Terms of Business: This contains the Terms of Business of your driving school/instructor and is based on the Code of Practice for Approved Driving Instructors. These terms of business are approved by the Motor Schools Association of Great Britain.
Terms of Business
1 Lesson Appointment Card
- A digital-based booking system and progress report will be used, and this will be explained to the student.
2 Driving Licence
- Students MUST personally ensure that they are the holders of a valid, current driving licence – which must be produced at the first session and will be regularly checked by their driving instructor. The picture on photo card licences expire after 10 years, your photo card licences must be up to date.
- Students MUST inform their driving instructor if they receive any endorsements on their licence during the time, they are receiving tuition. Including any short period disqualifications (SPD)
- Students MUST inform their driving instructor of any special needs or medical conditions they have that might affect their ability to drive.
3 Student Wellbeing
In the interest of comfort and safety, students are advised to wear suitable footwear and comfortable clothing which does not restrict movement, please ask your instructor for any advice you may require.
4 Payments and Refunds
- The session rate and length are as agreed at the time of booking.
- Session bookings can only be confirmed with payment.
- All sessions must be paid for in advance,
First payment for 2 sessions, then a session payment after the first session and each session thereafter. Payments will always be one session ahead resulting in the last session or the test hour requiring no payment.
- We accept payments in the form of cash and bank transfer. For payment by bank transfer, we will send you an invite to pay and reply with a receipt for payment.
- In all circumstances, payments at the latest must be made 48 hours before the session starts.
- We cannot issue a refund for any sessions already taken.
- If you have paid for a block booking and wish to discontinue sessions for any reason, we will refund the remaining hours at the hourly price that was paid for them.
Cancellations & Punctuality
- Students are expected to be punctual to sessions.
- Students must provide their instructor with a minimum of 48 hours notice to cancel a driving session. If you cancel the session with less than 48 hours notice, your instructor reserves the right to charge for the session. Texts or email provide evidence of your 48 hour notice as these are timed and date stamped.
- Students who continue to cancel with less than 48 hours notice will be liable for the cost of the session and your instructor reserves the right to cancel all future sessions
- If you are late for your session, your session time will be reduced as your instructor cannot be late for their next student’s session. You will still be charged the full price of the session, as this is considered ‘cancelling’ part of your session with less than 48 hours’ notice.
- If your instructor is late to your session for any reason you will still receive the full session time previously agreed
- If your Instructor has to cancel your session through no fault of their own, for circumstances such as mechanical breakdown of the tuition car, bad weather which may affect your ability to learn safely, heavy traffic, or the previous pupil’s session or driving test has overrun for unavoidable reasons, and it means they cannot arrive at your session within good time, they will rearrange your session for the next available, mutually convenient, date and time.
- If your instructor feels your behaviour or attitude whilst driving is threatening, dangerous, or compromises safety, they reserve the right to cancel the session in progress and any future sessions. Refunds will be given for future sessions only and the current session will be paid for in full regardless of time left in session.
- Driving Tests may take priority over sessions, therefor, prebooked sessions may have to be cancelled or postponed if the instructor receives short notice of a driving test appointment for another student.
Postponement or cancellation of a test (theory or practical)
- The attention of students is drawn to the fact that a statutory period of notice is required under government regulations for the cancellation or postponement of a test.
- If possible, the student will be advised in good time of the advisability of cancelling their test. The instructor cannot be responsible for the loss of the test booking office. The address and telephone number are on the test appointment document.
- THE INSTRUCTOR CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY POSTPONEMENT OR CANCELLATION OF A TEST BY THE TESTING AUTHORITY – AT WHATEVER NOTICE.
- Students should note that where the sessions or tuition vehicle hire are cancelled at short notice, because of a cancellation by the testing authority, fees are still payable. It may be possible for students to claim lost fees from the testing authority and your instructor will be able to advise you how to do this.
Instructor Guarantee
- The instructors official authorising documents will be displayed on the windscreen of the car and may be inspected freely at any time.
- At your agreement only, students may be accompanied on their lesson by a senior examiner, whose job is to ensure that the tuition given meets the required standards. This is a legal requirement and is in the public interest.
The Driving Test
- Your instructor will advise the appropriate time to make an application for both the theory and practical driving tests. The advice will be based on the student’s progress to date. It does NOT imply that the necessary standard has been reached, or that it will for certain be reached by the appointed test date.
- The instructor will advise, where necessary the postponement of the test. This condition is intended to save the student expense, unnecessary failure, and the consequent delay in waiting for another test and obtaining a full licence.
- The school reserves the right to withhold the use of the training vehicle for the test or a session, if in the opinion of the instructor the client is
- Not at driving test pass standard
- Medically unfit (including eyesight)
- Under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Is not properly licenced to drive.
- Consistently fails to keep or is late for appointments.
- Falls into arrears over payment.
- If, for any other reason, the instructor considers the client will be unsafe to handle a motor vehicle.
Students may be accompanied on their test by any person authorised by the Secretary of State to attend the test for the purpose supervising it or otherwise.
You are reminded that when you attend for your theory or practical test, you MUST take the required documents with you; your instructor can advise you. Failure to comply with this regulation may result in your test being cancelled; you will forfeit your test fee and have to apply for a new test date and pay the fee again.
In the event of the test appointment being sent to the student, they are required to notify the instructor as soon as possible, of the date and time of the test and show the confirmation to their instructor on their next session. The instructor cannot accept any responsibility for booking an incorrect time or date for a test unless the appointment confirmation is produced. If the appointment is sent to the instructor, then an undertaking is given to show the student the confirmation on their next session or notify them as soon as possible.
Students should notify the instructor immediately if the testing authority contact them to alter the date or time of a practical test, if the student fails to do this, the instructor shall have no liability for any fees lost.
Sessions in your own car
- Sessions may be given in your own car if
- The car is fully insured for teaching for reward – this must be confirmed in writing by the vehicle underwriters.
- The instructor is covered by such insurance to drive the car – again to be confirmed as above.
- The instructor can in no way be held liable for any damage or accident. While the instructor will make every effort to prevent the student having an accident, or damaging the car, it will be realised that their control is very limited. If students wish to have sessions in their own car, then a second rear view mirror must be provided for the instructor. In view of the extra responsibility entailed, there will be no reduction in session charges.
Insurance
The school car is fully insured for tuition and driving tests, the insurer’s name is KGM Motor
A certificate of insurance is available for inspection.
No liability of any kind can be accepted by the instructor for the loss of, or damage to any property belonging to, or in the possession of the client.
Legal Liability
Students should be aware that their instructor’s primary objective is to promote road safety, and in doing so, she will have to issue instructions which students must be prepared to carry out without undue argument.
The instructor will make every effort to train you to he highest standard but can in no way be held liable for any errors you commit whilst being driving and not accompanied by your instructor either before or after a test pass.
At all times the student is legally in charge of the vehicle and is liable for any fines or charges levied as a result of any motoring offence committed.
Complaints
If you are unhappy with any aspect of your tuition you should notify Sharon without delay and not later than seven days from the date on which the cause of the complaint arose. Every effort will be made by Sharon to satisfactorily deal with the complaint, these terms of business and the Code of Practice for Approved Driving Instructor’s forming the basis for negotiations.
Should any dispute be unresolved mutually then the student has the right to refer the matter to the Motor Schools Association of Great Britain Ltd. Full details at www.msagb.com
