As we have covered the differences between the driving instructor working solo & the driving school instructor. We should now look at what makes for a good quality driving lesson because these can differ in a big way between one instructor & another.

As we have recently mentioned, a report card is essential & the perfect tool for reminding you as the student & your driving instructor where you are up to within the syllabus. Without it, it is almost impossible for you to keep track of your progress.

You should have your report card with you every time you have a lesson so your instructor can make notes on it throughout the course of the lesson. The notes you can refer to after the lesson to provide feedback on where your progress lies & whether you need further practice on particular skills.

The great thing about the report card is you can see at a glance how far you have come & how far you are away from being ready for your test. You can see what you need to practice in order to get you ready for your next lesson where your instructor should then move you on to a new skill once you have demonstrated you have mastered the last one.

You should use your report card to practice in between lessons with your instructor. If you have a responsible & suitable adult available who has a full licence then maybe they can take you out in a motor vehicle in between your professional lessons to gain some well needed practice on the areas you need to improve. Your report card will identify them.

When your instructor advises you what manoeuvres he requires you to carry out during your lesson, always make sure you fully understand the correct procedure & what it is you are to do. If there is any doubt whatsoever as to who should do what & when you need to do it, then you should ask your instructor.

Never have a nagging doubt & think you can bluff your way through it, thinking if you ask you will look silly. For obvious safety reasons you should always ask if there are any doubts. Your instructor is there to assist you as well as monitor your driving. If you need help, say so & he will talk you through the procedure as you carry it out.

Once you feel you have mastered that particular skill then ask your instructor if you can do it again without his input & try it on your own. After your lesson has finished, your instructor should have another recap which should be a quick overview of how your lesson has gone. The instructor will explain where you need further practice if need be or confirm he is happy for you to move on to the next stages of the syllabus next time you have a lesson.

As mentioned earlier, the more practice you can get in between lessons the less time you will spend having to practice in your lessons.

Driving with parents, a guide.

Areas Served: Brierley Hill – Cradley Heath – Dudley – Kingswinford – Oldbury – Stourbridge – Wolverhampton