Under 17 courses

 

A Star Driving School are permitted on private land to teach young pupils of 14 years and over!

This course is also equally popular and well suited for those over 17 but who seek a safe environment in which to start driving. Every hour spent here at Dunsfold equates to at least two hours on the public road because of the layout here is virtually car free allowing complete focus on the controls of the car such as the clutch, steering and breaking without the stress of other road users. This accelerates their progress hugely as well as allowing those who are 17 and over to start learning to drive and avoid the current lengthy delays of finding an instructor.

Personalised gift vouchers can also be offered and are valid for a six month period.

This is done within the very safe grounds of Dunsfold aerodrome near Guildford, Surrey. It is also the home of the popular motoring program on TV, Top Gear.

Directions; if you enter Stovold Hill, Dunsfold into your Smartphone, drive to the very end of that road, you will arrive at security. They will direct you to Building 31 where we will meet you there. Safe journey.

 

 

Charges which INCLUDE the hire of the track normally on a Saturday and some Sundays. 

A single 1.5 hour lesson £130

A single 2 hour lesson    £160

A 6 hour course (3 x 2hrs) £450 a saving of £30

Please note, any cancellations for  whatever reason must be made 48 hours prior to the lesson date otherwise the full amount will be due.

Please pay electronically if not in cash; no cheques please

Those preferring to pay electronically please see details below; thank you

Bank Transfer details:

Account Name: Kevin F. Trimming

Account Number: 92259265

Sort Code: 40-47-08

Reference:

PLEASE reference for who this is  for, otherwise we  may not be able to identify who has paid or for whom; thanks

 


Account Name: Miss C A Simpson

Account Number: 66801548

Sort Code: 09-01-29

Reference:

PLEASE reference for who this is  for, otherwise we  may not be able to identify who has paid or for whom; thanks


6 hour course at just £450, all of which is on the private track and not subject to any delays and held at weekends.

By the end of which if they have access to a family or own car to continue with private practise,  they should have sufficient basic skills to drive safely with a full licence holder and make good progress. A lesson plan can be given with agreed intermittent professional lessons from us to monitor and offer continued guidance towards test standard.


Besides the level of excitement such a course offers young drivers, the earlier the crucial aspect of safe driving and control of a motor vehicle can be instilled in them, the better.

With over three miles of track available in complete safety, all the rudimentary skills of the controls of the vehicle, moving off, pulling in, gear changing, steering, roundabouts, parking manoeuvres, cornering etc; can all be taught to a good standard so that when the pupil turns 17 and allowed on the public road as a Learner driver, the main distractions and worries of stalling, gear changing and clutch control simply aren’t there.

For those who undertake our popular our 6 hour course, hugely reduces the time to become test ready and pass.

This is a growing and popular facility and many parents gain a greater feeling of comfort when their children have early instruction and gives the pupil a much better level of ability when they first venture onto the public road in preparation of their practical test.

We meet the parents there since there are official spectator areas for them to watch should they wish to stay or leave the pupil with us and return later which ever is their preference.

Customer reviews

Matthew Robert. A parent’s perspective…………

“We recently took our 16 year old son Dylan to have his first under 17 driving lesson with Andrew. Dylan very much enjoyed the two hours with Andrew and was enormously encouraged. He finished the lesson with a trip for us in the back of the car around the track and came away very proud to have done this Andrew is a fantastic and patient instructor and has given Dylan already so much confidence. Dylan is very excited and looking forward to seeing Andrew again when he starts the 10 hour course. Thank you Andrew”.

Dylan Tyler at Dunsfold


Mary Jane Bucks to A Star Driving School

“Thank you Andrew for a great birthday experience with A Star Driving School at the Dunsfold Track. It gave Sam a great deal of confidence as well as providing all the basic set of skills he needs to get out onto the road now he has his provisional license. I cannot recommend it more highly”.


Yasmin Wilkinson  recommends A Star Driving School.

