Driving instructor stringing us along

My instructor strung my lessons out unnecessarily.
i swapped to one who belonged to the DIA as I thought it likely that someone who belongs to a driving instructor association was more likely to be professional. He was. The pace increased and I passed first time.
Turns out the woman who taught me had had previous complaints and was known for just taking the money for as long as possible.

1.5 hours a week is nothing. That's probably less than an hour of actual driving time. No wonder she isn't progressing.

She needs regular sessions, several times a week.

She's paid for fuel for the instructor's car? Is that normal?! Sounds like he's ripping her off to me!

Definitely switch. Even if she is nervous, that amount of progress is nuts!

Why does she need to learn a manual?

Maybe if you get her lessons in an automatic that she will find it easier to do the driving part and progress better?

I would definitely switch instructors, my ds did 1 lesson per week for 2 hours so 8 hours per month. He started his lessons in January 23 And April 23 he was put forward for the test by his instructor and passed. Most of his friends have passed after taking lesson for4-6 months with this same instructor.

Can you sit in the back for a lesson? Say you want to do it before taking her out for practice sessions (even if that’s not true) then you can see how confident she is.

My husband used to be a driving instructor, he never used the pupils lessons to fill up with petrol. Some pupils take to driving like a duck to water while others struggle and have no natural ability.
Try a new instructor, ask for recommendations from people who admit to being nervous/ low confidence not the natural drivers as that wont help.
Also dont use the intensive type training, there is a limit to how long pupils can keep their concentration for. Little and often is better

We had this with my first daughter's instructor and moved her, it still took her 18 months to pass and build up her confidence. She's a very competent driver and passed when she was ready.
My second daughter is now learning and I'm expecting at least a year.

I'd certainly look at moving her

You need to go out with her and see for yourself. There is no other way to know.

With our 4 kids, we taught them ourselves and just a few lessons before the test.Practice is what they need and lots of it, especially the anxious ones.

Also I believe PMF and other fast pass companies are like a middle man. They just pay random instructors in your area to conduct the lessons. If an instructor has enough space to do intensives then they're a crap instructor. Most have wait lists for lesson slots not lots of availability.

Fast pass instructors don't exist. It's just a way to get your money. You still have to wait for test slots like everyone else and it's very rare a young person is ready to drive after such a short time.
Also do you really want to rush them through? They could pass by fluke and then have to go out on the roads unsupervised. It's not what I'd want.
The filling up with fuel is very dodgy though - that shouldn't be happening unless it's the instructor paying and they are teacher your daughter things like that for when she has to do it for her own car.

I only had 1 x 1 hour lesson a week with no other driving and passed within 8 months (not including no lessons during lockdowns). No minors, perfect test. So it's either your daughter is more nervous than you realise or the instructor is shit.

My son had a year of lessons aged 17 and struggled.terribly with nerves and didn't seem.to.get anywhere. In the end he stopped driving and went back to it when he felt ready. With a different instructor a couple of years down the line it clicked and he did it in 6 months. The change of instructor was huge for him,.he went from thinking he was no good to seeing himself as a driver.
My youngest passed in 2 months from start to finish. He is very coordinated and very motivated. He did two hours a week with the instructor and nagged to.practice with us all the time.

I had this, recommended instructor that Dh thought was stringing us along, changed instructors and she said ds1 was a lovely little driver and was ready for his test which as oncoming.

Don’t use Pass Me Fast.

I stupidly signed DD up to try and get her through her test quickly as our area had zero available instructors. It still took SIX MONTHS from contacting them to her getting her driving test done (in the end with a private non PMF instructor)

They allocated a very poor instructor who repeatedly cancelled lessons (even the first few she was meant to do) and then two days before her driving test, he cancelled as his car was unavailable and refused to cover the cost of another test.

He then disappeared off the face of the earth owing us 10 hours of lessons and PMF couldn’t care less - they just said they were unable to refund us as the instructor had refused to pay them the money back…

Seriously. Find a new instructor (privately). All of my DC were test ready within 5-6 months so to not have even done right turns is bonkers!

Change instructor.
My dd1 had an instructor that seemed to be holding her back, very little progression. New instructor soon had he going.

Dd2 started to drive mid August, she passed 1st week in December. She did a lot of driving though. She drove to and from work everyday with dh, 40 mins each way and then a 2 hour lesson a week.

Was he out driving on the main roads with other road users??

maybe the instructor feels this person is a risk to other road users which is why he’s doing what he is, to get her to a safe level to then advance further.

Change instructor. I had one like this to start with. He’s taking advantage.

I think you need to see for yourself before you change instructors, my DD has been learning on and off since last June and she is now driving everywhere and doing all types of roads etc but has only done a few 3 point turns etc…. She was so nervous too start with and once I saw it for myself I understood that the instructor was taking it at her pace. This is all about your DD and others safety if she is capable then change company, if not it just sometimes takes some people longer!

Our nemesis now is the theory test - failed 6 times by 1 point for the last 3 trys! passing all the app tests at home, nerves makes the dyslexia worse which in turn is making DD so unhappy! For some this driving thing is such a challenge I hope your DD finds a pace that is right for her 😀

i learnt to drive nearly forty years ago in a mini 850.

I had 90 minute lessons on the advice of the instructor - an hour being to short, and two hours was too tiring. I knew the basics though before I had lessons, and I passed after four lessons.

One of my children had an instructor, who had a lovely car, yet was terrified of it getting damaged, told them to change gear at 2,500rpm - what happens when you have a car with no rev counter, I didn’t have a rev counter until 2years ago.

There were other things too, which I thought this isn’t right. I then phoned up my instructor, and she was still was doing abit, six lessons with her in her basic micra and she had passed.

I think it’s like training at work, get a trainer who knows what they are talking about and who is patient, you pass the training a lot quicker than a trainer who is inpatient and is in the training department because of nepotism

Have you ever been in the car with her to see her skill level for yourself?

I think it would be worth changing instructors to see if that makes a difference?

I can't remember what mine were doing - they did have a lot of lessons but I was too chicken to sit in with them and although he wouldn't admit it, so was DH because he didn't do it either!! The two of the three who did learn to drive are very competent, safe drivers so for me, it was worth it. Also amazing driving instructor who was very patient, and very calm!