Varney Driving School

A brilliant driving instructor. james knows how to get the best out of people who are learning to drive.

James was very supportive and restored my driving confidence. he tailored my lessons perfectly and i passed on my first test with him, thoroughly recommend!

A patient and insightful instructor. james worked sensitively with my anxiety around driving whilst also giving me the push i needed to become a confident and safe driver.

Adaptable, intelligent & trustworthy person, who is an even better driving instructor. i was learning to drive on and off for 15-20 years, had a number of good instructors, all of whom i enjoyed talking to... which may have been part of why i hadn't passed in any of my previous attempts. when i met james, i didn't emotionally feel like i'd ever pass the practical driving test and with 3-4 practical fails, plus numerous theory tests under my belt, i felt like history had shown me the limits of my ability. that all changed when i started learning with james, so after a waiting period, when i got the call to ask it i was still interested, i was delighted to say yes and be officially on his books. i immediately found james to be adaptable to my learning needs, making doubly sure i understood, explaining differently and talking things through in the times i didn't feel confident, the result of which was that i felt less of a frustrated urge to give up. james is a genuinely wonderful person who is a delight to spend a few focused hours in a car with. i feel like our working relationship blossomed to the point where i would look forward to our humorous moments and now i've passed i know i'll miss the comfort of feeling like my teacher is also a friend. after one year of 2-4 hour lessons once a week and through lockdowns, i passed my first practical driving test with james - the first in 5 or more years - and 1 month before the birth of my first child who will benefit from being driven around as they grow up

James gave me clear driving instruction. i had a regular two hour lesson once a week while i was in sixth form and then was able to continue with more flexible lessons through taking cancellations once i had gone away to university. even after i had moved away i was able to get generally at least one and often several more lessons a week. we started near my house with the basics and then advanced to different roads around york. i felt consistently challenged but never pushed to do anything beyond my capabilities. in the run up to my test we also did lots of practise tests which i found particularly useful. james gave me resources to study for my theory test. because of these i was able to study effectively and pass first time. james taught me very thoroughly and to a high standard valuing both safety and precision with driving. i also passed my driving test first time because of a combination of james' rigorous teaching and practise on my part.