Trainwize Driving School Durham

Fantastic experience: 100% recommended. Andrew was a massive help in getting my driving up to par for my automatic driving test. His vast amount of experience truly comes out during lessons and his ability to help you stay calm and focussed on what you need to do (especially during busy areas) is unmatched. He was both fair in regard to my driving ability and the mistakes I made but also kind and clear on what I needed to improve on which I can say with no doubt has made me a much better driver. Andrew wanted me to become a driver that is not a robot, but really acts and thinks with care on the road, and I believe anyone who gets to be taught by him will also come out a significantly better driver than before and pass their test with ease! Thank you both Andrew and Joan!!!

Fantastic experience: I couldn’t recommend more! The owners are a lovely couple! Joan helped me to go through the process of finding an instructor the best suited my needs when nobody else couldn’t . She’s so attentive and caring. Thank you for everything

Fantastic experience: I had 2-3 lessons from Andrew after learning in London but finding a cancellation test in Durham. Passed on my first attempt there thanks to him - really good instructor. Will tell you when you’ve done something wrong and how to fix it, but is reassuring too. Guy who left a one star review - Andrew is semi retired so may not reply immediately (though he did for me and was flexible with timing). Really rubbish move to leave a one star review for that though.

Negative experience: I enquired about lessons a week ago, and received no response. I'm assuming since instructors are in such high demand they feel they can just ignore enquiries. I'll edit this review it they ever do get back to me.

Fantastic experience: Cannot recommend Mark more highly. Passed first time.

Fantastic experience: Definitely would recommend, had Andrew as my instructor and he knew all the routes and tricky spots etc. Also he was able to spot and correct weakness in my driving quickly. I've had a few instructors before and Andrew is by far the most thorough, great instructor and trainwize is a great company (Joan was very helpful organizing things over the phone).

Fantastic experience: Chuffed to have just passed my test first time. Had lessons with Walter and Andrew, who were both very nice. Absolutely everything that came up on my test at the Durham driving centre was covered multiple times. Andrew really knows his stuff and made sure I'd cover my basics during the test, as well as how to handle the difficult parts that might have come up. I highly recommend them.

Fantastic experience: I came to Trainwize having catastrophically failed my first attempt at a test somewhere else. Mark was very patient and gently ironed out all my driving faults, leading me to pass almost perfectly!

Fantastic experience: Thanks to Andrew's useful advices and instructions, I had passed my practical test with one time. He always come to meet me on time, and pay much attention on my driving skills and minor faults, which helped me quite a lot. Definitely recommend this driving school!

Fantastic experience: Andrew is a top lad passed first time would recommend to anyone

Fantastic experience: " I had mark as my instructor, who I found let me go at my own pace which improved my confidents in time. I would highly recomend as I passed first time"

Fantastic experience: I've learned to drive with Andrew. He is very kind, punctual, patient and professional. Every lesson was well planned. He taught me from an absolute beginner to a confident driver. I passed first time with 2 minor faults. Many thanks to Andrew! Without him I couldn't make it. Highly recommend Andrew and Trainwize! Yang

Fantastic experience: Andrew taught me to drive 23 years ago, very professional and a nice guy all round!.

Fantastic experience: My wife had a refresher lesson with Andrew and asked me to leave a review as she can't remember her google password. In her words 'Thanks to Joan getting me a superfast driving lesson on the spur of the moment I had a one hour refresher lesson having not driving in years, gave me the confidence to accept a job which requires a car commute. Would definitely recommend this driving school'

Fantastic experience: I highly recommend Mark Densley at Trainwize as a driving instructor. I had no experience prior and from the very first lesson I was making positive progress and was confident behind the wheel. Every hour in the car was utilised to help develop my skills. I have now passed my test with only 3 faults. Mark remembered where we left off every lesson, was aware of all my strengths and weaknesses and knew how best to personally improve my driving. I feel like I was taught not just to pass the test with confidence, and in good time, but also how to drive safely and skilfully on the road moving forward. Thank you Mark and Trainwize, for the best learning experience I could have imagined!

Fantastic experience: Andrew was very helpful working with my schedule. He was very attentive to detail, and he helped build my confidence as a driver and learn a lot in a short amount of time.

Fantastic experience: Mark was the best driving instructor I could have asked for- he was incredibly patient and calm which was needed for my initially turbulent driving ability! I’m now a very confident driver thanks to Mark’s teaching!! I can’t thank Trainwize enough! He not only taught me but my brother and we both passed first time quite comfortably!

Fantastic experience: Could not recommend Andrew enough! Really great advice, patience, and service! I previously had a driving licence in the United Arab Emirates, though I was not taught properly and hadn't driven in years. I picked up some bad habits from driving abroad and have always had issues around general awareness of the road and driving safely. Andrew was amazing and patient with me, putting in extra hours and going out of his way to allow me to adapt to the UK road system and give me the confidence to pass my test on the first try! He taught me not just to pass the test, but also to how to drive safely and confidently in general every day situations. 5 Stars!