“Andrew was brilliant with my 16 year old son. From booking all the way through to the actual day, he was friendly, informative and easy to communicate with. By the end of the two hour course, Andrew had my son driving round the track, changing gears confidently with me as a back seat passenger! My son said Andrew was very patient, explained everything brilliantly and packed so much into the two hours. Highly recommend and will definitely be returning for more lessons when my son turns 17! ”


 Caroline Motte Green  recommends A Star Driving School.

“My daughter thoroughly enjoyed her driving experience on the Dunsfold track. Andrew was very calm and patient. I would definitely recommend”.


Georgina Hales.

“My daughter Georgina had a block of lessons with Andrew before she turned seventeen at Dunsfold.  She gained so much from her time with Andrew and was confident to hit the road running once she was 17. Andrew was patient and has a real empathy with his students.   It took my daughter just 8 weeks to pass her test first time and with only 2 minors.  She is over the moon we cannot thank you enough Andrew”.


Paul Carpenter.

“Andrew taught my son for 10 hours at Dunsfold just prior his 17th birthday. I am really glad that we chose this route as my son was able to build confidence and master basic car control much more quickly without the risks and distractions of heavy “on-road” traffic.

Andrew himself is a very experienced, thorough and effective instructor but also very relaxed and personable so my son thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Highly Recommended.”


(More Parent’s reviews below).

Pupil’s reviews;

Some pupil’s perspective……………………

Jamie Marmion.

“I recently did a 2 hour session with Andrew at Dunsfold Aerodrome and having never driven before I came away with a great understanding of the driving basics and some of the simple manoeuvres thanks to some great teaching”.


Zoe Owens

“Andrew was a fantastic teacher. I was nervous at first but soon felt at ease. He explained the controls of the car and what they did I found this really helpful as it meant I understood what I needed to do to achieve what I wanted.

Andrew is realistic about the speed you may need to travel on the road and helped me to know how to control the speed; I reached 80 MPH at my top speed. We covered most areas such as stopping and starting, steering, controls and hill starts, but after I got the basics we covered whatever I wanted. I would highly recommend Andrew to anyone nervous about driving or anyone whose going to get a head start!”


Samantha Haworth

“A few weeks ago, I took part in my second lesson with Andrew at Dunsfold Aerodrome. The first time back in October I shared the two hour time slot with my brother and this time I shared it with one of my closest friends as we both wanted to try one hour instead of two. This was because our birthdays are coming up and soon we will be turning 17. In my opinion, this is an amazing opportunity for under 17 year olds to gain more experience and confidence before starting on the road! It is really enjoyable and Andrew is helpful, informative and gave me clear, concise instructions. It made me so much more confident. I had never driven a car before and it was scary at first but I never thought that I would be driving at 70 mph! It was such a good experience because there were no other cars on the track that could distract me. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would happily do it again! ”


Pip Johnston

When I first arrived at Dunsfold I did not think for a second that, after 2 hours, I would be reaching speeds of up to 60mph and changing up and down through all the gears.  Andrew’s teaching was clear and concise, and he gave me confidence if ever I was feeling nervous about a manoeuvre.  By the end I had used all six ears, practiced steering through cones, learnt and practiced bay parking and gained so much confidence in my driving ability.  I am now looking forward to my first driving lesson on the road.


Rosie Woodhouse of Tilford, Farnham,

“Thank you so much for such a brilliant start to driving, you were so patient and the style of your teaching is impeccable. As a driving experience (not on the roads) I now have a lot more confidence. Thank you so much!”


Sam Sage of Lurgashall,

“I’ve always looked for any opportunity to drive. When I saw that I could learn before my 17th birthday I jumped at the chance. After just one, two hour lesson, I had learned how to pull away safely, keep a good road position, steer in and out of cones and even a bit of parking! Andrew was very calm and explained things well, allowing me to progress quickly but safely. Learning on private roads was great as I didn’t have to worry about other impatient motorists wanting to get past. I would thoroughly recommend Dunsfold driving lessons with Andrew if you are itching to learn before you’re 17 like me”.


Sharnice Doel of  Whitehill

“I have recently had a two hour driving lesson at Dunsfold with Andrew.

