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“Absolutely not for beginners”

written by Yulianai491 on 03/02/2015

5day - not for beginners. You get 20 hours of driving lessons. The
market rate for 20 hours of tuition is £500.  You can learn the theory test yourself
online using free test material.

At the end of the week my daughter, a complete beginner, was told off
the record by her instructor that she wasn't ready for her test and
needed a couple of more lessons, which they could arrange for an
additional cost. In fact at the pub afterwards it turned out the
majority of the group (except 1 or 2 who were experienced) were each
told this off the record by their instructor.

Three days later on the Monday I got an independent driving
instructor to assess her and he confirmed she was not ready for her test
and would need about another 10 lessons to pass. He advised against
her taking her test immediately as she might cause an accident and would
lose her confidence.

So my daughter had a further 10 lessons with the independent driving
instructor plus she practised with me in between and then passed. I can
also confirm that after the 5day course she was not ready to take her
driving test - I was terrified for her first few practice sessions! So
in total I paid 5day £837 (£31 was the statutory cost of taking the
theory test) plus a further £220 for extra lessons with a different
driving instructor, plus £155 with Marmalade Insurance to insure her for
60 days on my car to practise.

In my opinion, and in the opinion of the independent driving
instructor we used, 20 hours in one week is not enough for a complete
beginner. They have no time to practise in between or absorb all the
information they are learning. My daughter agreed that the 5day
instructor was talking to her the whole time she was driving, telling
her things, reminding her of things, that she found it hard to take
everything in.
I believe that beginners should learn the traditional way - 20 hours
spread over 10 weeks, or an hour a week, interspersed with practice
once they are confident.
This course may be good for experienced learners who need to pass quickly.