Learning To Drive
Learning to Drive
Getting started
You need to be 17 and have a valid provisional licence before you can start learning to drive.
You can apply for the licence up to three months before your 17th birthday. Complete a D1 form (which you can get from the post office or online from the DVLA and return it to the DVLA with your passport or birth certificate, and a passport-sized photo.
Your lessons
Your "Passing PLace" driving course will consist of 5 overlapping parts: learning car control skills; understanding the road; interacting with other road users; improving judgment and anticipation; preparing for the test.
A typical lesson will begin with a refresher on what you learned the previous week and will then introduce a new skill or technique that you will practice in the lesson. After every lesson your instructor will discuss your progress and update your progress chart. (Other driving schools do this during your lesson time so you get less than you paid for. With The Passing PLace you get all the tuition time you have paid for.)
Most of our pupils opt for a 90-minute lesson once a week, but you can choose your own lesson length and frequency - and change it if you want. Lessons can start and end at home, school/college, work, a friend's house, or indeed anywhere convenient to you. We are very flexible. Just ask!
Mock test
When you are approaching your practical test we'll give you one or more mock practical tests using realistic test routes. These will prepare you for what to expect, give you valuable and realistic feedback on your performance, and help us to decide when you are ready to take the test.
You will be expected to achieve a high standard during your real test so the mock tests will also be conducted to high standards.
Theory test
You can't apply to take the practical driving test until you have passed the theory test. We'll help you to prepare for it by giving free advice and practice on a laptop computer. Refer to Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs) to find out more about the theory test.
Practical test
We normally take you out for a short practice drive before the practical test. Then, on to the test centre.
The driving test itself takes about 40 minutes overall. You'll take it in our car, the one you learned to drive in. Of course you'll be nervous, but if you drive as you have been instructed, and as you know how to, then you will pass.
The examiner won't play any tricks; he or she wants you to pass, just like we do. Refer to Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs) to find out more about what to expect during the practical test.
Pass Plus
Pass Plus is a short course of three 2-hour lessons which you can take after you have passed your driving test.
It extends your skills and knowledge in 6 key areas: motorway driving, dual carriageways, town/city driving, rural roads, night driving and adverse weather conditions. As a bonus we also include a module covering eco-driving techniques.
There is no test involved with Pass Plus; you just take the lessons to gain your Pass Plus Certificate. The Certificate entitles you to a discount on car insurance premiums from a number of insurance companies. Taking Pass Plus will make you a safer and more knowledgeable driver and can save you money too.
Intensive courses
If you want to learn in a hurry we offer semi-intensive courses designed to prepare you for the driving test in only a few weeks.
These take the form of 3 or 4 longer-length lessons per week.
The exact schedule will be planned to suit you. We advise you to pass your theory test before embarking on one of our semi-intensive courses, as the practical test cannot be booked until you have passed the theory test.