“Cannot recommend highly enough. Patient, thorough and excellent tuition. Helped me gain confidence to deal with the test as well as the general fun of driving in London. And a genuinely lovely person. Brilliant” Tom Aizlewood - New Cross
“Cannot recommend highly enough. Patient, thorough and excellent tuition. Helped me gain confidence to deal with the test as well as the general fun of driving in London. And a genuinely lovely person. Brilliant” Tom Aizlewood - New Cross
“Neil is an excellent driving instructor, and I would recommend him to anyone looking to learn to drive. He made me feel very much at ease while driving, and created an atmosphere in the car where I wanted to be the very best driver I possibly could. He is very easy to talk to, but also good at listening and asks you the areas that you don't feel as confident in, so I always felt like I was getting the very most out of my driving lessons. He is prompt, professional and always easy to get in touch with. Top driving instructor!” Sarah Foster - Lee
“I 100% recommend Neil at Charlton Driving to anyone learning to drive in the South East area. Not only are the lessons well-structured but you also have online access to theory test materials, and a growing list of each stage learnt as you progress; so it was easy to see what you had learnt and each step was also linked to the theory book pages of that lesson – which I found really helped me with all aspects of passing my driving test. I found that Neil was very easy to talk to and made me feel very comfortable during the lessons. I particularly liked that he would test me on a few theory questions during my practical lesson as this kept the information in the forefront of my mind, and coincided nicely with the practical aspect of what I was learning. It was easy to communicate with Neil to book lessons etc and he was always very punctual, reliable and patient. Neil – thank you so much for helping me to pass my test first time! ” Charlotte Jacharan - Grove Park
“Neil is an absolutely fantastic driving instructor. When I started I was extremely nervous, completely lacked confidence and did not think I would ever be capable of passing the test (after 2 failed attempts with different instructors). Thankfully Neil was very patient and explained things well (he was also able to explain things in more than one way when needed, giving alternative ways to try things or think about things if I didn’t seem to be getting something). Neil is also very calm and has a good sense of humour, which helped to alleviate my nerves. He never made me feel stupid and talked me through my mistakes in a supportive and encouraging way, giving me the impression that he genuinely wanted me to do well and believed that I was capable. I always felt that Neil was teaching me to be a good driver rather than just how to pass the test, and I could feel myself making progress and becoming more confident with the things that I found most tricky (roundabouts, putting the windscreen wipers on...) with each passing lesson. Now that I have passed my test I am actually looking forward to getting out there and driving again, and I never thought I’d say that! Thanks again, Neil!” E Milligan, Chislehurst
“I passed first time with Neil as my instructor and couldn't be more happy! Neil was patient and very professional. He made me feel comfortable and confident when in the driver's seat. I fully recommend Neil as a driving instructor - 5 star!”Jodie Gilbert, Mottingham
“Couldn't have asked for a better instructor
than Neil! I am a really nervous person and he was so
calm and easy to talk to that I looked forward to my
lessons each week. I passed first time so would
definately recommend him to anyone!”
Sarah B, Kidbrooke, July 2017
“I would recommend Neil to anyone. He has taught
many of my friends as well as myself. He is very
patient, has a good sense of humour and is extremely
thorough. Neil teaches you to be a confident, safe
driver, beyond just passing a test. It was for these
reasons that I passed with no minors at Hither
Green”
Hannah Biggs, September 2017
“Neil is a great bloke and great instructor. I
cannot recommend him enough. He is very professional
and punctual but you will also have a good laugh with
him on your lessons. Neil is great at instilling good
habits into your driving and ironing out your bad
ones. I'm confident that there is not a better person
out there to help you pass your driving test and to
make you a better all round driver. Thank you again
Neil for being an absolute legend and helping me
pass!”
TC, New Eltham, February 2017
“I found Neil through searching for an
instructor near me. I'm glad that I did. Neil is
experienced, thorough, calm, intelligent, and
dedicated to maximising the utility of each lesson
towards passing the driving test. He has always been
prepared and on time for our lessons. I would
definitely recommend Neil to anyone who wants to get
the driving instruction done in a pleasant and
constructive environment.”
