Testimonials

Marianne Davies
Passed first time
My Instructor I can't speak highly enough of Hazel. Before learning with her, driving lessons filled me with terror. I love being a passenger in a car, when I sat behind the wheel I felt like I was in a metal murder machine! It felt impossible to steer, operate the gears & pedals and watch out for hazards, all at the same time. Especially with sweaty, nervous palms and trembling legs. I used to count the minutes until each lesson was over (who knew an hour could last so long!) Hazel and I worked to come up with a plan to build confidence by practising each skill until it became second nature, and then putting them together. She let me control the pace and never rushed me if I didn't feel ready to move on. If anything felt like too much during a lesson, we'd park up, talk it through, break it down and try a different approach. This turned out to be the key. Because there was no pressure from Hazel, my confidence skyrocketed and I started to surprise myself by asking to tackle more difficult junctions and unfamiliar routes.

Thanks to Hazel's patience and her chilled out teaching style I achieved something I never imagined - I began to actually enjoy driving. Hazel doesn't focus on memorising test routes or on teaching the minimum skills that you need to pass - she wants you to be safe & prepared for whatever happens on the road, both during your test and afterwards too. I thought I had failed my test after stalling at a busy junction, but because Hazel taught me how to correct mistakes calmly and safely I didn't panic and I only got minors for this. In fact, I passed with only 2 minors overall! Our lessons were great fun and I really can't thank Hazel enough. If you're nervous about learning to drive, you won't find a better instructor.

The LD System/workbook I deliberately looked for an LDC instructor because I liked the idea of having a system and a framework. The workbook was really valuable for answering my questions between lessons. Especially in the early days we used the illustrations in the book a lot during lessons to help me understand different concepts (I'm a visual learner). The most useful thing was probably the Student Progress feature on the website. It massively helped me to evaluate how confident I felt about each individual element of driving and to figure out precisely what I needed to work on. It's easy to tell your instructor "I need to get better at reversing" but the skills list on student progress page meant I could break it down for Hazel and say "I'm not confident with my observations when reverse parking and I'm not sure how far to turn the wheel" etc. Theory Test resources I had passed my theory before starting lessons with Hazel, but did I find these useful when my theory certificate expired (thanks Covid!) and I had to retake the test.

Molly Dow
Passed 1st time
Throughout learning with Hazel she has been very punctual and helpful in and out of lessons. The instructions throughout the LDC workbook were very easy to understand. On the day of my test Hazel kept me very calm and it helped me to pass first time!

Jessica Davis
Long Overdue!
After countless driving instructors, my journey with Hazel began in May 2021. I instinctively knew through Hazel’s calm, collected and professional demeanour that she was going to get me over the line and help me pass my driving test! Hazel nurtured a learning environment that made me feel at ease and reassured when driving. She instilled confidence in me and placed great emphasis on self evaluation. Hazel encouraged me as a driver to plan my own lessons through focusing on the areas that I needed to improve on. Through Hazels guidance, mentoring and patience she taught me the skills that I required in order to become a capable, competent and confident driver. Fast forward to December 2021, I passed my driving test with only two minors! Hazel is truly one of a kind and thank you for making learning how to drive an enjoyable experience.

Jessica Davis
Long Overdue!
After countless driving instructors, my journey with Hazel began in May 2021. I instinctively knew through Hazel’s calm, collected and professional demeanour that she was going to get me over the line and help me pass my driving test! Hazel nurtured a learning environment that made me feel at ease and reassured when driving. She instilled confidence in me and placed great emphasis on self evaluation. Hazel encouraged me as a driver to plan my own lessons through focusing on the areas that I needed to improve on. Through Hazels guidance, mentoring and patience she taught me the skills that I required in order to become a capable, competent and confident driver. Fast forward to December 2021, I passed my driving test with only two minors! Hazel is truly one of a kind and thank you for making learning how to drive an enjoyable experience.

Jessica Davis
Long Overdue!
After countless driving instructors, my journey with Hazel began in May 2021. I instinctively knew through Hazel’s calm, collected and professional demeanour that she was going to get me over the line and help me pass my driving test! Hazel nurtured a learning environment that made me feel at ease and reassured when driving. She instilled confidence in me and placed great emphasis on self evaluation. Hazel encouraged me as a driver to plan my own lessons through focusing on the areas that I needed to improve on. Through Hazels guidance, mentoring and patience she taught me the skills that I required in order to become a capable, competent and confident driver. Fast forward to December 2021, I passed my driving test with only two minors! Hazel is truly one of a kind and thank you for making learning how to drive an enjoyable experience.

Natalia Bonington
Passed 2nd time
She was great. Very chilled in letting me make mistakes which I could learn from and answered many questions I had. Great theory resources. She was also good at being flexible to whatever I felt I needed.

Grace Spicer
Hazel was absolutely brilliant. It was my 3rd time taking a test (having taken 2 in other places) and was an absolute ball of nerves. Hazel hugely helped me get over my nerves and feel like a safe and confident driver. Hazel always stayed calm which made me feel calm. When I had a total meltdown, Hazel was so comforting and understanding. A few weeks later my confidence had improved massively, thanks to Hazel. Forever grateful to you Hazel 😊

Rose Grimshaw
Passed 1st Time
I had an excellent experience learning how to drive with Hazel. She was always friendly, patient and clear, and made me feel comfortable and confident in the car. The LDC workbook was very helpful to consolidate Hazel's lessons, and we methodically built up driving skills and technique over time. I had no previous driving experience, and was not able to practice outside of lessons, but thanks to Hazel I passed first time. Thank you Hazel!

