Lynn's School of Motoring

Frequently Asked Questions Why Choose Lynn’s School of Motoring? There are lots of different driving schools in Sheffield to choose from and you’ve probably got several questions that you’d like answered before you choose who you’d like to learn with. Here are the answers to questions we often get asked, but if there’s something you want to know that we haven’t answered here, or you’d like to discuss anything in more detail, please don’t hesitate to ring Lynn or Steve on 0114 231 5307 or you can e-mail us at lynn@lynnsom.co.uk Who is Lynn’s School of Motoring? Are your prices competitive? What discounts do you offer? Are you licensed and/or do you belong to any professional organisations? Will my instructor be fully qualified? Will I have the same instructor throughout my training? Do you have a good test pass rate? How long are the lessons? Do evening and weekend lessons cost more? Will there be anyone else in the car? I’m very nervous about learning to drive. Can you help? Will I be treated as an individual? Do I have to always start and finish at home? How many lessons will I need? How will my progress be assessed? Do you only teach learners? Do you offer refresher lessons? Can I learn to drive on an international licence? Can I use your car to take my Practical Test? Will you book my theory and practical tests for me? What help will I get with the theory test? Can you guarantee that I will pass my Practical Test? What type of car will I be driving? Can I learn to drive in an automatic car? How can I pay for my lessons? Do you do gift packs or vouchers? Who is Lynn’s School of Motoring? I am an independent local driving instructor providing lessons predominantly in the northern area of Sheffield. I aim to provide a more personal level of service than the big national driving schools (I am also cheaper than them!). I do care about your progress and want you to succeed and I take pride in my reputation and success rate. I will treat you as an individual and do my best to offer you the standards of service and commitment that I would expect if I was the one learning to drive! My aim is to provide you with the very best instruction and customer service available, including the best advice, high quality training, value for money and complete dedication to pupil satisfaction! back to top Are your prices competitive? I believe I offer very competitive prices. I am not the cheapest school around, nor are am I the most expensive. What I do offer is excellent value for money and I have no intention of ripping you off. As my livelihood depends more on recommendations it is in my best interest to ensure you are fully satisfied with your training. When looking for a driving school, remember that the hourly rate is only part of the story. Many of the “cheap” schools make up their money by persuading you to take more driving lessons than you really need. I will not do that. When you start learning with me I will give you an honest estimation of how many lessons I think you as an individual will need and evaluate your progress as you learn. Obviously, an estimation is just that – it’s an educated guess based on your personality, experience and your progress in that first lesson. However, what I won’t do is to say you are likely to need 50+ hours just to line my own pockets – if I think you can pass in 10 hours, I’ll say so! If you believe you get what you pay for, think being a good safe driver is important, and want to have the best chance of passing your test with the minimum number of lessons, then come to me. Please see my prices page for full details of the cost of my lessons and discounts for block bookings and students. back to top What discounts do you offer? I offer discounts if you block book a pre-paid course of lessons. In addition, I also offer reduced rates for students and those on benefits if lessons are taken at certain times. Please see my prices page for full details. back to top Are you licensed and/or do you belong to any professional organisations? I am licensed by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA). As such I abide by the rules of conduct endorsed by this body. This gives you the reassurance that as a pupil you will be taught professionally, effectively and safely using the latest up to date methods. back to top Will my instructor be fully qualified? Lynn’s School of Motoring is firmly committed to providing the best quality tuition to its pupils. Anyone providing driving tuition in return for payment in the UK must be registered with the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and display a licence in the windscreen of their tuition vehicle. There are two types of licences: A pink coloured trainee licence and a green coloured full licence. Lynn is a fully qualified instructor and will display a green ADI badge in the windscreen of the tuition vehicle. back to top Will I have the same instructor throughout my training? With Lynn’s School of Motoring you will retain the same instructor for all your driving lessons. back to top Do you have a good test pass rate? Pass Rates are a very contentious subject amongst Driving Instructors. Some will claim to have a 90%+ pass rate, while others will be quoting figures nearer to 40%. The reason for this is because statistics can be manipulated to say what you want them to say. Some instructors will quote their “First Time” pass rate – ie.the percentage of their passes that pass first time. This is very misleading because it excludes people taking their test many times and those that go elsewhere before passing. Some instructors have even been known to quote a 100% pass rate because “everyone passes their test eventually"! The only true measure of pass rates can be the percentage of tests taken by an instructor’s pupils that are passed – no manipulation can be made to these figures. The current national average pass rate for learner drivers at all attempts is around 44% and my pass rate is consistently well above this level. back to top How long are the lessons? Many driving schools only offer single hour lessons. This works well if a pupil lives in an area that is near to suitable practice roads and, when approaching your test, near to the test routes. However, some schools encourage two hour lessons, and whilst this does work well for some pupils, many pupils find two hours of driving very tiring and the extra cost of a two hour lesson prohibitive. For these reasons, Lynn’s School of Motoring can offer 60, 90 or 120 minute lessons which enable travel to and from suitable sites with plenty of time for driving practice. At the end of the day the choice is yours, if you prefer one or two hour lessons I will accommodate you but will also offer advice as to what I think best suits your needs. The final decision as to lesson times will always be your choice. back to top Do evening and weekend lessons cost more? All lessons are charged according to my price list. Evening and weekend