Stephen J Lawlor School of Motoring

31/12/2021

Congratulations to all of my students who, in a very trying year managed to actually get a practical driving test! Hopefully 2022 will be much better for us all. Below are a selection of those celebrating success in 2021🥂
Thanks to all my students for their patience this year👍Also, for all the enquiries and recommendations I've recieved. I'm extremely grateful and truly sorry that I haven't been able to accommodate the vast majority☹

Lastly, I wish all my students past and present and my colleagues a very healthy and successful New Year. 🍾🎉

27/05/2021

Rescheduling on hold driving tests

When you or your pupils book tests via the GOV.UK online booking service you have the option to put your booking on hold if there are no suitable available tests. The on hold option should only be used for booking tests:

at a remote site where candidates need an extended test for an ADI part 2, ADI part 3 or ADI standards check where additional support is needed for reasons such as if you have a disability, health condition, are pregnant or have a learning difficulty

If tests are placed on hold for any other reason, the application will be cancelled, and the test fee refunded.

Choosing a test appointment

A large number of car test bookings are currently on hold in our system which do not fall into the options above. These tests have been put on hold by the person who booked the test, and we are now asking them to choose a test appointment.

We will be contacting anyone with a booking on hold to let them know that they need to choose a test date by the end of Tuesday 31 August 2021.

We are continuing to add new test slots, so if your pupil cannot find a test initially, please encourage them to keep looking regularly.

It is important that you talk to your pupils ahead of them choosing a test date so you both discuss if they will be ready for their test.

If they do not choose a test slot by the end of Tuesday 31 August 2021, we will cancel their on hold booking and issue them a full refund

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12/05/2021

Worth reading through👍

Find out what’s assessed during your driving test, what things count as faults, and how to improve on any mistakes you made.

08/03/2021

Latest update for restarting lessons.

Restarting driving lessons and tests in England
Following the publication of the roadmap out of national lockdown on 22 February, we have been working with government and stakeholders to agree the indicative restart dates of all our driver, rider and vocational testing services.

We have set these dates out below. Depending on the outcome of the government review of roadmap measures on 5 April, we’ll write to you again shortly afterwards to confirm if lessons and tests can restart on these dates.

We aren’t able to confirm dates until after the review on 5 April, but we want to share these proposals with you now to help you plan for reopening your businesses and to start teaching again.

You can read more about stopping the spread of coronavirus on GOV.UK

Restarting driving lessons and tests
Following the publication of the roadmap out of national lockdown on 22 February, we have been working with government and stakeholders to agree the indicative restart dates of all our driver, rider and vocational testing services.

We have set these dates out below. Depending on the outcome of the government review of roadmap measures on 5 April, we’ll write to you again shortly afterwards to confirm if lessons and tests can restart on these dates.

We aren’t able to confirm dates until after the review on 5 April, but we want to share these proposals with you now to help you plan for reopening your businesses and to start teaching again.

You can read more about stopping the spread of coronavirus on GOV.UK

Restarting driving lessons and tests
The proposed date for you to restart driving lessons and training is Monday 12 April 2021.

We know many of you want the opportunity to carry out lessons and training before we restart driving tests and we agree with this.

Therefore tests are due to restart 10 days later on Wednesday 22 April, if government guidance allows.

The safety of our customers and examiners is our top priority. Closer to the restart date we will work with Public Health England to review and check our standard operating procedures. We'll let you know the outcome of these discussions closer to the time.

In the meantime, your pupils can continue to practise driving with an accompanying driver from within their household, as long as it’s part of an essential journey. We will update learner drivers and approved driving instructors when this changes.

We have shared our guidance for driving examiners with driver training associations and they have updated their good practice guidance for instructors. Links to good practice guidance are included in the instructor guidance on GOV.UK.

Driving test bookings
We'll email candidates with tests booked before 22 April to let them know their test will be rescheduled. If you have booked a test for any of your pupils, you will receive an email to let you know it will be rescheduled to a new time and date. You will need to contact your pupil to let them know.

We’ll email you with the new time and date as soon as possible; please ask your pupils to bear with us.

If the new time and date is not suitable for you or your pupil, you can choose a different time and date on GOV.UK. You will need your pupil’s driving licence number to do this. Your pupil does not need to pay again to do this.

We know pupils with tests booked between 12 and 22 April will be disappointed. But it’s important that candidates have adequate time to practise with a professional instructor before they come to test.

Restarting lessons ten days ahead of tests will give you chance to provide your pupils with professional refresher training before they take their test. This approach is supported by the National Associations Strategic Partnership (NASP).

More information
You can find out what financial support is available to you on GOV.UK.

