Craig Church Driving Academy

30/09/2026

A first-time pass for Ryan in Newport today!

Ryan started with me back in March as a complete beginner, a mixture of nerves and excitement for that first drive.

I still remember having to give him a little help with the clutch when pulling out of a junction on a slight gradient. Fast forward to today and he was doing it all himself on his driving test.

Over the months I’ve watched Ryan’s confidence and ability grow, helped by plenty of support and practice with Mum and Dad in his own car.

From needing that little bit of help on his first drive to passing first time today.

Well done Ryan. Enjoy the independence and freedom that comes with it!

Thanks

Craig

28/09/2026

A first-time pass for Callie in Newport today!

Callie started lessons with me back in February as a surprise birthday present and, understandably, there were plenty of nerves to begin with.

Once we started lessons from home, one particular challenge was waiting for her every time we left: a pretty steep hill start at the junction. What was once something to worry about gradually just became part of driving.

I’ve always looked forward to Callie’s lessons. She makes me laugh while still taking her driving seriously, whether it’s proudly telling me “I’ve got my clutch ready” at the lights or spotting somebody else’s questionable driving and deciding that’s very much a “their problem”.

Even after passing her test today, on the drive home she was still calling out my “tyres and tarmac”. Apparently the teaching works both ways now!

A big mention to Charlie and Gary too for all the support and practice between lessons.

From a nervous first lesson to a first-time pass.

Well done Callie. No more buses!

21/09/2026

This is Megan who was a learner and is now a full licence holder with me. The BBC has approached her in regards to turning to online and social media to help reduce the costs of learning to drive and highlights the risks of what information is there.

One learner says social media clips saved her money, but there was also misinformation online.

16/09/2026

Another first-time pass today, this time for Vijay in Newport!

Vijay started lessons with me in June, already having experience driving internationally but needing to adapt to driving here in the UK.

Early on we worked on things like keeping both hands on the wheel and, probably the biggest one, reading the traffic around him, particularly at roundabouts.

Over the lessons I watched his confidence grow and those things that initially needed reminders gradually became part of his normal driving.

Today it all came together with a first-time pass in Newport.

Well done Vijay. Enjoy having that UK licence!

16/09/2026

Some lovely news from Sana, who passed first time in Abergavenny!

Sana started lessons with me at the end of July with some previous driving experience, but was very nervous about driving here.

We spent a lot of time working on controlling her speed, slowing down earlier and putting MSPSL into practice. Even when the nerves appeared, Sana responded really well to coaching and you could see her confidence building.

Sana booked her test privately in Abergavenny and took it in another car, so I wasn’t there for this one. It was really nice to get a phone call afterwards telling me she’d passed first time.

A mention too for her husband and father, who helped with practice before and between lessons.

Well done Sana. A very well deserved result!

01/09/2026

A first-time pass for Katlin in Newport today!

Katlin started with me at the end of March as a complete beginner and was very nervous about driving. I still remember that first lesson and how stressful simply having a car behind us during stop-start practice felt.

It didn’t take long though before I realised Katlin had a really good feel for driving. As we ticked off each new goal, the nerves gradually disappeared and her confidence took their place.

A big mention for Mum Emma, Dad and her sister too, who’ve been a great support along the way and have even joined us in the back seat on lessons.

From worrying about that car behind her on lesson one to passing her test first time today.

Well done Katlin. Now you get to enjoy the freedom you wanted.

06/08/2026

Megan passed first time at Llanishen on Tuesday with just one driving fault!

When Megan started with me in February, she was genuinely scared of driving. Seeing her go from that to shrugging off the occasional mistake and just getting on with the drive has probably been my favourite part of teaching her.

We also somehow invented the “lighthouse” for all-round observations, which worked so well that I now use it with other learners. Megan has decided this is her “Megacy”.

We’ve had dad jokes, Caerphilly Mountain, the occasional “Craig, I hate you right now”, and I’ve learnt that if I’m ever lost in Cardiff, Megan knows exactly which bus I need.

From scared of driving to getting ready to drive herself to university.

Well done Megan. You did it.

06/08/2026

A first-time pass for Nuria at Cardiff Llanishen on Monday!

Nuria started with me in February having never driven before, and I’ve really enjoyed watching her confidence grow week by week.

The clutch and roundabouts certainly gave us a few moments. I’ll always remember Nuria stalling after she’d been out practising and immediately protesting, “Craig, I DID practise!” I believed you, Nuria!

A big thank you to Tom as well. The practice between lessons really helped reinforce everything we’d been working on.

From a complete beginner in February to passing first time. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed our lessons and the laughs we’ve had along the way.

Well done Nuria. Enjoy the freedom, and whatever adventures come next.

05/06/2026

Congratulations to Heidi on passing her driving test in Cardiff! 🎉🚗

When Heidi first started lessons back in February, there was one thing she was determined to conquer… the biting point!

Like many learners in a manual car, it sometimes felt like the car had its own personality and wasn’t always willing to cooperate. But through plenty of practice, determination, and persistence, she gradually built the confidence and control she was aiming for.

Test day naturally brought a few nerves, but she kept focused, trusted her training, and came away with a fantastic result.

Four months of hard work, plenty of progress, and a well-earned pass.

A huge well done, Heidi. It’s been brilliant watching your confidence grow behind the wheel.

Enjoy the independence, freedom, and the adventures ahead! 🚗✨

I looking forward to sharing the road with you.

AA Trainee Instructor | C Church Driving Training

27/05/2026

Huge congratulations to Rhys on passing his driving test FIRST TIME on Monday in Newport 👏

When Rhys first started lessons back in February, nerves were definitely part of the journey. But underneath that was always someone incredibly focused and determined to improve.

The turning point was roundabouts.

Something that once felt overwhelming slowly became one of the strongest parts of his driving, and today it all came together when it mattered most.

First time pass.
Manual car.
Well earned.

Watching learners grow in confidence is always the best part of this job, and this one was fully deserved from start to finish.

Enjoy the freedom, Rhys 🚗