Joe Foran
First Time Pass
My instructor was very helpful. Lessons were always fun and were very informative going into detail to help me become a confident driver. I always felt calm in my lessons, when I made a mistake Hazel was very patient. I found the workbook very helpful it explains in detail everything you need to know.

Harry Horgan
Passed 1st time
My instructor, Hazel, was very good at teaching. She was clear and her instructions, whilst teaching me were laid very well. The workbook was very detailed and handy, especially the show me, tell me questions. Also the theory app was very helpful.

Hannah Carter
Passed 1st time
I really liked the style of empowering the learner to plan their own lessons and think for themselves about how they need to improve. Hazel was so supportive and calm, she made me so at ease. Thank you!

Yasmin Stuart
Passed 1st time
Having Hazel as my driving instructor has been a great experience as I have managed to better my confidence issues with driving, thus making me a licensed driver that is both safe and certain. She has made my learner driver experience enjoyable through creating a comfortable atmosphere whilst teaching and helping me master all the necessary skills. Some aspects (such as the reverse bay park) took a few tries but due to her patience, optimism, and teaching capabilities I was able to vastly improve. I would thoroughly recommended Hazel and thank her very much for helping me pass my driving test! I found the LDC Workbook and videos very useful; the book allowed me to prepare and make plans beforehand for lessons and evaluate my progress to pin-point what to improve on. Thank you once again for all your help! Yasmin

Gemma Bonington
Passed 1st Time
I have hated driving as I had 2 bad instructors in the past. Then Hazel comes along - GODSEND. I love driving now, she has made me feel calm, able and comfortable and I felt confident in the test and passed first time. Hazel is so chilled and I couldn’t recommend her more. I really now enjoy driving thanks to my lessons and feel like a very competent and safe driver!

Amy McCawley
Passed 2nd time
I am so grateful for all of your support Hazel, you are the best.  Before I started my lessons with Hazel I had already had several instructors from independent and other companies over the years and could not seem to get to test ready. As soon as I began my lessons with Hazel she created a learning environment where I felt relaxed, reassured and excited to be doing my lessons and preparing for life on the roads. I found the workbook and online resources from LDC really useful and those alongside Hazel's fantastic skills as an instructor helped me to pass in less than a year, which was a goal which had seemed out of reach for so long. Hazel helped me to gain confidence on the road quickly, planning my lessons together using a focused and fun approach. I felt I had choice in how I learnt and what to try next while still maintaining structure using the LDC model. Everyone learning to drive will find different parts of the process challenging. With Hazel I felt that the areas I found most challenging where much easier to overcome with her clear, calm and confident way of communicating what wasn't working while still helping me to feel confident and assured that I was making good progress. I would highly recommend Hazel to anyone of any level of experience learning to drive or looking to pass their tests as she is professional, friendly and has a way of making you feel so at ease. I passed my theory first time and I know this was down to not just the resources from LDC but Hazel's skills as an instructor, correlating what I had been learning to real scenarios on the road as I took my practical lessons which helped the knowledge to come to life and stick. I passed my practical driving test on my second attempt after Hazel supported me to gain control over the overwhelming nerves I had experienced on my first attempt, she coached me through managing my nerves with tips and encouragement. Hazel is an amazing driving instructor and worth every penny, not only did she help me to pass but I now feel I am a confident and safe driver thanks to her mentoring.

Rebecca Collins
Passed 1st time
Hazel was a brilliant instructor, very patient and always catering the lessons to my learning objectives and weaknesses. We covered lots of different areas, and drove in many different locations, with varying traffic, scenarios, etc. Doing the test routes was invaluable as it familiarised me with the test area as well as driving with a sat nav. More than anything the lessons have improved my confidence on the road hugely. My learning was definitely reinforced through use of the workbook. The video material did not feel necessary to me and felt a bit of an expensive purchase - but I can see why it may be useful to some students. The lessons themselves are a bit more money than other instructors, but I liked the structure that LDC provided so did not mind too much. As Hazel is still a newish instructor, I’m sue she’ll get even better over the next year and have lots more passes. It was an enjoyable experience.

Julio Esteves
Passed 1st time
I have been driving for almost 32 years and since I moved to the UK from Portugal I challenged myself to get a Full UK Driving Licence. I will always be eternally grateful to Hazel for helping me pass my driving test at my first attempt. She immediately identified my bad habits and made me feel at ease and we progressed through the course at a speed appropriate to my ability and confidence. Throughout the process of learning, the LDC Student Hub helped me to pass my Theory Test after I failed it the first time. Hazel was reassuring, calm and kind. I passed my driving test with 2 faults. If you are interested in learning to drive, I highly recommend Hazel and LDC Driving School. Cheers Hazel, Julio

Leah Shaw
Reassuring & enjoyable
I found driving with Hazel very comforting and reassuring. At the end of each lesson I was asked what I felt I still needed to work on and what I thought went well. This enabled the lesson to be tailored to what I felt most comfortable trying next and setting my own personal targets, such as ensuring to check my mirrors prior to indicating, without being told. I previously had driving lessons with another company that I was having difficulty with, and Hazel taught me all new driving methods that I felt more comfortable with and they improved my driving. I found Hazel’s instructions and descriptions clear and easy to understand, and I highly enjoyed my lessons.

Jessica Bostock
Passed 1st time
Hazel has been fabulous - I was struggling before I came to her with my driving. But since learning with Hazel it has been made easy, simple and fun! I really appreciate everything you have done, thank you! The workbook has been the resource that has helped me the most, especially with regards to manoeuvres. It is really important to prepare for lessons to get the most out of them.