Wwyd? Driving lessons

[HouseofSkullduggery]

Dd wants to start lessons next year. She works full time so cannot do any intensive courses to get through it quicker.
But could do more than 1 lesson a week potentially.
So is it best to do 1 lesson a week which spreads the cost out gradually or pay the extra for 2 or more lessons a week in the hope that it's all over quicker?
It's been a long time since I passed my test! Think it's much harder now.

Ds is currently awaiting more lessons after failing his practical test. Tbh take what you can get!! Backlog is still chaos. Trouble for ds now is nobody is available to take him on now his initial 2 x 10 lesson packages ended.. Tests are backed up after so many Covid cancellations.

Surely it's personal preference.

I knew I couldn't learn with one day a week. I worked full time and did 3 X 2 hour lessons. But that's just me. Some people may find it too stressful to do it bunched up like that. Some people forget inbetween the sessions.

Start saving ASAP and be prepared to wait, backlog for lessons and tests is massive

If she hasn't already applied, get provisional now. Long backlogs!

Dd took 2x 90 minute lessons a week and passed second time. Was disjointed due to covid though. Had about 20 90 mins lessons

I did one a week but my dad took me out every night

My DD, aged 22, started to learn in the summer and passed her test last week. There’s lots of availability for lessons where we are - London. She did two lessons a week. We don’t have a car at home for her to practise in, so she was reliant entirely on driving lessons. Lessons are expensive here. Test availability was harder. There were no slots at all, but there’s an app you can pay for which will scour for cancellation slots, and she got a slot through that.

The entire situation is an absolute nightmare at the moment.

Getting an instructor is difficult, getting a theory test is difficult and getting a practical test is almost impossible. They are released 24/weeks in advance so get one as soon as she has passed her theory. I couldn't even get an instructor until,the practical was booked as nobody would take her on.

My dd did three hours a week broken down into two hour and a half lessons. One a week isn't really enough. I think the average is ten lessons but my dd needed way more than that.

I also did some refresher lessons in the summer - no problem getting an instructor. One of the big chain driving schools said there was lots of availability and I started lessons within a week.

I did one, 1 hour a week and it took me 2 years to pass, and 4 tests. But closer to each of my tests I did more lessons. If possible, I would do 2x 1 hour lessons a week.
With backlogs I would do a few months lessons, and then get a test booked.

I’m having lessons but my instructor is fully booked and can’t fit me in for more than one lesson a week. I’ve even had a couple of times where he’s had a students taking tests so he’s had to juggle things around to accommodate their lesson plus test and it’s meant that I’ve had to go two weeks between lessons.

I feel like I’m making really slow progress and I think I’d really benefit from two lessons a week, once I’m feeling more confident I’m going to be insured on my husband’s car so at least I can practice in between lessons.

Two lessons a week is ideal with as much practise in between as possible.

Currently waiting on a test pp are right with the massive backlog. My theory is about to expire soon as well
It depends on the person - average U.K. is 40 hours of lessons (obviously an underestimate as parents take their kids out for private practice). So two lessons per week is better with more leading up to the test.

Also if you can take her out to practice do so.
Lots of people do plenty of practice although you have pp here saying they passed with only lessons but they may have been lucky on the test. If you get easy roads and a nice examiner it’s all good friends of mine who were good drivers because they had cyclists, rain emergency vehicles etc. The more practise you have the more likely you are to drive in all sorts of conditions and so pass.

*good drivers failed

I'm currently training to be a driving instructor and its more normal now that students take 2 hour lessons rather than 1 these days

My husband is doing 2 hours every weekend… but you’ve picked up a lot more how to drive by your 30s and that’s the only time we have.

I think it depends on if it’s something your child is good at. I find 3D thinking hard so learnt to drive in 3 months but to park in 18 (and if honest, require to either chose an easy space or be very carefully guided by a passenger.)

I had 2x 2 hour-long lessons a week. Was enough to keep momentum, but not overwhelming.

My first lesson was on my 17th birthday in the February, I had 1 lesson a week which was a double slot (2hr) my dad would take me out sometimes to practice but not too often. I failed 3 tests, passed 4th time in the October so it took me 8 months in total

Two lessons a week

One lesson a week for at least 2 years, passed on my 9th attempt. I'm not a quitter!

I did two a week for 1.5 hours a time.Passed in 11 months after 3 attempts.

Practice is essential. Most people I know who passed first time had one lesson a week and went out for practice almost every day as well.

A lesson is two hours where I am. Most young people aren’t able to practise with their other half or parents, because car ownership isn’t so common where I am in London. One of my other children is learning to drive abroad, and it’s striking how much harder learning abroad is compared to the U.K. The theory test is much harder. You have to pass it before you’re even allowed to have a practical driving lesson. You have to do and pass a first aid course. You have to prove you have had so many years of high school education - mine had to take her school certificates. I think also you need a sign-off from your doctor. You have to go to an approved driving school and have to have your hours of driving logged. You can’t get your dad to teach you.There’s a minimum number of lessons you need - I think 40.

My DS has been having a 2 hour lesson per week for a few months just to get started with driving. Finding an instructor locally was easy but there's no available tests until well into the New Year..

Now he's got started and knows enough of the basics, he's taking a break until after Christmas. We're going to do some practice for a bit and then go back to lessons nearer the test. Otherwise it's just too expensive! As mentioned up thread, we're assuming it's around 40 hours plus of tuition for him to be ready for a test.