Driving school giving driving lessons from qualified Driving Instructors in Slough, Windsor, Maidenhead, Bracknell, Ascot and the surrounding areas
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Frequently Asked
Questions
Why Choose Clearway Driver Training? There are lots of
different driving schools 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 Louise or Paul
on 01753 583038 or 07932 588244 or you can e-mail us at info@clearway-driver-training.com . Who
are Clearway Driver Training? Who are Clearway Driver Training? We are an independent, family run, local school covering Slough, Ascot, Maidenhead, Windsor, Bracknell, Wokingham, Crowthorne, Sandhurst, Twyford, West Drayton, Chertsey, Egham and the surrounding areas. We give a more personal level of service than the big national driving schools (we’re also cheaper than them!). We actually do care about your progress and want you to succeed and we take pride in our reputation and our success rate. We will treat you as an individual and do our best to offer you the standards of service and commitment that we would expect if we were the ones learning to drive! Our office is open between the hours of 9.00am to 7.00pm Mon to Fri and 10:00am to 1.00pm on Saturdays and there is an answer-phone, e-mail and text message service outside of those hours. Our aim is to provide you with the very best instruction and customer service available. The best advice, high quality training, value for money and complete dedication to pupil satisfaction! We think we offer very competitive prices. We aren’t the cheapest school around, nor are we the most expensive. We offer excellent value for money and we have no intention of ripping you off. 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 lessons than you really need. We won’t do that. When you start learning with us we will give you an honest estimation of how many lessons we 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 we won’t do is to say you are likely to need 50+ hours just to line our own pockets – if we think you can pass in 10 hours, we’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 us. Please see our prices page for full details of the cost of our lessons and discounts for block bookings and students. We offer substantial discounts if you block book a pre-paid course of lessons. In addition, we also offer discounted lessons during off-peak times and a reduced rate for students. Please see our prices page for full details. Are you licensed and/or do you belong to any professional
organisations? Clearway Driver Training Instructors are licensed by
the Driving
Standards Agency (DSA) and are members of the Driving Instructors
Association. As such we abide by the rules of
conduct endorsed by these bodies. This gives you (or your parents) the
reassurance that as a pupil you will be taught professionally, effectively and
safely.
Will my instructor be fully qualified? Clearway Driver Training 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. Clearway Driver Training only use fully qualified instructors and your instructor will display a green ADI badge in the windscreen of the tuition vehicle.
Do you use trainee instructors? Some schools employ trainee driving instructors but do not disclose to their pupils that the instructor teaching them is not fully qualified. Many of the big national schools use a very high proportion of trainee instructors. Clearway Driver Training do occasionally train driving instructors but, unlike other schools, we do not allow trainees to give tuition to our customers. You can easily tell whether an instructor is qualified or not, as a fully qualified instructor must display a green octagonal badge on the car windscreen at all times while they are giving paid for instruction, while a trainee instructor must similarly display a pink triangular badge. If your instructor isn’t displaying any badge at all, they’re breaking the law.
Will I have the same instructor throughout my
training? Clearway Driver Training will allocate you an instructor when you initially book your lessons and only in exceptional circumstances (eg. illness) will you be asked to take lessons with another instructor. However, if it is felt that it would be of benefit to you, it may be suggested that your mock test is carried out with another instructor. 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"! As Benjamin Disraeli once said, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics” The only true measure of pass rate 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 our pass rate is consistently above this level. Many 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 not-insignificant cost of a two hour lesson prohibitive. For these reasons, Clearway Driver Training prefers 90 minute lessons which enable travel to and from suitable sites with plenty of time for driving practice at the site and prevent the tiredness associated with two hour lessons. Upon request, one and two hour lessons can be arranged at your instructor's discretion. Do evening & weekend lessons cost more? All lessons are charged according to our price list and any arrangement you have made with your instructor. However, weekend lessons are in great demand and availability is limited. For this reason, lessons during the evening and at weekends are charged slightly higher than lessons at less busy times. In addition, during the winter months, evening lessons are not necessarily advisable for all learners as you have enough to contend with when learning to drive without having to learn in the dark. Will there be anyone else in the car? Clearway Driver Training 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 instruction. If this needs to happen, you will be given plenty of warning by your instructor. Because Clearway Driver Training also occasionally trains driving instructors, it may be necessary for a trainee instructor to observe your lesson. Again, this would not be an assessment of your performance and your instructor will seek your agreement beforehand. I'm very nervous about learning to drive. Can you
help? We believe that people learn more effectively if they’re relaxed and don’t feel under pressure. We want you to learn at your own pace and we’ll try to make lessons enjoyable and fun, but at the same time effective. Everyone makes mistakes when they learn a new skill. Good instruction and plenty of practice makes perfect, worry and feeling stressed doesn’t! My last instructor shouted at me when I did things wrong. Do you do
that? 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. Clearway Driver Training believes that patience, courtesy and understanding are fundamental to the success of our pupils. We will not shout, belittle you or undermine your confidence. Will I be treated as an individual? Learning to drive should not only be about passing the driving test and we aim to ensure you become a safe driver for life. We use a structured approach to tuition with clear, attainable goals set out throughout your training.
