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The Driving Academy

The Driving Academy

4.9(425 reviews)See reviews ↓·Liverpool

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

Patience and a calm manner are what learners at The Driving Academy in Liverpool mention most often, with instructors repeatedly described as taking time to explain manoeuvres and adapt their teaching to individual needs. Several customers credit named instructors, among them Rachel, Mike, Marie, Julie, Lee and Geoff, with building confidence and helping them pass first time at Speke or Southport test centres, including people who had previously struggled or who describe neurodivergent needs and a fear of reversing.

An aspect raised across a number of reviews is that lessons were pitched clearly, with test-day expectations explained and nerves settled when mistakes happened. Reviews time and again mention the supportive relationships that developed over months of lessons, from the first enquiry through to the test itself, and one account notes an instructor checking that a learner with type 1 diabetes was safe to drive, even fetching a snack when blood sugar dropped. Knowledge of local test routes and the ability to tailor tuition to anxious or stubborn learners runs through the feedback, alongside first-time passes and a sense that lessons were made understandable from the outset.

Adult education centreDriving Licence Training SchoolEducational institution
The Driving Academy — Customer photo
The Driving Academy — Customer photo
The Driving Academy — Customer photo

Reviews

Reviews are taken from publicly available sources.

IA
I am Sovereign6 August 2026

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.

AP
Ana Paula Kleinowski19 June 2026

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 :)

JA
Joseph Assi16 June 2026

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.

TG
Tracy Gardner15 June 2026

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!

JM
Jane mcsweeney30 May 2026

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 😊

ON
Oleh NEKRASOV25 May 2026

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

PR
Paula Roberts22 May 2026

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.

RankProviderRatingReviewsOpen Sat.
1Kev mills @ LESSON driving school liverpool★ 5,0151No
2Zell Driving School (Automatic Lessons Only)★ 5,061Yes
3Green Light Driving School Liverpool★ 5,030No
4Auto Cruise Driving School★ 5,015No
5The Driving Academy (this page)★ 4,9425Yes
Contact
+441512832929thedrivingacademy.com25 Goodlass Rd, Speke, Liverpool L24 9HJ
Working hours
Monday08:00–20:00
Tuesday08:00–20:00
Wednesday08:00–20:00
Thursday08:00–20:00
Friday08:00–20:00
Saturday08:00–20:00
Sunday08:00–15:00