lessons are charged at my normal rates, however, due to the high demand I cannot give any discounts to students or benefit claimants during these times. back to top Will there be anyone else in the car? Lynn’s School of Motoring does not allow the practice of "piggybacking" that is employed by some schools. This means that you will be the only learner in the car at any time. Tuition will always be given on a one-to-one basis. However, from time to time, instructors are given "check tests" and this will involve an examiner sitting in the back of the car on a lesson. The examiner would not, in any way, be assessing your performance, merely assessing the standard of my instruction. If this needs to happen, you will be given plenty of warning. back to top I'm very nervous about learning to drive. Can you help? I believe that people learn more effectively if they’re relaxed and don’t feel under pressure. I want you to learn at your own pace and will try to make lessons enjoyable, but at the same time effective. Almost all new drivers are nervous and you will find that in a very short space of time the nerves will disappear. back to top Will I be treated as an individual? Learning to drive is one of the major milestones in your life. The ability to drive can affect many areas of your life such as employment, educational opportunities and your social life. Ending up with an impatient, rude or unsympathetic instructor can very easily affect your confidence and result in you either not succeeding or taking longer than necessary to learn to drive. Lynn’s School of Motoring believes that patience, courtesy and understanding are fundamental to the success of pupils. Learning to drive should not only be about passing the driving test and my aim is to ensure that you become a safe driver for life. I use a structured approach to tuition with clear, attainable goals set throughout your training. back to top Do I have to always start and finish at home? No - You can start and end your driving lessons anywhere within reason in the area I cover. Please let me know in advance where you would like to be dropped off at the end of the lesson as I need time to travel to my next pupil. You can let me know where you would like to be picked up for your lesson, but please allow enough time for the me to be notified of the change and to travel to the new location. back to top How many lessons will I need? The DSA recommends around 35—45 hours of professional training plus additional private practice to give you the best chance of passing. However, everyone learns at a different pace and there is no magic formula to answer that question. I will tailor a course of lessons to suit you and will recommend the best time to take your test. If you're not getting it consistently right, then you are not ready to take the test. back to top How will my progress be assessed? Your progress will be monitored and recorded in your Lynn’s School of Motoring Progress File. I will discuss your progress with you at the end of every lesson. back to top Do you only teach learners? I offer tuition in all aspects of driver training including complete beginners, those who have tried learning to drive previously, nervous pupils, refresher courses, motorway driving, parking, all-weather driving and Pass Plus. No matter what your level of ability I can help you learn and improve your driving skills. back to top Do you offer refresher lessons? Yes, Lynn’s School of Motoring offers refresher lessons if you haven't driven for some time. These lessons will cover a gentle reintroduction to driving in a quiet area before moving further onto busier roads and will cover a variety of road types and conditions. back to top Can I learn to drive on an international licence? In certain circumstances, you are permitted to drive in the UK for up-to one year on an international licence before having to take the UK driving test. Contact the Driver & Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) for information. back to top Can I use your car to take my Practical Test? In the case of pupils who have taken a course of driving lessons with me, the car is reserved exclusively for your use as soon as your Practical Test is booked. If you haven’t learnt to drive with me or you want the car at short notice, I will need you to have at least a 90 minute driving assessment lesson before I say yes or no. This is done in the interests of safeguarding my car by minimising the risk of damage caused by someone whose driving abilities are not at the standard required for the Practical Test. I depend on my cars for my livelihood - without the car I cannot teach and cannot make a living or meet my commitments to other pupils, so if you want to use my car I need to be satisfied that you are a safe and competent driver first. back to top Will you book my theory and practical tests for me? If you wish I will book your theory and practical test for you - it's all part of the service. What's more, I won't charge you anything over and above the DSA's test fee. However, I will need payment before a booking can be made. back to top What help will I get with the theory test? I will offer advice on the theory and hazard perception test and will be able to recommend books and training aids that are suitable. back to top Can you guarantee that I will pass my Practical Test? I do not make extravagant promises such as “Guaranteed Pass”. I will not promise that you will pass first time – after all it depends on how well you drive on the day of your test and even the most competent drivers can suffer badly from test day nerves. What I can guarantee is that you will be trained to a high enough standard to have the best possible chance of passing your test. back to top What type of car will I be driving? Lynn’s School of Motoring uses a Toyota Yaris 1.4D4D. The car is routinely maintained and cleaned and smoking is not allowed in the car at any time. In my opinion, the Yaris is by far one of the best cars in its class and is the perfect tuition vehicle. All round visibility is excellent, making manoeuvres easier and, when compared to the average tuition vehicle, the extra power of the diesel engine means that fewer gear changes are necessary. The Yaris is air-conditioned, has multiple airbags and excellent safety features for your peace of mind. As you would expect, the car is equipped with dual controls and power steering. back to top Can I learn to drive in an automatic car? No. At present, I can only offer tuition in a manual car. back to top How can I pay for my lessons? At present, I can only accept cash or personal cheque for lessons. Due to the high costs of operating debit and credit card facilities, I am unfortunately unable to accept these forms of payment. back to top Do you do gift vouchers? I will provide personalised gift vouchers if you wish to buy a course of driving lessons as a present for someone else. Gift vouchers make ideal birthday and Christmas presents. back to top