Do I have to always start and finish at home? No - You can start and end your driving lessons anywhere within the area covered by your instructor. If possible, please let your instructor know in advance where you would like to be dropped off at the end of the lesson as your instructor needs time to travel from one lesson to another. You can let your instructor or the office know where you would like to be picked up for your lesson, but please allow enough time for the instructor to be notified of the change and to travel to the new location On their website, the DSA say "Those who pass their driving test have had, on average, about 45 hours of professional training combined with 22 hours of private practice. Learners who prepare this way, with a combination of plenty of professional training and plenty of practice, do better in the test." In reality, everyone is different and learns at their own pace. The above information should only be used as a guide. Some people will need longer and some people need less. Your instructor will be able to advise you how many hours tuition overall you are likely to need as your lessons progress. How will my progress be assessed? Your progress will be monitored and recorded by your Clearway Driver Training Instructor. Your instructor will discuss your progress with you regularly. Do You Offer Intensive Courses? Yes. Although not suitable for everyone, intensive courses can be an ideal way of getting to test standard in a short space of time. Clearway Driver Training offer a variety of intensive course packages and we are always happy to discuss your requirements if what we offer does not exactly meet your requirements. Please see the intensive courses page for details. We 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 we can help you learn and improve your driving skills.
Do you offer refresher lessons? Yes, your Clearway Driver Training instructor will provide 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 afield into busier roads and will cover a variety of road types and conditions.
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. Can I use your car to take my Practical Test? In the case of pupils who have taken a course of driving lessons with us, we reserve your instructor’s car exclusively for your use as soon as your Practical Test is booked. The use of Clearway Driver Training vehicles is reserved for those who have learned to drive with us and we do not hire out our cars purely for the purposes of a driving test. If your instructor is unable to take you to test on the date you have it booked, it would be sensible to rearrange your test for a time that is mutually convenient for both you and your instructor rather than attempt to find someone who will hire you their car. Apart from anything else, changing the vehicle you drive at the last minute is not likely to improve your chances of passing.
Do I have to pay extra to use your car for my Practical Test? We don’t charge you any more than your normal hourly lesson rate to use your instructor’s car for your driving test. On the day of your test you will usually have a 2½ hour driving test lesson which incorporates a 90 minute driving lesson before your test, time spent travelling to and from the Test Centre and the time taken for the Practical Test itself. We charge our normal individual lesson rates and nothing extra. Some schools like to charge you an extra fee for using the car – we don’t. Will you book my theory and practical tests for me? Of course - it's all part of the service. What's more, we won't charge you anything over and above the DSA's test fee. However, we will need payment before a booking can be made. What help will I get with the theory test? Your instructor will offer advice on the theory and hazard perception test and will be able to recommend training aids that are suitable. See the Learning To Drive, Theory Test and Theory Study sections for more information on the theory test. Various training aids to help you prepare for the theory test are available at competitive prices from the Clearway Store.
Can you guarantee that I will pass my Practical Test? We don’t make extravagant promises such as “Guaranteed Pass”. We 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 we can guarantee is that you will be trained to a high enough standard to have the best possible chance of passing your test.
What type of car will I be driving? Clearway Driver Training instructors use the very best cars that are available on the market for training people to drive. All cars are routinely maintained and cleaned and smoking is not allowed in the cars at any time. Currently, we operate the excellent Renault Clio, Peugeot 207 and Fiat Grande Punto. In our opinion, these cars are among the best in their class and make ideal tuition vehicles. Visibility is excellent all round in all the cars, making manoeuvres easier and driving safer. All cars have multiple airbags and excellent safety features for your peace of mind. As you would expect, the cars are equipped with dual controls and power steering.
Can I learn to drive in an automatic car? No. At present, we are only able to offer tuition in manual cars. At present, we are only able to accept cash or personal cheque for lessons. Due to the high costs of operating debit and credit card facilities, we are unfortunately unable to accept these forms of payment. Do you do gift packs or vouchers? Yes, gift vouchers are available for any number of hours. Please see our gift voucher page for full details. A full list of the areas we cover is available on the "About Us" page of this website. Any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. |
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