The Driving Academy
About the company
The Driving Academy is a family-run driving school established in 2003. Peter, a founder, qualified as a driving instructor and retired after 38 years as an ADI. The academy holds ORDIT registration for driving instructor training. It offers manual and automatic driving lessons across the North West, including Liverpool, Southport, St Helens, Runcorn, Widnes, and Ormskirk.
Services include driving instructor training, Pass Plus, refresher courses, and weekly, semi-intensive, and intensive courses. The academy has male and female instructors and a fully electric car in its fleet. It opened a dedicated driving instructor training centre and developed Roadsy, a booking and management platform for driving schools. Over 400 people pass with the academy every year.
What customers say
Based on genuine customer reviews
Reviews
Reviews are taken from publicly available sources.
Just passed my test thanks to Mike at The Driving Academy! I’m not the easiest person in the world to teach due to diagnosed neurodivergence, but Mike was patient and adapted his approach to help me understand in a way that got me the pass! 10/10 - Would recommend.
I was able to find a instructor quite soon what was great. Julie was a great instructor with lots of patience and knowledge of what to expect in the driving test day. I have done my test in Speke and I passed first time. I totally recommend her :)
Rachel was a really fantastic instructor, found her approach to teaching really clear and intuitive helping me with building confidence with driving and passing first time as had a few failed attempts with previous driving instructors. Would highly recommend without a doubt.
I literally cannot recommend Rachel highly enough, she is an incredible teacher with an amazing personality who makes you feel so at ease from the minute you meet her. She has given my son so much confidence and absolutely perfect driving skills and knowledge, so much so that he just passed his test first try with no faults. She is honestly one of the nicest people we’ve ever met and we’re actually gutted he won’t need any more lessons because we will miss her! You could not find a better instructor. Thank you so much Rachel!
can I just express my thanks to Lee Rees he put up with me for a whole year of lessons as a very nervous driver, sadly hes been off the road due to his part 3 being cancelled 😢 but last week in my own car I passed! all the credit goes to Lee! incredibly patient and figured out what worked for me, please pass this on 😊
Mo was my instructor, he was a good teacher for me , it’s took me 20 lessons to pass the exam from the first time , so I really glad about the result . He got a nice , comfortable car , so you’ll be enjoying while driving
Mike H - Kirkby Driving Instructor @ The Driving Academy. The best driving instructor in Kirkby! Highly recommended. I started my journey with Mike in March 2025. He had his hands full with me from the very start. I had a fear of any kind of reversing due to a previous driving instructor many, many years ago. I am a stubborn, argumentative character and trusting someone doesn’t come easily for me. Mike was very patient, calm, kind and caring. We bonded pretty quickly once I reined in my argumentative nature. Mike isn’t an instructor who will just teach you test routes to obtain you that pass quickly. He is a dedicated instructor whose goal is teaching you how to drive. How to read the road, building your understanding, knowledge and confidence to become the best possible driver. He will take you out of your comfort zone and persevere to bring out the best in you. Mike is genuine and honest. If you are not test ready he will advise you of this so you plan, prepare and keep improving until you are. This is the kind of instructor you need! I can assure you of Mike’s promptness. You could set your watch by this man. During our journey we had a couple of occasions where lessons had to be cancelled or rearranged. His communication was fantastic and plenty of notice was always given. Mike takes pride in his car and his job. His car is always immaculately clean, especially on your test day. I passed on my second attempt in May 2026. I was thrilled to have Mike by my side when we got the happy result. Seeing him as equally happy filled me with pride. Mike also taught my daughter who passed her test on her first attempt. Both myself and her are like chalk and cheese with different learning methods. Mike rose to that challenge like the professional he is. It’s no easy feat learning to drive. It takes a lot of patience, willingness, dedication and determination. Some lessons you will find challenging but the end goal is definitely worth the sweat, tears and laughter. I’m grateful to Mike for our deep and meaningful conversations and the fun we had during our lessons. He’s given me some amazing memories which I will cherish forever. I know Mike will try to deflect this part but he gave me so much more than my independence and freedom after I passed my test. I gained a friendship too. I wish Mike the best of luck in his career. I know he’s going to go far! I’m going to miss our weekly lessons but I can’t wait to see you on the road!
Driving schools in Liverpool compared
Ordered by rating, weighted by the number of reviews — businesses with only a handful of reviews do not jump to the top automatically. 12 businesses in this category in Liverpool are compared.
| Rank | Provider | Rating | Reviews | Open Sat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kev mills @ LESSON driving school liverpool | ★ 5,0 | 151 | No |
| 2 | Zell Driving School (Automatic Lessons Only) | ★ 5,0 | 61 | Yes |
| 3 | Green Light Driving School Liverpool | ★ 5,0 | 30 | No |
| 4 | Auto Cruise Driving School | ★ 5,0 | 15 | No |
| 5 | The Driving Academy (this page) | ★ 4,9 | 425 | Yes |