Before I went I was expecting to get in a car and practising a few skills like pulling away and changing gears, but  after just two hours Andrew had me going in between cones to practice my steering, changing up and down through all the gears, pulling away, pulling over and bay parking. I felt that Andrew explained everything very well and was relating things to real life situations which helped me me understand things a lot quicker.

Andrew was encouraging and made me feel very relaxed, even after I made a few mistakes 🙂 I am now very excited for my next lesson on the road with Andrew.

Thank you Andrew!! ”

and a few weeks later this was Sharnice with her practical test pass certificate!


and another pupil’s view from Abbi Martin

“I chose to have a couple of 2 hour ‘off-road’ driving lessons with Andrew at Dunsfold before I was 17 as I was desperate to drive and wanted to learn the basics as soon as possible. The lessons were really good, they’ve given me a real head-start before my on-road lessons when I shortly turn 17. They have given me good basic driving knowledge and built my confidence before I have to deal with other vehicles on normal roads. It was ideal being able to get to grips with the basics in such a huge area without other vehicles around.  We covered such a lot in a short amount of time and I recommend that everyone learning to drive should have a couple of these lessons first. Andrew is a very patient, positive, kind instructor who I felt very at ease with. Abbi :)”


Parent’s reviews

Amanda Boodhoo

“Our son has been having the under 17 lessons since his 16th birthday. Thanks to Andrew he has made such good progress and Andrew feels he needs only a few on road lessons to take his test. We could not recommend Andrew more highly”.

Paul Hand
“My son had lessons at Dunsfold with Andrew as his instructor. Can’t recommend the driving school enough. Andrew is such a great instructor, very calming and encouraging and my son has progressed hugely under Andrew’s tutelage. Would recommend Andrew to all – You’re in safe Hands..”

John Sweeney

We gave our Granddaughter, Amena, a 2 hour driving experience with Andrew at Dunsfold Park prior to her 17th birthday. Amena’s main comments were that Andrew was extremely good at explaining what to do, and gave her the opportunity to experience many different manoeuvres including reasonable high speeds. She felt that Andrew was tailoring the session to her ability rather than following a rigid program. Overall, Amena felt the experience provided her with an excellent grounding before being able to drive on public roads and also Andrew’s tips re the theory test she found most useful as she subsequently passed that first time. We will be back to Andrew as our other Grandchildren approach 17th birthdays.

Amena driving at Dunsfold


John Preston.

“What a great idea to teach youngsters to drive before they need to learn; what a great location for a first driving lesson; and what a great instructor.

Thank you A Star Driving school for giving my 14 year old daughter such a wonderful and practical two hour lesson which she enjoyed so much we haven’t stopped talking about it since. She said after the lesson “I didn’t realise how much fun and how cool it would be driving a car!”

As a two hour driving experience or as part of a more thorough driving course I would really recommend this to anyone.

We are looking forward to coming back for more lessons”.


Bev Young

“My son Jack has just finished the ten hour driving course with Andrew Widgery, owner of A Star Driving School at Dunsfold Aerodrome, Guildford, and I would highly recommend it to everyone!
It was a great way to learn the basics of driving in a safe environment, Jack has gained so much confidence and knowledge in his ten hour session that his first drive on the road will be more successful – he has quickly, confidently and safely learnt how to move off and pull in, start the engine, use all the gears smoothly, manoeuvre the car, reverse round a corner, parallel park, bay park and turn in the road, steer and look for potential dangers; without the worry of other road users, who can often be intimidating to new drivers.
Andrew is great, easy to talk to and reassuring, and for us this was the perfect way to embed fundamental driving techniques before embarking life “in the fast lane”! Dunsfold was the perfect setting and I was even able to enjoy a great breakfast at the newly refurbished café while he was learning! ”

A few weeks later, this was Jack with a first time pass and was he delighted? – oh yes he was 😉


With each of the above, a full report of what skills have been covered together with an early appraisal of the pupil’s ability and a photo to mark the exciting occasion can be provided if requested in advance.