Phill Godridge Driving School in Coventry

04/09/2026

How long should a driving lesson actually be?

1 hour, 2 hours… or somewhere in between?

ONE-HOUR LESSONS have some obvious advantages. They're easier to fit around school, college or work, cost less each week and, particularly for nervous beginners, an hour can feel like plenty.

But an hour can disappear surprisingly quickly. By the time you've discussed what you're working on, driven to a suitable area, practised and headed home again, it can sometimes feel as though you've only just got going.

TWO-HOUR LESSONS solve much of that problem. There's time to travel further, experience different roads and traffic conditions, and really get stuck into practising a new skill.

But there's a downside there too.

Two hours is a long time to concentrate when you're learning to drive. And although the hourly rate is exactly the same, finding £80 in one go is very different from finding £40.

So perhaps there's a happy medium: 90-MINUTE LESSONS.

At £40 per hour, that's £60 per lesson and gives you 50% more driving time than a one-hour lesson without the time, concentration or financial commitment of a full two hours.

- More time to practise.
- More opportunity to experience different roads.
- Less watching the clock.
- But still short enough to stay focused and manageable.

There isn't one lesson length that's perfect for everybody, but I'm increasingly convinced that 90 minutes might just be the sweet spot.

Long enough to make real progress, without feeling like you've spent half the day in the car.

What do learners (and parents) think — 1 hour, 90 minutes or 2 hours?

Let me know in the comments 👍

29/08/2026

“£40 an hour for driving lessons? That’s WAY too expensive!”

I can understand why people think that, £40 for an hour sounds like a lot of money, particularly when you compare it with what most of us earn per hour at work.

But is £40 actually an unusually high price for an hour of someone’s professional time?

A plumber will commonly charge around £40–£60 an hour.

An electrician might charge £40–£70.

A gas engineer can be £45–£75.

A private A-Level tutor might charge £40–£75.

And solicitors? Depending on experience and location, £150–£300+ an hour isn't unusual.

I recently paid £1,500 to have a room plastered, including the ceiling. The plasterer worked roughly 8am–3pm for two days.

That works out at about £107 an hour.

And I don't begrudge him that. He had a skill I needed, years of experience, tools, a van and all the costs of running his own business.

Which got me thinking about my own £40.

For that, a learner gets an hour of one-to-one professional tuition, use of a fully insured dual-controlled car, fuel included, and an instructor sitting beside them whose sole attention is on helping them become a safe, independent driver.

No group class. No sharing the instructor with ten other learners. Just one pupil, one instructor and one hour.

So is £40 cheap?

Probably not.

But compared with what we routinely pay other skilled self-employed professionals, perhaps it isn't quite as expensive as it first appears.

And yes, there is a reason I've been thinking about this recently!
I've got a small number of spaces becoming available for new pupils in September.

But that's enough advertising. 😄

28/08/2026

Please SHARE if you know anyone looking for a driving instructor in Coventry.

8 Passes in 4 weeks this Summer means spaces available now.

Message me or text 07742285090 - Let me know your postcode and preferred times. I'll do my very best to fit you in 👍

27/08/2026

Eight test passes in August!

Fantastic news for my pupils... not so much for my diary. 😂

After a particularly successful summer, I've said goodbye to quite a few learners who no longer need me, which means I've got a handful of spaces opening up for new pupils from September.

So, if you've been thinking about starting driving lessons, or you've been struggling to find an instructor with availability, this might be a good time to get in touch.

I've been teaching people to drive for 30 years, and still genuinely enjoy seeing someone go from those nervous first few lessons to standing beside the car holding that pass certificate.

Manual driving lessons
2-hour lessons
From £40 per hour
Spaces available from September

I'm not looking for dozens of people - just a few new pupils to replace the ones who've passed and disappeared off onto the roads without me!

If you'd like one of the September spaces, send me a message or use the contact details on the image.

And congratulations again to all of my recent passes. 👏

14/08/2026

I've known him since he was knee high to a grasshopper... Now he's a foot taller than me with his own DRIVING LICENCE!!!!

Well done Rhys Caie - Passed in Warwick today with just 4 faults. I told you, half an hour without doing anything stupid 🤣

28/07/2026

Hey Laura Major, you've only gone and done it!

2nd attempt but a good clear run today... IT'S JUST DRIVING!!

28/07/2026

Congratulations Matthew Gaggini. Passed First Time at Bayton Road, Coventry on Friday 24th July. That makes 6-in-a-row passed this month!

23/07/2026

The Perfect Picture of Perceverance... Huge congratulations to Tom Bird for passing his driving test today at Coventry driving test centre.

It took 2 years, 67 hours tuition and # #$$ # tests... let's just say more than 1 🤫 but he never gave up and now it's paid off.

16/07/2026

Congratulations Faith Robertson-Charnley on a well deserved pass today.

The journey may have taken a while to get here, but now there's no stopping you.

03/07/2026

Daniel and his cohorts will be putting on a photography exhibition in London next year for their finals... But they have to pay for it themselves. Can you help out some poor, starving students? Every little helps 😁

Hello! We are Hush Collective, a group of level 5 Photography students at Arts University Bour… Zach Davis needs your support for Hush Collective Grad Show