SD, Kidbrooke, March 2017
“I had convinced myself that I would never
learn, and certainly never pass! Having had several
instructors before I was aware how crucial getting the
right person was. Neil is patient, calm and flexible.
I always felt listened to and went from dreading my
lessons to looking forward to them. Today I have
passed first time and I can not believe it. With 3
kids and 2 businesses having this freedom will change
my life. Neil's online resources are great and having
an online portal to follow up on makes the most of
each lesson. Its been brilliant and the only down side
of passing is missing my weekly lessons. Thank
you!”
Laura James, Hither Green, June 2016
“Neil is a fantastic and skilled driving
instructor who has a great sense of humour,
immeasurable calm and patience.Prior to having Neil as
my driving instructor, I failed my driving test twice
and was convinced I would never be able to drive.
However, with Neil's help I was happily proven wrong
and passed the first time with him as my instructor.
From my own personal experience, I believe one of the
main things that sets Neil apart from other driving
instructors is that he tries to put himself in his
client's shoes to understand the barriers they are
facing when learning to drive and then finding a way
(or ways) to overcome those mental obstacles or bad
driving habits. Needless to say, he's patient,
understanding and encouraging. He's committed into
getting you to drive safely and well and with the aim
of achieving that pass.I genuinely can't recommend him
highly enough. ”
Mai, Blackheath. April 2016.
“Would definitely recommend Neil as a driving
instructor! At the start I was a very nervous driver.
However Neil has been patient and encouraging all the
way through, which has really built my confidence. He
is a skilled instructor, great to talk to and very
supportive. The lessons are well structured, tailored
to your ability and there is flexibility to focus on
things you feel would be useful as well. After every
lesson you receive feedback and breakdown of what was
covered. Neil also provides online support and
materials, which are incredibly helpful. Thank you so
much Neil for teaching me to drive (something that I
thought would be an impossible task!), you’ve been the
best teacher!!”
Mira Soni, Kidbrooke Village. April 2016.
“It's all true. Neil is a lovely person and a
very clever teacher. He has a truly contagious sense
of calm, is encouraging and you're never made to feel
silly. Despite being a freaked out first time adult
learner, I quickly gained confidence and passed first
time! Couldn't recommend more highly.
I was blown away by the website - a great resource
when I was revising for my theory but also an easy way
to keep tabs on progress, hours, money spent. You can
see tips and videos that relate to each lesson and
notes on what you've been working on.
The whole experience was super positive. Before I knew
it Neil told me I was ready to take the test. I'm
going to miss those lessons! Thank you! ”
Sienna Bevan, Chislehurst April 2016
“I failed my driving test three times in my
early 20s. I unluckily had a terrible instructor the
first time I learnt, who would shout when I made a
mistake. After the third attempt at the driving test I
stopped learning. Thinking about driving put me in a
blind panic, and I had resigned myself to forever live
in London, to negate the need to ever drive again. The
whole experience learning to drive with that first
instructor, really knocked my confidence, and it was
another decade before I decided to learn again.
I booked my first lesson with Neil purely because he
had good reviews on his website, from people exactly
like me. The reviews did not disappoint. From the
first lesson to the last hour before my test, Neil has
always been very calm and encouraging. Neil is an
excellent teacher and good at explaining things. As a
veteran Instructor he is attuned to his student’s
needs, learning styles, and adapts to what suits. He
will go over manoeuvres, roundabouts, where the window
washer is, until you get it. As far as possible he
attempts to teach you good habits, and tries to instil
a good attitude driving. On top of that he is a
pleasant person to spend an hour with every week with,
and will bend your ear off anything Star Wars.
related.
Learning to drive is a bit like learning to read, it
is important, and you should be able to do it well. I
don’t remember who taught me how to read, but I will
definitely remember who taught me how to drive
properly. Having achieved my driver’s license, I now
realise how much more freedom I have. For that, I am
grateful to Neil for his time and effort teaching
me.
I would 100% recommend Neil as a driving instructor,
if you’re anything like me don’t wait just start
learning!”
Carrie - Bexley, January 2016
“Neil is a brilliant driving instructor. With
his help I passed my driving test on my first attempt.