Check GOV.UK for the latest about:

theory tests
driving tests
instructor guidance
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10/12/2020

Jack the lad 😁 Congratulations Jack Waters passing 1st time this morning. A little bit of a scare when he thought he'd lost his license the hour before the test though! Enjoy and Stay Safe Jack....Beep Beep👍

03/08/2020

Great start to her day off for Chloe Davis a very accomplished drive resulting in a most welcome PASS. Well done Chloe it's been a pleasure...Enjoy and Stay Safe...Beep Beep 😀

31/07/2020

A massive congratulations to the camera shy Hannah Woods on passing her driving test this morning. Only had to wait 4 months during lockdown to get here but smashed it. Enjoy and stay safe....Beep Beep 🚘🚥

30/07/2020

It's good to be back!! Well done Jess William's and Danielle Surafine both passing with flying colours earlier today. It took a little longer than planned but well worth the wait. Enjoy and stay safe....Beep Beep 😀

05/07/2020

Arrange your driving test appointment
If your car driving test was cancelled due to coronavirus, you were sent an email with a new date and time for your test.

The new date you were given will not go ahead. This includes if the new date you were given was from 22 July. Do not go for your test on that date.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will email you again soon to ask you to go online and choose your preferred date and time for your test.

When you arrange your test, you’ll need to say if there’s a good reason you cannot wear a face covering when you take your test.

Graphic of a phone with a caption that says 'You’ll get an email to ask you to choose a date for your new test'
Booking a new driving test
You cannot currently book a new driving test if you did not have a test booked before lockdown.

Driving tests will be carried out for people who had their test cancelled because of coronavirus as a priority.

Check back or sign up for email alerts to find out when you can book a new driving test.

When you come for your driving test
Do not arrive for your driving test more than 5 minutes before your appointment time.

The driving test centre waiting room and toilets will be closed to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. However, you’ll be able to use the toilet if you have a disability or medical condition, or you’re pregnant.

Graphic of a clock with a caption that says 'Do not arrive more than 5 minutes before your appointment time'
Keeping you safe when you take your test
DVSA has introduced social distancing measures and safety precautions.

These include:

driving examiners wearing face coverings - they might also choose to wear gloves and use disposable seat covers
limiting the number of people arriving for a driving test at the same time
not allowing your driving instructor or supervising driver to sit in the back during your test
Wearing a face covering
You must bring and wear a face covering when you come for your test, unless you have a good reason not to. This includes if:

you have a physical or mental illness or impairment, or a disability that means you cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering
putting on, wearing or removing a face covering would cause you severe distress
you need to remove it during your test to avoid harm or injury or the risk of harm or injury to yourself or others
You need to say if you have a good reason not to wear a face covering when you arrange your test.

Your test will be cancelled if you come for your test without a face covering and you did not declare you could not wear one when you arranged your test.

You will need to remove your face covering briefly so your driving examiner can check your ID.

Find out how to wear and make a cloth face covering.

Graphic of a face covering with a caption that says 'Bring and wear a face covering unless you have a good reason not to'
During your driving test
If you have a problem with your face covering during the test, your driving examiner will ask you to stop so you can adjust it. Your driving examiner will end the test early if it becomes a safety issue.

If you make a mistake
You can carry on if you make a mistake during your driving test.

If you make a serious or dangerous fault, which means you’ve failed, your driving examiner will direct you back to the driving test centre, where the test will end. This is to minimise the amount of time you need to spend in the vehicle.

Find out more about how the car driving test works.

At the end of your test
Your driving examiner will:

ask you to get out of your vehicle before they give you your test result feedback
ask if you want your instructor to come over to listen to the feedback if it’s safe to do so
This is to minimise the amount of time you need to spend in the vehicle.

When you must not come for your test
You must not come for your driving test if:

you or someone you live with has coronavirus symptoms
you’ve been told by the NHS Test and Trace service that you’ve been in contact with a person who has coronavirus
you have entered or returned to the UK in the last 14 days, except in very limited situations - from 10 July you will not have to self-isolate if you’re arriving in England from a country or territory on the travel corridors list
You have to stay at home (self-isolate).

Change your driving test appointment if you need to self-isolate on the day of your driving test.

You can do this free of charge if you’re self-isolating, including if you do it at short notice (within 3 clear working days of the test).

Graphic of a house with a caption that says 'You must not come for your test if you’re self-isolating'
If you’re classed as clinically extremely vulnerable from coronavirus
If you’re clinically extremely vulnerable, you should have received a letter telling you that you’re in this group or have been told by your GP.

DVSA recommends that you take your driving test after 1 August 2020, when shielding will be paused.

Apply for an emergency driving test if you’re a critical worker
You can apply for an emergency test if you urgently need a test because you’re classed as a critical worker. This includes if you work in:

health and social care
education and childcare
key public services
local and national government
food and other necessary goods
public safety and national security
transport
utilities, communication and financial services