1st Driving School Reviews 

I cannot recommend Julian enough. He is extremely patient, understanding and an excellent teacher. After having multiple instructors in the past, Julian was the first person to make me feel confident and capable of driving. I passed my test first time thanks to him. Thank you!

Sandor was a top tier instructor, he helped me pass first time . Very knowledgeable and just an overall good teacher and a good person. It only took me 2 months to pass!

Kev was the absolute best instructor! I couldn’t have wished for a better experience. He was really calm throughout my time learning how to drive and he made me feel so comfortable from day one. Just an absolute top guy. Friendly, funny, kind. Thank you Kev!!!

Avoid this driving school. If I could give zero stars, I would. I experienced multiple issues, including being charged repeatedly for alleged late cancellations, sometimes with threats that I wouldn’t be allowed to book further lessons. Additionally, my instructor became unresponsive and provided false information about being “off the road.” The management demonstrated extremely poor professionalism and communication throughout, making the whole experience stressful and frustrating. I would not recommend this school to anyone.

Worst driving school. The instructors I had from the Hucknall area are unreliable and untrustworthy who will send you a message after having many lessons with them saying….they can no longer book anymore lessons as they are no longer available and when you try to contact the school for another driver they say they don’t have anyone available in the area! I would definitely avoid here. Replied….so I need to pay £80 a week to keep one of your instructors happy lol WOW! Money grabbers so bare this in mind people! I’d go with Elevate’s if your from Hucknall/Nottingham.

I would highly recommend Nas as a driving instructor. He’s very knowledgeable, inspiring and has a good heart. Nas has taught me so many skills about driving and he goes above and beyond to ensure that I pass first try and I did! He has made me enjoy driving more and more every lesson and he has definitely made me a confident and a safe driver. I cannot thank him enough for the time and effort he has put into this journey.

Highly recommend David Berry, he was patient and calm and always made lessons fun! Accommodated my schedule and booked lessons as and when needed! Helped me calm my nerves and pass my driving test!
Thanks for everything!

I would like to say a big thank you to Libby John who is currently working in Cardiff. She was so professional and really understanding and at such short notice Libby went out of her way to help. I was with another driving instructor from Cardiff who had become ill so couldn't carry on with my lessons. Libby was available for the coming weeks as I had already had a test booked for June. Last Thursday I passed with just 5 minor and without Libby John I couldn't have done it. Thank you so much Libby for everything you have done on such a short space of time. She is brilliant driver instructor and will be highly recommended by myself in the future. Take care Libby and all the best for the future 👍. For some reason above its got my mother's name 🤷just to say that its from MARK SPRAGG!

I would give a 5-star rating to Julian Barker, my driving instructor, who has been instrumental in helping me manage my nerves and overcome my anxiety about driving. I passed my test on the first attempt in an automatic car, which I attribute in large part to his guidance.

The reason I've given the driving school a 4-star rating is due to my initial experience with a previous instructor. During my first lesson, I felt overwhelmed, and subsequent lessons were cancelled with little notice, which was frustrating. I hope the school could improve its process for matching learners with instructors who are understanding and supportive, like Julian.

Excellent experience learning to drive with 1st driving school and especially with Julian Barker as my instructor. He was very calm and patient with me learning to drive for the first time. Very professional and not strict but ensuring to be stern if performing a dangerous manoeuvre.
Took 55 hours to learn from scratch and passed on my first attempt with only two minor faults so if your looking at 1st driving school try to nab Julian!

Mo was a wonderful and very supportive teacher. The lessons specifically catered to areas I had to work on until every aspect was ironed out. The times for lessons were very flexible and learning to drive with Mo’s help was an overall lovely experience!

As an Approved Driving Instructor, 1st Driving School have been a very good school to be a part of. I have a steady supply of students and compared to a lot of other schools you are not bound by a long term contract - just a 4 week notice period to leave the school so you never feel tied down. The owner Claire is always available for queries or concerns and works with you to resolve any issues you might have. I'd highly recommend 1st Driving School to any ADI.

Reliable support and supply of pupil. I didn't have to think twice when I needed a local franchise to join back after few years being independent.

I had Jullian as my automatic instructor i cannot praise him enough he is a nice bloke but he listens to you he helps and he makes sure you are ready for your test and today I passed because of him so thank you very much Jullian have a lovely Christmas 🎄

I highly recommend Julian Barker. He’s a very patient individual whose teaching style is very clear and concise. If you choose Julian as your driving instructor you’ll progress rapidly in no time :)

Just passed yesterday on second try. Julian was a thorough and patient instructor. He taught me everything step by step and gave feedback on what I did well and can be improved. Definitely helped me build up confidence and skills on driving. Highly recommend!

Julian Barker is an exceptional driving instructor. He was extremely patient throughout our lessons and provided thorough, constructive feedback that helped me understand my mistakes and improve. Julian played a significant role in building my confidence behind the wheel and ensuring I understood how to drive safely and responsibly. His outstanding teaching was reflected in my practical results—I passed on my first attempt with only 3 minor faults. I highly recommend Julian to anyone, whether you're a complete beginner or have prior driving experience. He is able to adapt his teaching style to your specific driving ability and learning style. Julian is dedicated to helping you achieve your goals and become a confident, competent driver.

Avoid this company at all costs. usman, a driving instructor, is very disingenuous and cancels his lessons and fails to turn up to take you for your final driving test. Claiming to have a family emergency, the company then said usman didn't want to take the test because I wouldn't take my final lesson even though it was usman that cancelled the final lesson claiming he couldn't make it, and even lied saying he couldn't make the test 5 days before it was due because of a family emergency and the company was very unhelpful. Please do not waste your money with this company, they are very unsympathetic and take no responsibility for their instructor's actions claiming they're self employed and not thier responsibility. Avoid usman and avoid this company

My instructor is very thorough and tailored the lesson according to my strength and weaknesses. Giving me encouragement when I'm unsure or not confident about my decision on the road. Passed today on second attempt.

Couldn't recommend Julian barker enough! I went to him after having a bad experience with somebody else and he put me at ease straight away and built my confidence back each lesson. Brilliant teacher.