazard perception elements (on the same attempt) to be eligible to book your practical driving test.