Success Stories

We know that choosing a driving school can be difficult as there are so many to choose from! The best way to find one thats right for you is to have one recommended from someone who has had a good experience with a particular driving school or instructor.

Highly Recommended Driving School

Every pupil who takes their test with No Gears Automatic Driving School are sent a questionnaire to enable them to give us feedback on their learning experience. The stories we have published below have been taken from their responses and have been published with their permission. This will give you an opportunity to share the experience of people with a similar background, age or experience. We hope that you find their comments both interesting and inspirational!

About the information in this section

We have selected a few stories from our questionnaires based on the issues which were raised by each of our pupils. They have been presented here in age group order and you will find the basic topic of each story with the profile information of each pupil.

Name: Laura

Age Group: 17-20

Occupation: Student

Topic: Special Needs

Laura decided to learn in an automatic because she had learning difficulties as a result of Autism. She thought it would be a lot easier for her than trying to learn how to use the clutch and the gears.

“I found my driving instructor to be friendly, professional and reliable as well”

Many people with learning difficulties turn to automatic because it is quicker and easier to learn how to control the car. It also has the benefit of leaving more of their attention on reading the road which builds the confidence levels much more quickly than in a manual.

Name: Kimberley

Age Group: 20-30

Occupation: Buyer

Topic: Nervous learner

Kimberley was a really nervous driver and decided she couldnt face learning to read the roads as well as learning how to use the clutch and gears at the same time. After finding our website on the internet she read our pupil comments and decided to contact us.

“My driving instructor was excellent. She made me feel completely comfortable behind the wheel which enabled my confidence to grow. Passing my test first time is one of my biggest achievements. I couldnt have done it without my instructor - she is an asset to your company. I rate my experience with yourselves as 10 out of 10!”

Yet another example of a pupil gaining driving confidence through patient and friendly instruction - and not having to cope with the distraction of learning to use the clutch and gears!

Name: Rachel

Age Group: 20-30

Occupation: Civil Servant

Topic: Previous bad instructor

Rachel had tried to learn in a manual car about 8 years ago but was put off by her instructor who was rude, impatient and raised his voice. After plucking up courage to give it another go she decided to try automatic.

“I would strongly recommend my instructor from No Gears to anyone who wants to take driving lessons - he is the best! Very, very patient, friendly and very good at explaining things and very encouraging as well. Anyone who gets him as an instructor is very lucky!”

Its surprising how many pupils come to us after having a bad experience with another driving instructor. It just shows that not all driving schools are the same and it pays to do some research and work with an instructor who has been recommended!.

Name: Ria

Age Group: 20-30

Occupation: Sales Assistant

Topic: Lack of confidence

Ria had been to four different driving instructors before coming to us and had taken her test 3 times before without success. She started in a manual but found learning to drive in a manual very difficult.

“I felt much more comfortable in an automatic and found that I progressed much more quickly. Before I went with No Gears I had three instructors but none of them seemed to help me much. My instructor taught me a lot and I found that I picked things up much more quickly than before. I felt comfortable and at ease and thoroughly enjoyed my lessons.

Giving your pupils confidence in their driving abilities is an important success factor in preparing them for their driving test!

Name: Charlene

Age Group: 20-30

Occupation: Asst Manager Retail

Topic: New baby

After having her first baby Charlene wanted to get out and about more easily and to learn to drive quickly. She felt she could concentrate better in an automatic especially with a child in the car.

“I would like to say a big thank you for making my experience the best. I felt comfortable and relaxed. This helped me learn and take on board what was being explained to me. I never thought I would learn to drive but I am glad that I have done it and even more so with No Gears”

Putting pupils at their ease so that they can relax during their lessons is so important and enables them to develop much more quickly.

Name: Jwan

Age Group: 30-40

Occupation: Doctor

Topic: International driver

Jwan had previous driving experience from her native country in Iraq but needed her UK driving licence for her job as a busy General Practitioner.

