Driving instructor stringing us along

[Foreverfrustrated97]

I need some help mumsnetters.
Our DD is having driving lessons currently with an instructor recommended to us. She isn't the most confident person in the world and can be quite nervous. However she has been having lessons since August and has not even done right turns out of a junction. Barely done any dual carriageway and just seems to do basic road work. She has also filled the car up with fuel a couple of times.
I am concerned that she isn't progressing very much. I have asked the instructor who said they are preparing her the best he can for the test and is looking for consistent safe driving. Surely in 6 months we would have more progress? For context she does 1.5 hours each week.

What we are also considering is Pass Me Fast or National Intensive for a better experience and get her through the driving. Does anyone have any experience with these companies? They have good reviews on Trustpilot. My AIBU is should I sack off the instructor or is my daughter just not a driver?

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.

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.

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

Hi everyone, thanks for your replies. Definitely think we've ill change instructors. She is nervous but 6 months in surest he should have built her confidence. I'm not on Facebook but will ask a friend to get me some recommendations. We can't her out as we have hybrid vehicles and she needs to learn a manual

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

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

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.

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.

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?

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

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

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.

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.

Different instructors have different styles. You want one with fast turnaround and a high pass rate. They are usually a the top of the price range. Both DC were very nervous to start with but 2x2hr lessons a week and they both passed in under 4 months. I think the intensity of lessons is important, you have to get going!

She's paid to fill up the instructors car, did I read that right??

If she never gets to drive except in lessons, it's not surprising it's going slowly. Do you have any friends or relatives with manual cars that you could make a deal with so that she can practise?

Or, if she's not confident, she could just learn with automatic gears and practise in your cars. There are going to be fewer and fewer manual cars as time goes on.

As I read it, she filled the car just as part of lessons, i.e. she learnt about how to do it. There's nothing saying she paid.

Hello, a relative is a driving instructor, and gave us this advice when our teen wanted to learn to drive. Get them 10 lessons with a school so that the initial gear grinding etc happens to someone else's car! Then make them drive EVERYWHERE the family needs to go. Every day they must drive on the school run, supermarket, weekend outings. Basically they become your (supervised) chauffeur! They will get loads of experience in all different traffic situations. When the test is booked, get 10 more lessons just to polish up what the examiner will look for, while carrying on the chauffeuring for you. Our teens all passed tests first time after about 4-5 months of learning, and are confident and safe adult drivers now.

Ex driving instructor here. I always had my students fill up the car (I paid) as who else was going to teach them? Agree with those saying that you should ask to sit in on a lesson, using the excuse that you will be giving lessons yourself so want to copy the teaching style. This way you can see for yourself if ability or instructor is the problem.

1.5 hours a week is unlikely to be enough. I worked in inner London for BSM (over 20 years ago) and we used to sell a discount package of 25 hours. Nobody at my branch ever got a student to pass within that short timeframe and we all reckoned 40 hours was the bare minimum - did I mention this was inner London? Faster and higher pass rates in rural areas due to less traffic: more traffic = longer to learn and pass.

I would switch her to automatic, then you can take her out too. If she's nervous and not doing so well it'll really help to take the gear changes out.

Another one here saying to change instructors. I had to do this when I did lessons around 15 years ago. My first instructor was moving so slowly through skills I was getting bored and felt like I wasn't learning. Moved to a new one and suddenly could take me test in a couple of weeks.

Change instructor
Do not use pass me fast or similar!
Try 2hr lessons twice a week
Auto if she'd prefer can get her own hybrid then maybe
It's normal to practice filling up at a petrol station
Some also take you through the Maccys drive thru (essential skill)

Why would you jump to the fuel thing being dodgy or assume the learner is paying? It's really important that a learner driver learns how to put fuel in a car, they are going to need to know that when they pass.

No she's just filled the car up with fuel for him and he paid . He used her lesson time to fill up his car . He's a piss taker .

This . But you have to have super patience.