I had been anxious about driving after a bad
experience with a previous instructor but Neil
completely restored my confidence. He is reliable,
punctual and incredibly patient. He knew exactly how
far to push me to improve and structured the lessons
really well, so there was a constant feeling of
progression. The online support and feedback he
provides outside of lessons were also incredibly
useful tools. I highly recommend him. Thank you very
much Neil, it’s been an absolute pleasure!”
Hannah Luxton, Chislehurst, September 2015
“After having two previous driving instructors
that repeatedly cancelled lessons last minute or
turned up late I decided to try Neil. He was
recommended to me by my boss at work who said he was
great at teaching her to drive. I can say that Neil
was brilliant, he was punctual, professional and
always willing to give extra help. He used special
tricks and reference points for manoeuvres that I
found really useful. After using him for approximately
5 months I passed the first time at Hither Green. I
would fully recommend him to anyone.”
Claire Horne, Sidcup, May 2015
“After starting my lessons in Dec 2014, I passed
my test first time in April 2015. Neil was a fantastic
instructor, he never got impatient and I always really
looked forward to driving lessons as I felt he pushed
me to learning something new each week. Neil was
really reliable, punctual and just a lovely instructor
to have a chat with in general - he even gave me tips
for cycling on the road!”
J Thomas, Chislehurst April 2015
“Gracias Neil, por tu tiempo y dedicacion. Eres
un excelente instructor muy paciente,comprensivo y
dedicado. Yo se que fui una aprendiz dificil pero tu
perseverancia nos condujo a la meta!!! Y ahora estoy
practicando en Dubai!!!”
Y Brantingham, Greenwich February 2015
Read in English
“Once we started the first lesson, I knew
straight away Neil was going to be my last driving
instructor with his positive attitude towards my
deafness and throughout the lessons we had over the
time, he was very calm, patient, honest and friendly.
He makes everything more easier by explaining why I
went wrong and praising me when I did right which
boosts my confidence. He did not waste any time, he
always got straight to the point by teaching me things
he felt I needed to improve in preparation for my
test. I hugely enjoyed my time with him and I will
always be grateful for having the opportunity to learn
from him, I would not be a qualified driver now if it
was not for him. I taught him some BSL (British sign
language) which he did very well, he would not stop
trying his best so this shows his attitude to disabled
individuals are amazing. So rest assured, you are in
the good hands if you have him as your driving
instructor :)”
Sarah Kendall, Catford March 2015
“I have really enjoyed learning to drive with
Neil. He is patient, thorough, clear, understanding
and always positive. Neil really cares about the
people he works with, and more importantly he makes
you feel that you can do it. He always focuses on the
positive aspects of your lesson. The lessons are well
structured and I always felt confident that I would
pass my test with Neil. I would not recommend anyone
else.”
S O'Halloran, Blackheath May 2014
“I've recently passed my driving test first time
after having three different instructors! Due to
Neil's patience and encouragement lessons went from
something I dreaded to something I actually enjoyed!
He has helped me so much to become a confident
driver!”
Francesca Hey, Lee August 2014
“Thank you for all those wonderful driving
lessons you gave me over the past year. Your friendly
manner and your professionalism made my learning, in
the earlier stages, stress free and after your
attention to detail and constant guidance made me gain
confidence and my joy of driving grew every day, but
the best thing you have done for me is giving me first
steps for a safe confident driving that for me and my
son is the most important. Thank you so much for your
advice, your professionalism, your adaptability and
for understands so well my needs and adapting to my
learning patterns. I will be recommending you as the 5
other friends who recommended me your
services.”
Angela Meza-Mayhew, Chislehurst May 2014
“I would recommend Neil to anyone as a driving
instructor. He is fantastic. He is incredibly patient
and kind, explains and demonstrates driving technique
very well and tailors each lesson to your skills and
level of confidence. Neil's experience always shows
through and he is absolutely unflappable - he's also
always good company! I found myself really looking
forward to my driving lessons each week, and will miss
them now that I've passed (first time!).”
Paddy Arber, New Eltham March 2014
“I believe that Neil is one of the best driving
instructors out there! I should know I have had four
previous instructors before Neil. I was beginning to
think there was something wrong with me, as I had to
keep changing instructors. Neil helped me get
confident again and to really understand how to drive
a car! He gives 100% or more to teaching. He is a
patient, extremely knowledgeable teacher. If you
really want to be a skilled driver and feel confident
at what you do then pick Neil. A lot of the skills he
was teaching me was at advanced level driving. I feel
very grateful for Neil getting me through my test. I
passed, yay!”