“I found No Gears on the Internet and they were able to fit in my lessons early in the morning and at weekends which was important, being a busy mother and working full time as well. My instructor was very patient and competent with excellent teaching skills and manners. Some of the techniques which he used will also help my in my career – especially the use of diagrams to make information more easily understood. I would recommend them to anybody considering learning to drive in an automatic car”

The use of pre-prepared diagrams is essential to help pupil’s grasp new driving techniques, routines or skills. They need to know what it is they are trying to do but more importantly why they need to do it in this way. Diagrams and a brief discussion beforehand help them better understand before they attempt to carry it out in the car.

Name: Lesley

Age Group: 30-40

Occupation: Self employed silk screen printer

Topic: Clutch/Gear issues

Lesley decided to go for automatic because she found it hard to manage the clutch and gears in a manual car especially when reversing.

“I would like to say a huge thank you to my instructor for being very patient with the things which I found hard to grasp. He is an excellent instructor who was both very nice and funny as well!”

Lesley’s comments raise an important issue for anybody learning to drive. If you enjoy your lessons you will almost certainly learn that much faster. It is one of our most important teaching principles.

Name: Holly

Age Group: 30-40

Occupation: Housewife & Mum

Topic: Injury to left leg

Holly had been learning to drive for a number of years and had been with 3 different driving schools and failed her test 3 times before coming to us.

“My sister had recommended No Gears to me as she was taking lessons with them at the same time as I was learning with a different driving school. I chose automatic due to the fact that I suffered an injury to my left leg. My instructor at No Gears was a very good instructor. He has the patience and understanding that you need for teaching. He was very encouraging which is so important to pupils who have fears of failing their test. I would recommend him to anybody who needs a good instructor”.

Encouragement is so important to the learning process. It can be very demoralising for pupils in the early stages when they continually make mistakes. As an instructor you always have to provide encouragement in these circumstances and remind the pupil of all the things which they are doing correctly in order to help them maintain a balanced view of their driving progress!

Name: Cath

Age Group: 30-40

Occupation: Pub manager

Topic: Problems with manoeuvres in manual

Having tried to pass her test a number of times in a manual without success Cath decided to switch to automatic.

“I had taken my test a number of times over a 10 year period and had failed my last test on the manoeuvres.

After an initial assessment Caths instructor worked on routines to help her become more consistant with her driving and broke down the manoeuvres into simple easy to understand stages.

“I found my instructor to be very thorough. In my experience the lessons I received from him were the best. He used a simple technique which made driving easier to follow. He guided me through all the manoeuvres using a step by step approach. In all the lessons I had previously had I never understood the reverse park. He simplified matters by breaking it down into simple stages”

Name: Deborah

Age Group: 50-60

Occupation: Sales assistant retail

Topic: Friendly encouragement

Debbie had always wanted to drive but never had the opportunity. One Christmas her son bought her some driving lesson vouchers and she was off and running!

“My instructor was a very patient and friendly man. I found him to be very professional in the way that he explained everything to me. When I was taking my theory test everything he said to me during our lessons came back to me because he said the same things the same way all the time. Thanks for everything”

There is no doubt that learning to drive when you are a bit older takes longer. The memory cells are not as efficient as they used to be so it is critical that the instructor is consistent in gently reinforcing any teaching topics throughout the lessons. Encouragement is also important as pupils can get demoralised when they keep forgetting things.

Name: Christine

Age Group: 70+

Occupation: Carer

Topic: You're never too old!

Christine’s husband had always been the driver in her family. So when he died she effectively lost her mobility which was particularly difficult as she is also a carer for her older sister as well. She decided to pluck up the courage to take driving lessons but decided that learning in a manual car would probably be too difficult for her.

“I have nothing but praise for the kind and patient way in which I was taught”

Christine now has her own car and has regained her mobility. She is justifiably proud of the fact that she has passed her test - her framed pass certificate on her living room wall is testament to that - well done Christine, a lovely lady who rose to the challenge and achieved her goal!