DVSA Approved Driving Instructor
Professional driving lessons with Ali's Driving School.
Learn with an experienced Approved Driving Instructor and build the confidence, skills and awareness you need for safe, independent driving.
600+ learners have passed their test with AliLessons
From the very first time behind the wheel to motorway lessons and refresher sessions for drivers coming back to the road — every lesson has a clear purpose.
A comfortable introduction to driving and the controls of the vehicle.
We start at a pace that suits you — getting set up in the driver’s seat, learning the controls, and moving off and stopping safely somewhere quiet with room to think.
Structured tuition tailored to the learner's current ability.
Each lesson builds on the last, with a clear objective at the start and honest feedback at the end, so you always know what you are working on next.
Motorway practice with an Approved Driving Instructor beside you.
Joining and leaving, using the lanes, overtaking and driving at higher speeds, plus motorway signs and what to do if you break down. Learners are only allowed on a motorway with an Approved Driving Instructor in a dual-control car — and if you have already passed, motorway practice makes a good refresher lesson.
For drivers who want to rebuild confidence or improve specific skills.
Already hold a licence but feel rusty? We can focus on the parts you find difficult — manoeuvres, busy junctions, parking or driving after dark.
Discounted block booking rates available.
Booking a block of lessons keeps your progress consistent and comes at a discounted rate. Get in touch for current block booking prices.
About
Ali is an Approved Driving Instructor. Lessons are built around professional, structured tuition — practical driving skills, road awareness and the confidence to drive independently once the test is behind you.
Every learner arrives with a different starting point. Some have never sat in the driver’s seat, some have driven abroad, and some are coming back to the road after years away. Lessons are paced for the person in the car, with honest feedback at the end of each session so you always know exactly what you are working on next.
Nothing is rushed. Each skill is introduced, practised and consolidated before moving on.
Calm, clear guidance so you spend your lesson thinking about the road rather than the pressure.
Planning ahead, reading other road users and making safe decisions early.
Working towards driving safely and confidently on your own, not just passing a test.
Approved Driving Instructor
‘ADI’ is the official DVSA qualification for driving instructors. It isn’t a marketing label — this is what it involves.
About instructors on GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)Every ADI has passed a theory test, a test of their own driving, and a test of their ability to teach.
Anyone applying to become an instructor needs a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check first.
Qualified instructors display a green badge; trainees display a pink one. Anyone you pay for lessons must be one or the other.
ADIs usually take a DVSA standards check every 4 years, which assesses their ability to teach.
Why learn with us
Lessons are shaped around what you can already do and what you want to work on next.
A calm, patient approach so you can concentrate on driving rather than on the pressure.
Motorway practice with an instructor beside you, and support for licence holders coming back to the road.
Block booking rates are available for learners who want to keep momentum.
Tuition with an Approved Driving Instructor, using a structured and consistent method.
A well-maintained, easy-to-handle car that is straightforward to learn in.
Passes
600+learners have passed their driving test with Ali
A few of them, with their pass certificates.
Learning to drive
Six steps from provisional licence to driving on your own. Each one links to the official GOV.UK page, so you always know exactly what comes next.
Step 1
Apply to DVLA online. You can apply from 15 years and 9 months old, and most people can start driving a car at 17.
Step 2
Bring your provisional licence to your first lesson. You start somewhere quiet, get comfortable with the controls, and build from there at your own pace.
Step 3
The theory test has two parts: 50 multiple-choice questions in 57 minutes, then a hazard perception test of 14 video clips. You can start studying alongside your lessons.
Step 4
You need 43 out of 50 on the questions and 44 out of 75 on hazard perception. Your pass certificate lasts 2 years, and you need it before you can book the practical test.
Step 5
You must now book, change or cancel your driving test yourself — your instructor isn’t allowed to. Talk to Ali first so the date fits your progress, and have his personal reference number to hand so the booking can check he’s free.
Step 6
Expect around 35 minutes of driving: an eyesight check, two ‘show me, tell me’ questions, independent driving and possibly a reversing exercise. Pass with 15 or fewer driving faults and no serious or dangerous ones, and you can drive straight away.
Official information checked against GOV.UK in September 2026. Rules and fees can change, so GOV.UK always has the final word.
Learner guide
Practical answers for learners and the family helping them — with official sources, checked in September 2026.
You need a valid provisional licence to drive on the road, so bring your photocard to every lesson.
You must be able to read a number plate from 20 metres — about the length of five parked cars.
Flat shoes with a thin sole make it much easier to feel the pedals.
No experience is needed. If you are nervous, say so — lessons go at your pace.
You must be insured to drive the car as a learner. Some insurers require your supervisor to be over 25.
The car you practise in must display L plates.
Not with family or friends: learners can only drive on a motorway with an Approved Driving Instructor, in a car with dual controls.
Ask Ali which skills are worth practising between lessons, so the time you spend with family builds on what you are learning.
Typical stopping distances from the Highway Code, on a dry road. Choose a speed.
In the wet, stopping distances are at least double (rule 227). Leave at least a two-second gap to the vehicle in front on high-speed roads (rule 126).
Rule 126 in the Highway Code (opens in a new tab)FAQ
If something is not covered here, call or message Ali and ask — it is usually quicker than trawling a website.
Call or text Ali07985 409688Call or text Ali on 07985 409688, or use the enquiry form on this page to write your text to him. Let us know roughly where you are, whether you have driven before and the days that tend to suit you.
Send an enquiryYes. You need a valid UK provisional driving licence before you can drive on the road, and you should bring it to your lessons. You can apply from 15 years and 9 months old.
Apply on GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)No. You can start lessons as soon as you have your provisional licence. You do need to pass the theory test before you can book your practical driving test.
Lesson lengths are arranged to suit you. Get in touch to talk through the options and what works best around your week.
There is no minimum number of lessons — everyone learns at their own pace, and GOV.UK sets no required number of hours. After a lesson or two, Ali can talk you through how you are getting on.
Yes. If you already hold a licence but have not driven for a while, or there are particular situations you avoid, refresher lessons let you work on exactly those things at your own pace.
Yes. Since June 2018, learner drivers in England, Scotland and Wales have been allowed on motorways, but only with an Approved Driving Instructor in a car fitted with dual controls — never with family or friends. A motorway lesson covers joining and leaving, using the lanes, overtaking, driving at higher speeds, motorway signs and what to do if you break down. Motorway lessons are voluntary, and they are just as useful after you have passed.
Motorway lessons on GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)Discounted block booking rates are available. Contact us for the current rates and what each block includes.
No — learners now have to book, change and cancel their own practical test on GOV.UK, and instructors are not allowed to do it for you. Talk to Ali before you book so the date fits your progress, and ask for his personal reference number: the booking service uses it to check he is available.
Book on GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)Yes, as long as your supervisor is over 21, is qualified to drive the car, has held a full licence for 3 years and is not paid. You also need to be insured, and the car must display L plates. Motorways are the exception: learners can only drive on them with an Approved Driving Instructor.
Read the learner guideYes. Ali is a DVSA Approved Driving Instructor (ADI). To qualify, an ADI passes three DVSA tests and a background check, and qualified instructors display a green badge in the windscreen.
Get in touch with your postcode or area and Ali will let you know whether he covers it.
Contact
Call or text Ali — or fill in the form and your text to him is written for you. It helps to say roughly where you are, whether you have driven before and when you are usually free.
Ali may be out teaching when you call. If he can’t pick up, send him a text.
