Elaine's Driving School

Elaine is a patient instructor which really helped me in calming my nerves. She is able to explain things in multiple different ways which definitely helped me grasp the manoeuvres. Thanks to Elaine's guidance, I managed to pass first time! I would definitely 100% recommend Elaine to anyway.

As an anxious driver who has put off learning for years, Elaine has helped me to progress far beyond what I though was possible. She has staged my learning so I am never overwhelmed. This has built my confidence and enabled me to develop at my own pace. Always patient, punctual and easy to relate to, Elaine was a pleasure to spend a couple of hours with. Unfortunately I have had to move for work prior to sitting my test, but will be giving Elaine the credit when I do pass.

Very happy to have passed first time after learning with Elaine for the past few months! It's been fun. Positive remarks:- Weekly two-hour lessons provided ample time to warm up and get into the practice itself- Driving in a range of different areas was very useful for building up my skills- Elaine was patient and always punctual, and accommodated my need to fit lessons in around my full-time job- SatNav practice was included as the test date drew nearer- The car itself was very nice to drive, and handled wellAreas for improvement. - Communication could be a little clearer in some instances when giving instructions (but clarification is always given when asked for)- Could keep a better track of where each individual pupil is at and what hasn't been practiced- More constructive criticism/positive reinforcement would greatly benefit anxious learners, taking away the assumption that they are having an "off" day if mistakes happenOverall verdict:Very pleased with my lessons, and found Elaine a friendly and amenable instructor. I also supplemented my learning with a very good video series on YouTube, and made notes after each lesson of things I needed to remember/manoeuvres and techniques I had covered, which really helped bring everything together in the end.

Elaine is a brilliant instructor would highly recommend very helpful and patient thank you for all the help 10/10.

Overall, I had a great time learning with Elaine. She was very patient with easing me into the car and teaching me to drive. The lessons were definitely good value as they were the cheapest I could find and I passed first time. The only negative I have is that I dont feel we spent long enough on the bay parking manoeuvres as we only did around 2 attempts per lesson.

Elaine offers manual driving lessons at a competitive price in the region. Unfortunately my actual experience was quite different to those listed. As another reviewer points out, at first Elaine is calm and supportive to ease you into driving, and compliments you where appropriate. Elaine was always on time and made allowances for extra lessons where possible. Elaine gives the whole lesson on the road. However a few weeks in I noticed gaps in her teaching, expecting me to know things she had never taught, and scolding me for not knowing. Rules of the road were given without context or explanation. Lessons would frequently finish 10-15 minutes early as another reviewer pointed out. Understandable that a driving route may leave you home earlier than expected, but 10-15 minutes is ample time to practice a maneuver or even go through the theory of the days lesson. I found myself watching YouTube driving instructors and this was honestly the only way I learned how to drive. I began to see lessons with Elaine as essentially ‘car rental’ to practice my YouTube knowledge, since her input was minimal-to-none. I had to use a SatNav in my test - the driving instructor asked ‘you’ve used a SatNav before right?’ No, I replied, and the instructor laughed as if I were joking… Well actually, no - Elaine did not cover this during lessons. Of course we all know how a SatNav works on a basic level, but using one for the first time in the test was not ideal - you are not used to driving and navigating in this way. Elaine also didn’t ever practice an ‘unguided’ drive where you’re asked to follow signs for so-and-so. These critical practice test functions were never explored. It appeared Elaine had good days and bad days, and I began to feel anxious about what mood she would be in - supportive or critical. She would ask questions like ‘have you had a bad day or something?’ ‘What’s wrong with you today?’ when making mistakes. Confident in myself, I brushed this off as a typical Elaine-ism, but for a young nervous driver I could imagine this would have a great effect on their self confidence as a driver and person. Towards the end of our driving journey Elaines input was so minimal, she seemed to take easy routes that were too basic so she could have a nap… Yes, naps. Plenty a time my bumpy driving woke Elaine up from a snooze - it became a fun game by the end. Despite passing (thanks to YouTube) I feel that I am still lacking a lot of knowledge about certain road structures which could have been explored with Elaine but were not and I’m now seeking additional lessons with a new instructor to fill the gaps. I feel bad to take time to leave a negative review and I try to support self owned businesses, but I hope Elaine can take some constructive criticism. I think she has potential to be a good instructor with a focus on her communication skills.Moreexpand_more

Elaine was an amazing teacher. She remained very calm in stressful situations and taught me every thing I need to pass my test on the first go.