Fantastic experience: My instructor was just so nice! He is definitely the best instructor I have ever had. He is really patient when explaining things to me and even draws small drawings to help me understand the situation. I have just passed my test today. I am really grateful to him.

Fantastic experience: Mark is the best driving instructor got me through my test first time and would highly recommend him.

Fantastic experience: Mark Densley is the best driving instructor in the universe. He has angelic patience (which he needed to get me to pass my practical AND theory tests), excellent teaching skills and a high level of professionalism. He is also very pleasant to deal with, kind and accommodating to the client's (student's) needs. Absolutely the best driving lesson experience!

Fantastic experience: I passed my test first time after 5 months of lessons with Mark, with no other driving practice other than trainwize lessons. I only have good things to say about Mark’s approach to teaching and the way he adapts to the confidence and ability of each individual learner. He pushed me in a way that made me more confident as a driver but always within boundaries that I felt comfortable in. The confidence he has given me has enabled me to enjoy driving as well as improving my ability. I don’t think I could have found a better driving instructor and I can’t recommend him enough.

Fantastic experience: I have had lessons with Tracy. I was a very nervous driver, but Tracy gave me so much confidence! Passed my test 1st time with 4 minors! Thanks Tracy! :)

Fantastic experience: I had lessons with Andrew before my Test and I can honestly say he is the best! So patient with me and it payed off as I passed my Driving Test first time with 0 faults! Needless to say I was over the moon! Highly recommend Andrew and his Team!!

Fantastic experience: Just passed with 4 minors today, my 2nd attempt. Andrew is a very experienced and patient instructor. Cannot imagine if I could have passed pass without him. My friend passed 1st attempt with Andrew as well. Thanks millions!

Fantastic experience: I just past my practical driving test today. Only got two minor faults! Andrew is a really nice driving instructor. Thank you!

Fantastic experience: Highly recommend Andrew for driving lessons I passed 1st time in a short time he puts you at ease and is very easy to get on with recommend him to anyone lovely man a very big thank you

Fantastic experience: I had driving lessons with Andrew since November last year and recently passed my practical test with just a few minor faults. I am competent to say that he is the instructor that you definitely are looking for if you want to learn how to drive. His high attention to every details, together with his effort and passion in teaching, will inevitably make everyone a better driver - not only for the purpose of passing a driving test, but to ensure that you acquire the necessary skills and build up your confident to drive safely. He explains things clearly in a structured manner by using diagrams and is highly flexible in lessons where you can choose to practice driving in general or focus on a particular area. Highly recommended!

Negative experience: I sacked Andrew after 5 months in charge because it simply wasn't working out. He is a decent lad and means well in general, but his archaic teaching methods simply are not for everyone. There was no clear structure or step-by-step mechanism in the planning of the lessons, and as a result I wasn't able to get a firm grasp on any of the essential components required to pass the driving test (parking, expressway, roundabouts, etc etc...) He would try something with me (such as a right hand turn) and if I didn't get it correct after 2 tries, he would say that you have had enough with this for today. Without practice, how am I to get better? Lessons were thus a smattering of different things, none of which improved even after 5 months simply because there was no opportunity to continuously practice. I also found lessons to be very stressful and overwhelming. While I am driving, I am constantly bombarded with 6 different things to do at one go (4 of which are unnecessary) and if I got 1 of those 4 wrong, I would get yelled at. If you do not follow the robotic methodology for every turn or change of lanes, he would be unhappy. Also, he charges 1.5 hours for classes that were only 1h 10 to 1h 15 minutes long and if you try to reschedule classes to a different day/time when something crops up at the last minute, he charges you the full amount for it even if you cancel many hours in advance. I found this to be very inflexible.

Fantastic experience: I took refresher lesson twice with Andrew. He was very friendly and helpful. I hadn't driven for 5 years and I was very nervous getting back to driving but he gave me lots of tips and they are really helping me now. I practiced driving to my work in Newcastle and now I can say, I am a confident driver! Thank you Andrew!

Fantastic experience: Had to balance exams with learning to drive, Andrew was always really helpful and made the whole process very smooth and put any concerns to rest! A very understanding instructor who teaches you to be a good all round driver, not just to pass the test. I thoroughly recommend Andrew as an instructor!

Fantastic experience: I learnt more than just driving with Andrew. He is a kind and thoughtful instructor, who focused on teaching me to drive safely and mindfully. I passed my practical test first time, and am more grateful for the learning that will continuously benefit me in the future. Thanks Andrew!

Fantastic experience: Andrew is a great instructor and really patient, got through my test first time with only 2 minors! He made the lessons all about what I could improve on and was really patient when practiciting manouvers and general driving, thoroughly recommended!!

Fantastic experience: Andrew was by far the best driving instructor I have had and without him I could have never passed my driving test. He is extremely enthusiastic and his encouragement helped me gain confidence when driving. His patience and understanding made what could have potentially been stressful situations, into useful experience to benefit my driving. His structured approach to driving left little to chance and in the end it was no surprise that with his tuition I became a safe and capable driver.

