Driving Licenses
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You must hold a valid driving license—provisional, full, or international—and provide it to your instructor either on or before your first lesson.
Fitness to Drive​
It is your responsibility to ensure you are fit to drive for every lesson and test. This includes meeting all legal and medical requirements. Conditions such as sickness, tiredness, alcohol consumption, and the use of prescribed or over-the-counter medication can impair driving and pose serious risks.
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Always check medication instructions and consult with your doctor or pharmacist to confirm it won’t affect your driving ability.If you have consumed alcohol or drugs (legal or illegal), inform your instructor immediately.
For public safety, your instructor reserves the right to cancel lessons or withhold use of the school car for the driving test if impairment is suspected. Ignoring legal fitness-to-drive requirements may result in action from law enforcement or prosecution authorities.
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Payments and Cancellation
Tuition fees must be paid in advance. Payment methods include cash, bank transfer or via app (contact your instructor for details).
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If you need to cancel or reschedule a lesson, at least 48 hours’ notice is required. Failure to provide this notice will result in a cancellation fee equal to the full lesson price.
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Your instructor will make every effort to start and finish lessons on time but may need to cancel, reschedule, or adjust lesson times due to unforeseen circumstances, such as dangerous weather. In these cases, any fees paid will be carried forward.
If a lesson is cancelled due to suspected impairment from alcohol, drugs, or other unsafe conditions, the lesson fee will still be charged.
Any credit purchased for driving lessons must be used within six months. If unused within this period, the credit will become non-refundable.
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Lesson Costs on Weekends
Please note that lesson costs are different on weekends. This is due to increased demand and the limited availability of slots during these days. Weekend lessons may include an additional fee compared to weekday rates.
If weekends are your preferred time for lessons, we recommend booking in advance to secure your spot. For exact pricing and scheduling, please get in touch, and we’ll be happy to provide further details and assist with your requirements.
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Intensive Course Payments
Prices for intensive courses vary depending on whether you select manual or automatic transmission.
A 50% payment is required at the time of confirming your lessons with your instructor. The remaining 50% must be paid after completing the first half of your scheduled lessons.
The course fee includes a driving test unless you have already booked one yourself, in which case the test fee will be deducted from the total price.
Please note that once your intensive course is booked and confirmed, it is non-refundable. If you cancel or arrive late for a lesson, the missed hours will be deducted from your total lesson allocation.
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Bookings and Lesson Duration
Your instructor will aim to provide regular lessons at the same time each week for continuity, but this cannot be guaranteed. Lessons are a minimum of 90 minutes.
If your instructor is late, they will notify you of their estimated arrival time. The lesson will either be extended to make up for the delay or the extra time will be carried forward to a future lesson.
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Punctuality
Students are required to attend lessons on time. A grace period of 15 minutes will be allowed for late arrivals.
Late Arrival by Student: If the student arrives within the 15-minute grace period, the lesson will proceed, but it will end at the originally scheduled time.
Non-Attendance
If the student fails to attend within the 15-minute grace period, the lesson will be considered canceled, and the full fee will be charged.
Training Location
Lessons will start and end at the same location unless prior arrangements are made. Your instructor will select a safe location for practical lessons. If necessary, the instructor may drive you to and from the lesson location, and this journey time will be included as part of the paid lesson.
Training Vehicles
School vehicles are insured, taxed, roadworthy, and equipped with dual controls for your safety.If you wish to use your own vehicle, you must provide evidence that it is insured for professional driving lessons, is taxed, and has a valid MOT certificate (if applicable). Vehicles without dual controls may be refused for lessons by the instructor.
Driving Tests and Bookings
Your instructor may withhold the use of the school car for a driving test if they believe it would pose a safety risk or if you are not test-ready.
When the school car is used for a test, the booking period will align with the instructor’s schedule. If the car is unavailable on the test day due to instructor illness or mechanical failure, test fees you incur will be refunded in full.
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Driving test fees are paid separately. The price includes a 1-hour lesson prior to your test.
Please note that prices for last-minute tests or weekend tests may vary.
Your instructor is not responsible for tests canceled by the DVSA due to weather, staff shortages, or other issues outside their control. In such cases, lesson and car-use fees will still apply. Your instructor can guide you on claiming compensation from the DVSA.
Code of Conduct
Your instructor adheres to the Professional Code of Conduct. A copy of this is available upon request. Any complaints or disputes will be handled in accordance with the guidelines in the Code of Conduct.​​​​
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Social Media
With consent, we may share your achievements (e.g; test passes) on social media.
No sensitive details will be shared and you can request removal at many time.
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Personal Data
We use your information (e.g; name, contact details) only for providing driving lessons.
​Data is secured, stored as needed, and not shared without consent unless required by law.
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Your Rights​
These terms and conditions do not affect your statutory rights under applicable consumer protection laws. The school reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions without prior notice; however any changes will be communicated to pupils as soon and possible.
You can access, update, or delete your data by contacting us.
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Changes to Terms
We reserve the right to update or modify these terms and conditions as necessary. Any changes will be communicated in advance.​
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By using the services of Learn To Drive Essex, you agree to these terms and conditions.​
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