So happy that I passed first time with Elaine, especially being so nervous with driving, I felt like i'd never pass! Elaine really pushed me out of my comfort zone and prepared me for every driving scenario which really helped when I took my test.

Elaine is a great, supportive and patient teacher. Every lesson was informative and helpful, and I passed my driving test first time thanks to her!

Elaine is an absolutely brilliant teacher from start to test! Very helpful, supportive and patient. I can't stress enough how highly I'd recommend Elaine if you're just starting to learn or if you have experience and started learning again!

Elaine was an excellent driving instructor, very patient, calm and really helped me with my confidence. I would highly recommend her and have just purchased my first car.

Elaine proved to be a very patient and experienced driving instructor who is easy to get along with. She ensured I was prepared for all elements of my driving test and had a good understanding of all that could be asked of me on the day and how to prepare for all possible scenarios. I highly recommend her to anybody thinking of taking up driving!

I would recommend Elaine very highly. She is a very professional driving instructor, always calm, helpful and positive in her teaching. I was an extremely nervous driver, but she built up my skills and confidence, with patience and a sense of humour. I found her methods for the manoeuvres to be so good, and the positive attitude she taught me to react to driving situations will stay with me and continue to help me in the future. I was elated to have passed my test and feel that Elaine was the best driving instuctor for me!

Thankyou Elaine for the last year or so of learning to drive. I never thought I would pass my test first time. Thank you for your patience with me. All the best, Alistair.

Elaine is a very calm and helpful instructor, she always helped me learn from and improve on my errors. She helped on all manoeuvres and questions and helped me learn about the rules of the road with ease. The quality of teaching is very high, helping me learn everything I needed to know and more about driving, helping me to such a high quality that passing was easy. I would highly recommend Elaine for anyone learning to drive.

I started my driving lessons with Elaine in September last year and having no experience what so ever I was pretty scared to get behind the wheel. Elaine made all those worries go away and made me feel comfortable by adapting our lessons to how I learned. Throughout my lessons Elaine was patient, calm, caring, understanding and friendly. Having some struggles with anxiety I knew I'd be a "difficult" student but with Elaine's friendly nature I never felt like I was being judged when I made a mistake or silly for asking to go over the same thing for the million time. I always looked forward to our lessons and with the encouragement and gently push from Elaine I am happy to say I passed my driving test first time and I can't thank Elaine enough! She has opened up a whole new world for me and I have no hesitation when recommending Elaine as a driving instructor. I was always be grateful - thank you Elaine!

With her friendly way of teaching, calm persona and professionalism. Elaine has made me a competent and comfortable driver who was able to pass first time. Would definitely recommend to others as Elaine is a great driving instructor!

Thanks to Elaine, I learned the rules of the road, and of course the skill required to drive, quickly and efficiently. 10/10 would recommend.

Before taking my lessons with Elaine I was very nervous at the thought of driving but as each lesson went on I gained confidence and my ability as a driver improved. Not only Elaine tutors professionally about driving, she is also a lovely person. Elaine got me in the right state of mind before taking my test as she prepared me very well for it, passed first time which I didn't think was possible. 10/10 would recommend.

Elaine was an excellent driving instructor! I moved into the Portsmouth area around Christmas time and with Elaine help I was able to learn the new roads and pass my test first time with her in May! She is always calm and great at giving tips on how to improve your driving. Her lessons are always tailored to your needs and I thoroughly enjoyed learning with her. I would definitely recommend Elaine to anyone considering starting lessons! Joe 17.