Lesson structure
Each driving lesson is of 2 hours* duration and will start/finish at a location suitable for you as long as it fits within my training area (within the postal codes RG21, RG22, RG23 and RG24). One-hour driving lessons are charged at £45.00 but are only offered to those who are driving test ready and waiting for their driving test. This must be agreed between both instructor and pupil. No one-hour lessons are offered at the peak times (evenings and weekends).
The training course for novice drivers fully complies with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) training syllabus, which on average would take around 50 hours** to complete.
After your 1st lesson I will provide you with a Track Record for you to keep. This outlines your progress against the full DVSA training syllabus and is updated during the review at the end of each lesson and helps determine the number of lessons that you require until you are ready for your driving test. This is also useful for any accompanying driver who may be assisting you with private practice in-between driving lessons.
Licences, Lesson Bookings & Payments
To book driving lessons you must be a UK Provisional Driving Licence holder or a UK full Driving Licence holder if you are looking for refresher lessons.
International Driving Licences will not be considered as an interim prior to obtaining a UK Provisional Driving Licence.
All payments are to be made by cash or cheque (payable to Martin Matthews) at the beginning of each driving lesson. Electronic Bank Transfers can also be made, but must be made at least 24 hours before the driving lesson. Please ask for my bank details if you wish to pay using this method. If you are paying by cash and do not have the correct amount, you may be asked to over-pay and carry the overpayment as a credit going into your next driving lesson.
If you are paying for a discounted block booking (12, 20 or 40 hours), your payment is to be made on the 1st driving lesson – please refer to the Price List for hourly rate discounts. You also have a guarantee that there will be no further increase to your lesson rate throughout the remainder of your driving course. However, if you are (for any reason) unable to complete the required number of hours that you had initially paid for, and require a refund, the refund will be made to you within 7 working days and with all completed driving lessons charged at the normal undiscounted hourly rate.
Short Notice Cancellations
A short notice cancellation is a driving lesson cancellation made by yourself within 48hrs of the agreed lesson time and date. If you cannot make your agreed lesson date, please phone or text me at least 48 hours before your lesson start time to avoid being charged a cancellation fee of £30.00.
Any cancellation made on or after 7th January 2019, the subsequent charge will be waived in the first two instances but will come into effect from the third cancellation onward
If for any reason I cannot provide a driving lesson at the agreed time or date, you will be notified at least 48 hours prior to your lesson and an alternative time will be offered. In the extremely unlikely event that I fail to turn up (or I am more than 15 minutes late) for your lesson without notifying you, you will receive a £30.00 credit towards your next lesson.
Please remember that when you book driving lessons, you are entering into an agreement with a 'Business'. My 'Business' is to provide you with driving tuition and I take this very seriously as this is my chosen career. Please think carefully before cancelling driving lessons as too many cancellations may also lead to you being removed from my working schedule.
Theory Test and Practical Driving Test bookings
It will normally be left to you to study for your Theory & Hazard Perception test (THP). You should aim to take and pass your THP test during the early phase of your driving lessons. I will advise you on what’s involved and will leave it to you to book your THP test. I will, of course, help you if you request it. You can book your THP test online by clicking here.
With regard to your Driving Test, I would prefer to book this on your behalf so that your test does not clash with any other lessons or tests that may have already been booked. You will also be required to pay for your driving test in advance of it being booked for you and will include a £1.00 booking charge.
Please note, that due to very long Driving Test Centre waiting times, it may be necessary to book your Practical Driving Test many weeks in advance and long before you are ready to actually take it. If however, you have not gained the relevant and necessary driving skills before your test date arrives then you will be strongly advised to postpone your test date until you are test ready. You will know that you are test ready by achieving level 5 on all subjects within your training syllabus, which is contained within your Track Record and have passed a ‘Mock Driving Test’.