Fantastic experience: Cant recommend enough, Andrew was so helpful when we were let down by a scam company. My son was due to move to Australia and we only had two weeks available time to do this in. Andrew moved heaven and earth to fit us in and pleased to say he passed with hours to spare.

Positive experience: Had a handful of very useful lessons from Andrew. His patience in particular was appreciated.

Negative experience: Disappointed to say my daughter has had a few lessons with Andrew and on the last 2 occasions has come home in tears. He doesn't give clear instructions, possibly because he spends the majority of the lesson talking on his phone, gives her decisions to make beyond her skill and then shouts when she gets them wrong. We wont be using him again and certainly wont recommend. Wanted to rate zero stars but won't allow me!

Fantastic experience: Before starting lessons with Andrew I had been taught by 4 instructors and failed my test three times. I get really, really bad nerves on test that previously had seemed impossible to control and I'd started to believe I would never pass my test. I just passed today first time with Andrew, who has completely turned my driving around. He is so patient and experienced, and really knows how to get the best out of you. I couldn't recommend him highly enough, he is a genuine miracle worker!

Fantastic experience: Wow, this American expat could not have imagined ever being confident enough to drive in the UK but Andrew Hetherington got me there. His patient and gentle nature, clear and meticulous explanations, and helpful diagrams of individual roundabouts combined to make everything click into place for me, mentally. I will forever remember his many mantras, but especially "mirror-signal-manoeuvre"!!! He is widely respected as a driving instructor for good reason. (Also, he likes oatmeal raisin cookies.)

Fantastic experience: Would highly recommend a pleasure to learn with very patient will work with you at your pace I passed first time thank you

Fantastic experience: It was an excellent experience learning to drive with Trainwize and especially Andy who helped me pass my test with zero faults. I would recommend Trainwize to anyone that is learning to drive.

Fantastic experience: Passed my test first time with no faults thanks to the supportive and constructive method of teaching, I recommend Trainwize Driving School to anyone who wants to learn to drive.

Fantastic experience: I have never particularly enjoyed or felt confident when driving and couldnt imagine ever getting to the stage where I would feel able to drive independently. Andrew was very patient with me and explained things very clearly, meaning that my confidence and my ability improved. I passed my test, having been able to fit my lessons around my university commitments and could not recommend him more. Most importantly, I genuinely feel like I am now prepared to drive by myself although I will still hear Andrew's voice in my head giving me tips! Definitely go for Trainwize.

Fantastic experience: I would highly recommend Andrew as a driving instructor. A extremely high attention to detail means you learn something new every lesson. Thanks for everything!

Fantastic experience: Had a fantastic experience learning to drive with Andrew, he is a brilliant instructor with a lot of experience and knows exactly what advice the student needs. He uses the time incredibly well, ensuring that the student gains as much as is possible in each lesson, and that they can learn at the rate they choose. Personally, I was set on learning with few hours to save money, Andrew was ideal. I completely believe that he is trying to save every student money, whilst making sure they are comfortable and confident on the road. Almost every student (including me) passes first time with him, I don't think he's had a single fail in 2016 and it's almost may. He knew exactly what to say around the time of the test to put me in the right frame of mind. I honestly cannot fault him, Thank you!

Fantastic experience: Andrew has had a lot of experience with being a driving instructor and teaches other driving instructors to; this shows his level of competence, he's clear spoken and he does his best to make you into a good driver, not just someone who will just meet the criteria for passing a test. Andrew's prices are standard for automatic lessons compared with other driving instructors. What I want to present here is if you choose Andrew as a driving instructor I can assure you that he delivers a thoroughly good service and you don't need to consider choosing another instructor, this is for my experience learning the automatic car. He provides lessons in a Nissan Note which has plenty of space to get comfortable and a simple uncomplicated control interface. The Nissan is characterised by smooth driving and probably most importantly reliability and longevity.

Fantastic experience: They use then to learn great man now booking then to learn my son Couldn't have ask for a better instructor

Fantastic experience: Excellent instruction and a really applicable approach to learning to drive. Andrew is an excellent instructor.

Fantastic experience: Andrew was a great instructor, and one of the only ones to take a chance on myself, being in a wheelchair. He took it on, treat me like any other and most importantly got me through both my theory and practical tests. I cannot thank or praise Trainwize enough. Thank you Andrew, Andy

Negative experience: I booked some lessons and Andrew promised to get me a copy of the Theory Test DVD. He never provided it and I very narrowly failed the interactive element of the test (as I'd never even been able to practice it.) If he hadn't promised me this DVD, I'd have just bought my own copy. I told Andrew I was disappointed and his response was that he'd no longer work with me. I found the whole thing very unprofessional.

Fantastic experience: Good morning Andrew. I have rated Trainwize and below please find my testimonial. Thanks again for your help! ‘Although I have been driving for years in the United States, driving in the UK is much different. Andrew was able to tailor a program that fit me and my skill level to best prepare me for the practical test. His encouraging method of instruction and attention to detail are to credit for my ‘clean sheet’ test results on the first try. I highly recommend Andrew and Trainwize to prepare you for the Practical Test. Thanks Andrew!’