Lizzie Thomas. Greenwich. April 2014
“Neil is a fantastic teacher and I could not
recommend him more highly. He is patient, thorough,
and will make sure you not only pass your test but
learn really good driving habits to last you a
lifetime. He is also great company - a really
important quality in a driving instructor given that
you spend hours on end with them! Absolutely delighted
with my first-time pass, and will recommend the
Charlton Driving School to everyone I
know.”
K Lee, Waterloo September 2013
“When I rang Neil to book an initial lesson I
was feeling quite despondent about my ability to ever
pass the driving test. I had taken, and failed, two
driving tests previously and had had three different
driving instructors. I was finding it very difficult
to find an instructor that I clicked with. My previous
instructors seemed either too laid back and I felt I
wasn't learning and progressing. Alternatively they
were rather pedantic and particular and I was left
feeling anxious and flustered. So I googled
'experienced' and 'patient' driving instructor and
Neil's driving school was at the top of the list. I
knew I had found the right driving instructor in my
very first lesson. Neil is indeed experienced and
patient but he also challenged me when I needed to
push myself a little. Simultaneously he maintained a
relaxed and fun atmosphere and I found I was actually
enjoying my driving lessons! I felt confident and
prepared when it came time for me to attempt my third
driving test.. and I passed! I would recommend Neil to
anyone who is a nervous or demoralised learner driver.
Thanks to him I am now finally mobile and transporting
two small children from A to B is so much
easier!”
Elise Atkinson from Kidbrooke 2013
“Neil is a fantastic instructor, I would
recommend him to anyone learning to drive. He’s very
patient and uses a variety of teaching methods which
keeps it interesting. As all good instructors he made
sure that I focused on the areas that I needed the
most work on. He’s reliable, uses a great car to learn
in and most important of all he is a fun, chilled out
guy. I really enjoyed my time learning with him and I
ended up passing without any faults - that is
definitely thanks to Neil’s hardwork.”
P Hopkins, Lee Green April 2013
“I came to driving later in life therefore I
chose my driving instructor very carefully. I read the
testimonials of several instructors and Charlton
Driving School stood out the most. I also spoke to
other people who had used them and their positive
comments influenced my decision. As a teacher, I
understand the fine line between challenging students
and stressing them; thankfully so does Neil. He made
me feel confident and in control very early in my
driving. Furthermore, Charlton Driving School's
friendly and flexible meant I was easily able to
accomodate my learning into a fairly hectic schedule.
Neil is a great guy and a brilliant instructor; highly
recommend for drivers' of all ages and abilities.
”
Craig Foxall, Eltham
“I would thoroughly recommend Neil. He was
always punctual, reliable and professional, and his
instruction was first class. He develops the skills
you will need not only to pass the exam, but also to
be a safe, considerate and confident driver in the
years to come. I was terrified of London roads when I
first stepped into his car, and he was always
constructive and patient, progressing at a rate that
was perfect for me. I could not have passed my exam
first time with only two minors without him. Most
importantly, he is a great guy, and I always enjoyed
my lessons!”
S Brown, Hither Green. 2012
“I can strongly recommend Charlton Driving
School. The lessons were not only fun but also very
informative. Neil teaches you how to be a confident
and considerate driver, not just how to pass your
test. I am a keen cyclist and he would relate my past
experience to everyday driving. Even my partner (who
has had his licence for years) would learn lots of new
and interesting facts from my post lesson rambles. I
can drive confidently despite the best efforts of my
two screaming children in the back.”
Dr E Beranova, Chislehurst. 2011
“I thoroughly enjoyed my driving lessons with Neil.
The relaxed, flexible structure of the lessons allowed
me to focus on the areas which needed more practice,
without feeling I was falling behind. As a
particularly nervous learner, Neil's calm manner and
quiet confidence helped me to relax and gain the
confidence I lacked very quickly. The whole learning
experience for me was very positive - topped off with
a pass first time! Thank you Neil.”
Siobhan Hobin, Bromley. 2010