Lesson Length – Change Of Offered Services

Change to Services Offered.

From today we will not be offering a 1hr lesson on our online booking system until further notice.

Looking at how students learn in the early stages of lessons it can be seen that they need to ensure enough time behind the wheel to practice what they have been briefed on. With 1hr lessons in the very early stages, this is difficult to achieve.

For example.

On a first lesson the student needs to be driven to a suitable practice location. This could be upto 15mins drive away from there home pickup. They then need briefing on the lesson they are about to have, and then have time to practice. Depending on the lesson the briefing may be 5 to 10 mins, with 15 mins to drive home again after the lesson (This driver would not be safe to drive in this scenario), that leaves only 20mins for any practice.

We are not going to be stopping delivering 1hr lessons, as these are suitable for drivers who are at the trained stage and almost ready for test.

Moving forward, to book 1hr lessons, it will need to be an agreement between the instructor and the student based on their current ability.

We currently advise all new drivers to book a 2hr lesson for their first session so we can establish a baseline for future lessons and allow them more time practicing on their first lesson.

We feel that 1.5hrs are a better option with 2.0hrs being the best option when first starting to learn.

Hope this explains why this has changed.

We will constantly review this change and may may make further changes should we need to: to ensure that students are getting the best value for money.

If you feel these changes are going to impact your lessons, then please discuss this with us when you attend your next lesson.

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year and Welcome to 2025!

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and took full advantage of the well-deserved break from the daily routine.

As we embark on this exciting new year, it’s the perfect time to start working towards your goal of becoming a qualified driver. With only 357 days until next Christmas, there’s no better moment to begin your journey!

A heartfelt congratulations to all my students who successfully passed their driving tests in 2024 : I’m incredibly proud of your achievements. For those preparing for their tests in the coming months, I wish you the very best of luck.

If you’re ready to start your driving lessons, have a provisional license, and are eager to get behind the wheel, I’d be delighted to help. We currently offer driving lessons in the Darwen and Blackburn areas, tailoring each lesson to suit your unique learning style.

Here’s what we provide:

• Flexible lesson durations to fit your schedule.
• Block booking vouchers for added convenience and savings.
• Online booking for complete control over your lesson times.
• One-on-one instruction in a calm, relaxed, and supportive environment.

If this sounds like what you’re looking for, please visit our website to get started. Let’s make 2025 the year you achieve your driving goals!

I Passed my IAM Roadsmart Test

I decided to update my skills by re-doing my Advanced Driving Test again. (Its 10+ years since I previously did it). It used to be a Pass/Fail result, but now its possible to either Pass, Fail of achieve a F1RST, which Im glad to say I did.

This test is taken in your own car and conducted by a certified I.A.M Examiner. The test its self lasts about an hour with a ten minute brief at the start and also at the end.

You start the test by explaining your vehicle checks before getting in the car and completing a comprehensive cockpit check. For example this includes a static brake check and a check of all the instrument lights.

Once you set off you are expected to drive the car whilst ensuring you drive to the “System Of Car Control” as dictated by “Roadcraft” – The Police Drivers Handbook. This system ensures that Hazards are dealt with in a systematic fashion and nothing is left to chance.

During the drive you are also expected to carry out a Commentary (if you want to achieve a 1st). This is verbalising how you are applying this system as you drive, which hazards you are spotting, any observation links and how you are planning to deal with them.

The route you are taken on comprises of Busy town roads, High Speed Limit Country Roads, Complex Junctions and also a section of Motorway driving. I was also asked to carry out a reversing exercise as part of my test.

At the end of the test you are given a full debrief of how you performed during the drive and also a written report with your result.

For each compitancy that is tested, you are graded between 1 and 3, with 1 being the best and 3 needing development.

If you are interested in taking an advanced driving qualification, then please get in touch as I can point you in the right direction.

Below is a copy of my test sheet and result.

XMAS Holidays 24

Christmas Opening Hours 2024/2025

We will be closed on the following dates :

2024 – December 23rd – December 31st

2025 – January 1st – January 2rd

How We Are Dealing With A Busy Waiting List

Just another quick post about lesson and booking conditions.

I am posting this, as recently I have contacted quite a few new students about open slots, sent them details to book in, and then they havnt booked in. This causes us issues with our diary management and prevents others getting off the waiting list, so this is what we do to deal with the waiting list.

We are extremly Busy at the moment, and as you may appreciate we have a long waiting list of students desperate to get learning. Some have been waiting more than 3 Months.

We are still running at Maximum capacity and trying desperately to get new students into the driving seat from our waiting list.

Our intake process is to to evaulate the availability indicated from you on your contact enquiry and check against our diary slots. If we manage to find availability, we contact you straight away to offer you a chance at booking into the diary on those available slots.

