About Me

Hi, I’m Dave, a DVSA Approved Driving Instructor providing automatic driving lessons across Codnor, Ripley, Alfreton, Swanwick and the surrounding areas.

For me, learning to drive isn’t simply about getting someone through their driving test. It’s about helping each pupil develop the skills, confidence and understanding they need to become a Safe Driver for Life.

Everyone learns differently, so I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to driving lessons. I aim to provide a calm, friendly and supportive environment where you can learn at your own pace, ask questions and, importantly, make mistakes without feeling judged.

A Calm and Inclusive Approach

Learning to drive can be exciting, but it can also feel daunting. You might be nervous about getting behind the wheel, lack confidence, find it difficult to process lots of information at once, or simply need something explaining in a different way.

That’s absolutely fine.

I don’t expect you to fit around the way I teach. Wherever possible, I adapt the way I teach to suit how you learn.

If something isn’t clicking, we can slow it down, break it into smaller steps or find another way of explaining it. There’s no pressure to understand something immediately, and you should always feel comfortable telling me when something isn’t working for you.

I welcome neurodivergent learners, nervous pupils and those who may need additional support or reasonable adjustments. Lessons can be adapted to the individual wherever possible, with the aim of making learning to drive feel manageable rather than overwhelming.

A Safe and Supportive Place to Learn

Being a driving instructor comes with a significant amount of trust, and that’s something I take seriously.

I am DBS checked and have completed the FAA Level 3 Award in Principles of Safeguarding and Protecting Children, Young People or Vulnerable Adults (RQF).

For me, safeguarding is about more than having a qualification. It’s about creating a professional learning environment where pupils are treated with dignity and respect, appropriate boundaries are maintained and their wellbeing is taken seriously.

I want my car to be somewhere you feel comfortable learning. You should be able to ask questions, get things wrong, tell me when something doesn’t make sense, or simply say you’re having a difficult day without feeling judged.

Learning to Drive, Not Just Learning to Pass

Of course, passing your driving test is an important milestone, but it isn’t the only reason we’re doing this.

Throughout your lessons, we’ll work on developing your awareness, planning, judgement and decision-making alongside the practical skills needed to control the car.

As your experience grows, the aim is for you to become less reliant on instruction and increasingly able to assess situations and make safe driving decisions independently.

Ultimately, I want you to leave your lessons not only ready for the driving test, but ready for the responsibility of driving on your own.

That’s what Safe Driving for Life means to me.

Professional Standards and Development

I believe being a good driving instructor also means continuing to learn myself.

I regularly undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to develop my knowledge and teaching skills, including training around safeguarding and supporting pupils with different learning needs.

I also listen to feedback from my pupils and reflect on my own teaching. Just as I wouldn’t expect every pupil to get everything right first time, I don’t believe instructors should ever reach a point where they think there’s nothing left for them to learn either.

Alongside being a DVSA Approved Driving Instructor, I am:

DBS checked
Qualified to provide Pass Plus training
FAA Level 3 qualified in safeguarding and protecting children, young people or vulnerable adults
Committed to ongoing professional development
Committed to providing inclusive and individual-centred driving tuition

Ready to Start?

Whether you’re completely new to driving, returning after a break, feeling nervous about learning or looking for an instructor who will take the time to understand how you learn, you’re very welcome to get in touch.

You can find more information about my automatic driving lessons, lesson prices, pupil reviews and the areas I cover throughout the website.