Driving in the rain: what changes
Longer gaps, gentler pedals and lights on: the four things to change when the road is wet.
Driving lessons in Springfield, one skill at a time
Manual and automatic lessons from Fernhill Driving School (sample), from your door. After every lesson you and your instructor fill in your progress record, so you always know where you are and what comes next.
Progress record
LearnerA. Moreno (sample)
Lessons so far14 hours
Next lessonTue 17:30, roundabouts
| Skill | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cockpit checks and controls | independent | |||||
| Moving off and stopping | independent | |||||
| Mirrors and signals | independent | |||||
| Steering and road position | level 4 of 5 | |||||
| Junctions | level 4 of 5 | |||||
| Crossroads | level 3 of 5 | |||||
| Roundabouts | level 2 of 5, next lesson | |||||
| Pedestrian crossings | level 3 of 5 | |||||
| Parking and maneuvers | level 1 of 5 | |||||
| Fast roads | not started | |||||
| Independent driving | not started | |||||
| Night and bad weather | not started |
ReachedNext lessonLaterIndependent
A sample learner’s record after 14 hours of lessons.
Your first lesson, step by step
Sixty minutes, mostly on one quiet street. Most people are nervous before it and surprised after it how much they did.
1
We pick you up
From home, school or work. Bring your learner’s permit or provisional license, and glasses if you wear them.
2
A quiet road
Your instructor drives the first few minutes to a wide, quiet street where nothing will rush you.
3
The cockpit check
Seat, mirrors, belt and the pedals, with the engine off. Nothing moves until you are comfortable.
4
Moving off and stopping
Short, slow drives along the kerb. Your instructor has dual controls and uses them if needed.
5
Your first boxes
You fill in the record together, agree what the next lesson works on and book it if you like.
Every car has dual controls: a brake and clutch on the instructor’s side.
Lessons and prices
One price per hour, wherever we pick you up. Buy hours one at a time or in a block of ten.
Manual lesson
60 minutes, pick-up included
$48
Automatic lesson
60 minutes, pick-up included
$52
Two-hour lesson
Manual or automatic
$92
Block of 10 hours, manual
$450
Block of 10 hours, automatic
$490
Car for the test
Pick-up, a one-hour warm-up and the test
$140
Example prices.
Pick-up and hours
Lessons start and end at your door, school or work anywhere in Springfield, North Hill and Riverside (sample).
Monday to Friday
7:00–21:00
Saturday and Sunday
8:00–18:00
Cancel or move a lesson up to 48 hours before at no charge (sample).
Every skill goes through five levels
After each lesson you and your instructor fill in the record together. A box is filled only when you both agree.
1
Introduced
Your instructor explains and shows you, then you try it with full help.
2
Talked through
You do it while your instructor talks you through each step.
3
Prompted
You do it yourself; your instructor reminds you at the right moment.
4
Seldom prompted
You get it right almost every time, with the odd reminder.
5
Independent
You do it safely without help, in any traffic. Your instructor sits quietly.
We suggest booking the practical test when most rows are at level 4, because test dates are often weeks away. You take it when every row is ticked. Nobody can tell you in advance how many hours that takes, and we will not guess.
Courses
Each course is drawn on the same twelve skills as your record, in the same order, so you can see what it works on before you book.
Starter block
10 hours, $450
Works on the first six skills: from the cockpit check to crossroads on quiet roads.
Intensive week
30 hours over 5 days, $1,290
Works on all twelve skills, for learners who can clear a week and want to drive every day.
Refresher
4 hours, $190
For licensed drivers coming back after a break: you choose the skills, often roundabouts, parking and fast roads.
Fast roads and night
3 hours, $145
Dual carriageways, merging at speed and driving after dark, once town driving is steady.
Example prices. Courses are paid lesson by lesson or up front; unused hours are refunded.
Four instructors, one way of teaching
Every instructor at Fernhill Driving School (sample) teaches with the same record, so you can change instructor or gearbox without starting again.
- The same instructor for every lesson, unless you ask to change
- Calm, plain explanations; no shouting, no tests of nerve
- Dual-control cars, three manual and two automatic (sample)
Joanna Patel
Manual and automatic (sample)
Nervous learners and first lessons. Teaching since 2011.
Marcus Lee
Automatic (sample)
Intensive weeks and fast roads. Former bus driver trainer.
Elena Ruiz
Manual (sample)
Refreshers and drivers licensed abroad. Teaches in English and Spanish.
Rob Okafor
Manual and automatic (sample)
Evening and weekend lessons, test preparation.
Ready for the test
When your record is nearly full, we help you book the practical test at the Springfield test center (sample) and take you in our car.
- Bring your learner's permit and theory test pass, if your state or country asks for one
- We pick you up an hour before for a warm-up drive
- Your instructor can sit in the back during the test if you like
- If it does not go your way, we go through the examiner's sheet together
Where we pick you up
Anywhere inside the ring road, plus North Hill and Riverside (sample). Lessons can end somewhere else, such as school or work.
- Springfield, inside the ring road
- North Hill, as far as the reservoir
- Riverside and the college campus
- Office: 22 Elm Road, Springfield (sample), by appointment
Driving tips
A four-week plan for the theory test
Twenty minutes a day: signs, rules, hazards, then mock tests.
Bay parking with reference points
Where to look and when to turn, so the car ends up straight between the lines.
Book your first lesson
Tell us when suits you and where to pick you up. An instructor calls back within one working day (sample).