We will advise you via SMS there is availability as soon as we can

You need either, : Tell us you no longer need our services (You may have found another instructor whilst you waited on our list), or agree to start booking your lessons in.

If we get no reply from you at this stage, your details are removed from our waiting list and you will no longer be contacted by us with regard to lessons.

If you are ready to book you will be sent login details to allow you to book. These will ONLY be valid for 7 days.

If you do not make a booking within this time, your details will be removed from our system and you will not be able to make any bookings.

We can only have a finite number of active students on our system at any one time. Therfore the following also applies to students taking lessons.

If lessons are not taken at regular intervals (at least 1 lesson in every 4 weeks) then your account will be marked as inactive and you will not be able to make further lesson bookings. Your inactive account will therefor become available to the next person on the waiting list.

Block Booking Vouchers.

Our block booking vouchers work much the same way as a concert ticket, in that they have an end date and are non refundable.

When you buy a voucher you will be given the number of sessions on that voucher. The voucher sessions need to be taken with the validity period of the voucher (5 Months from date of purchase). Any sessions not taken with this period become null and void and you will lose them.

During this very busy time,

WE WILL NOT HOLD YOUR SLOT OPEN. We have people dedicated to learning who need the slots, and they will be given them if you are not using them.

To See the full booking conditions, click this link. https://www.darwendt.com/booking-information/

To see the current waiting list, click this link. https://www.darwendt.com/current-waiting-list/

Lesson Booking Rules

*** Important info. ***

We are currently running at full capacity with regard to student numbers on our books. With this in mind, we will be enforcing the following : [You will have this received this paragraph below, in the text you were sent with your login details. The full terms can be found by clicking the link]

*The login details will stay active for 7 days to allow you to make a booking. If no bookings are made within this time, the account will be closed. For full information on bookings, please view this link. https://www.darwendt.com/booking-information/ <– Please Read This Its Important….*

IF YOU HAVE RECENTLY BEEN SENT LOGIN DETAILS, you have told us your are ready to start booking in your lessons. Your account has been setup and you are given 7 days to allow you to do this. If you fail to book lessons onto our system within this time, the login details and account that was created will be removed from our system and the next person on the waiting list will be offered your place.

IF YOU CURRENTLY HAVE LESSONS BOOKED IN. Lessons need to be taken at regular intervals (At least one in every 4 week period). Unless otherwise arranged directly with us, if lessons are not taken as above, then your account may be closed and your place offered to the next person on the waiting list.

In this very busy period, we are not able to hold spaces open in the diary. This is the fairest way to allocate available spaces.

XMAS Promotion

Our Christmas promotion code goes active.

To see our promotion code and book your discounted block booking, login to your account now.

Our promotion is available between 23/11/23 and 23/12/23 and applies to our block booking vouchers only.

Mock Driving Tests

We are currently offering this service. This is what the DVSA say about why a Mock Driving Test is a good idea. Click the link to read about it. Mock Driving Tests

All our current clients will automatically take Mock Driving Test as they go through their learning with us. We do this to help them prepare for the pressure and nerves on the day.

If you are taking lessons with another instructor, or maybe doing private lessons with a supervisor and wish to see if you are ready to take your Practical Driving Test, then why not contact us and get booked in for one of our “Mock Test” sessions.

We will conduct in the same way the real test will be conducted. Your results will be recorded on the current DL25 document. The test will be carried out in our dual control vehicle (Currently a Ford Fiesta – Manual). [We cannot carry out tests in your vehicle]

The “Test Route” will contain the necessary types of roads, junctions and other hazards you will be expected to deal with on the real test. These may vary depending on the location of the test start point.

The Mock Test session will be a 2hr session in total. We will pick you up at the arranged location and drive you a short distance to where the test will start. We will make you familiar with any car controls that may be different from the car you have taken your lessons in. Once you are happy you understand our car specifics, then the test can start.

We will conduct a license check and an eyesight check (So bring your license with you)

The test will last around 40mins. At the end you will be given the result and a full explanation of any faults commited during the test.

We will also offer help on how to rectify any mistakes to aid in your learning

You will then be driven back to your pickup point.

To book a Mock Test session, in the first instance please contact us by Email or SMS, providing us with your Name, Address and Mobile Phone Number. We will then contact you to arrange the session.

August Bank Holiday PROMO

August Bank Holiday Promotion Code.

I have a discount code available that is valid for one day only.

On MONDAY 28th AUG 2023 there will be a discount code that becomes active/goes live. It will be active for the entire day ONLY.

The discount code can be applied to the following purchases.

10hr block Voucher (5 x 2hr)

7.5hr block voucher (5 x 1.5hr)

To get the code, you need to login to my website where you will find it under your home page.

To use the code – Select one of the block vouchers in the “Buy Voucher” section of the website, and enter you code when completing your payment. THIS WILL ONLY WORK ON THE 28th

Happy Bank Holiday.

Andrew.