Terms & Conditions

Terms and Conditions

The following terms and conditions represent the basis upon which I (the owner of South Downs Driving School) offer driving lessons and courses to you (the student).

General conduct
I will be courteous, polite, tidy and punctual. I will behave in a professional and ethical manner at all times. My training car will be well maintained, clean and tidy (weather permitting). My car is fitted with dual controls and is fully insured for driving tuition and driving test purposes. I will not smoke in the training car at anytime, nor will I use your lesson time for any other form of business, personal or otherwise without your expressed permission.  As all registered driving instructors are required to do, I have accepted and signed the DVSA's code of conduct.

Qualifications
I am legally authorised to give driving tuition in the UK by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and my license to carry out lessons is clearly displayed in the car.

Driving Licence and Eyesight
As required by law, you must hold a current, valid driving licence (provisional, full or international), which must be produced on or in advance of your first driving lesson. You must also check you can read a number plate at a distance of 20.5 metres (i.e. 67 feet - about 5 car lengths) with prescribed visual aids (i.e. contact lenses or glasses) if normally worn. Please note if you need contact lenses or glasses to achieve this, you must make sure you wear them on each and every driving lesson and your driving test.

Safety, comfort and well being
Safety is a shared responsibility as identified below:

  • In the interests of comfort and safety you are advised to wear suitable footwear and clothing.
  • It is important you act responsibly at all times and give your undivided attention to the driving task at hand. Should anything be distracting you during your lesson it is important you make me aware of this fact even if it is something I am doing. Similarly if you are feeling uncomfortable or uneasy about any driving task please let me know. I will be grateful for your feedback and I will think no less of you for doing this.
  • In an emergency situation it is important you follow my instructions and allow me to take control of the steering wheel if necessary to avoid an incident. I may also need to make use of the dual controls (i.e. brake pedal) and thus override your use of them. As soon as it is safe to do so I will advise you of why my actions were necessary and help you to calm down if required. Any subsequent discussion will focus on what can be learnt rather than who was to blame.
  • I will deliver any instructions or take any actions (even in an emergency) in a calm and measured manner so as not to alarm you or make you feel uncomfortable or disheartened in any way. I will definitely not shout at you or make any sarcastic or derogatory remarks.
  • You can be assured I will not use improper language or suggestive behaviour and/or physical contact.
  • You must take note of any medication you are taking which may affect your ability to drive safely and advise me accordingly before taking any lesson booked.
  • You must make your instructor aware of any medical, physical or neurological conditions, disabilities, difficulties or needs that affect your driving or are notifiable to the DVLA (follow this link for a full list).  Failure to do so will result in lessons being suspended until full disclosure is made and any appropriate DVLA agreement to drive has been issued.  
  • In the event it becomes apparent you are unable to concentrate due to illness, tiredness, or your emotional state of mind I reserve the right to terminate the lesson early.

Driving under the influence
To ensure the safety of you and other road users I reserve the right to cancel any lesson if you are or if I suspect you are under the influence of drugs, legal highs and/or alcohol (prescribed or otherwise). If this occurs the full training fee for the period in question will be forfeited.

Lesson postponement
Should you wish to postpone or cancel a lesson, I require a minimum of 48 hours notice. Failure to give this will result in the lesson fee forfeited.  I reserve the right to postpone lessons if I consider the weather or road conditions to be unsuitable or dangerous.

Punctuality
To maximise learning, it's important to be punctual for your lesson appointments. I will wait for you for a maximum of 15 minutes before the lesson will be abandoned and the lesson fee forfeited. A reciprocal waiting time may become necessary if I am delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. I will make every effort to contact you to advise of my delay and I will make up any lesson time lost as a result of this at the end of the normal lesson time or as soon as possible.

Payments

  • You are required to make payment for the course or the driving lesson in advance of the training. A 50% deposit or the full course fee (if the lesson start date is within 4 weeks of the booking date) is required.
  • The deposit or any subsequent training fees paid are not refundable in the event you decide to cancel the training once the booking has been accepted by me and placed in my diary. At this point a binding agreement is made between yourself and South Downs Driving School. This does not in any way affect your statutory rights to be provided with the goods and services you have bought.
  • Payment of your invoice assumes your agreement to these Terms and Conditions

The Driving Test

  • From 12th May 2026, only the Learner Driver is able to book or change a driving test.
  • South Downs Driving School only uses Chichester Test Centre, therefore if you choose to book at a different test centre, you will need to use your own car, or source an alternative.
  • If using your own car, your South Downs Driving School instructor may accompany you (chargeable at the standard 2hr lesson fee), or you can choose to have another suitable accompanying driver (they must be over 21 and have held a full license for a minimum of 3 years)
  • If you book a test at Chichester test centre and/or you want your South Downs Driving School instructor to accompany you, it's important that you use their ADI license number when booking the test.  This will ensure their availability. 
  • Driving test bookings always take priority over other lessons. Therefore, your lesson may be postponed to allow for another student's driving test and vice-versa. 
  • Use of the South Downs Driving School vehicle - In the interests of your, the examiner and public safety, I reserve the right to withhold the use of the training car for the test if, in my opinion, your driving is actually or potentially dangerous - behaviour which, if repeated on the test would result in a test failure.
  • Students wishing to use the car for their test who have not been fully trained by South Downs Driving School are required to commit to a minimum of 10hrs of lessons prior to the test date. This is to ensure they are familiar with the car and the instructor is fully satisfied that they are safe and competent to take the test and drive safely after the test should they pass.
  • Please  note South Downs Driving School does not offer last minute lessons the day of a test or car hire for a test to students they have not trained.
  • Test cancellation - TEN clear working days notice of test cancellation or postponement is required by the DVSA.  Failure to provide the required notice will result in the loss of your test fee. From 12th May 2026, only the learner driver can move or cancel the test. 
  • Be advised that DVSA may cancel or postpone our test without notice.  This may be due to weather conditions, examiner illness or lack of examiner availability. 
  • Fee to use training car for you driving test - A fee of £85 is required when using the instructor car for the test or having the instructor accompany you in your own car for test.  This includes pick up from home, a pre-test lesson, the test and transport home.  Please note this is in ADDITION to the £62 examination fee which is set by DVSA.
  • Driving Offences - Any driving offences that occur during lessons or the practical driving test are the sole responsibility of the driver. These may include but are not exclusive to speeding and parking offences.

Complaints
In the event of a complaint please provide details in writing either via post or email.  Any complaint will be treated as a priority and with the aim of it being mutually resolved quickly.  If you feel it has not been resolved, or that your instructor has breached the DVSA code of conduct, you should raise a formal complaint with the DVSA via email - instructorconduct@dvsa.gov.uk or in writing to: DVSA, PO Box 349, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE12 2GN

Statutory Rights 
Nothing in these terms and conditions will reduce your statutory rights relating to faulty goods or services provided. I have a statutory obligation to provide you with goods and services for the purpose for which they were bought and as described. If you have any doubts about your statutory rights please contact your local Trading Standards Department or Citizens Advice Bureau.