ABOUT US

How did Life Skills Driving School come about?

Life Skills Driving School, based in Gosport.
It's been 40+ years since passing my driving test and having covered many 100's of thousands of miles, along with 15 years of motor racing with a local motor racing club.

I taught my son to drive at the age of 10 years old as he wanted to get into motor racing like his dad.
At this stage I never knew my passion to instruct existed.
During my time in motor racing I'd raced in National Banger groups, Prod-Stox, Hot Rods, and Super saloons, been the Chairman of that racing club and on the board of directors for some 7 years.
After the racing club closed I purchased an old Discovery Land rover and spent some months restoring it so that I could get the thrill I used to have with motor racing but in a different category of motor sport. I joined an off-road 4x4 club and eventually became the Secretary of it.
Here's just a selection of some of the vehicles I'd raced.

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Having left school I went into engineering undergoing a 4 year apprenticeship, and later, went on to become a Maintenance engineer.
After various redundancies I decided to become my own boss.
I trained as a builder, and created my own property maintenance company which ran for 20 years.

Alongside the Maintenance company, I also took on three retail outlets within the Bridgemary area, and the last of these ceased trading in 2021 after 25 successful years.

I have loved driving since the day I passed my driving test, and used to carry out all my own personal maintenance to all my vehicles (the joy and benefit of having been trained as an engineer) and totally rebuilt a Land Rover Discovery 1 including a total rebuild of the engine.

Looking into my later years of work seeing me up to retirement, I wanted a job where I could pass on my skills, and knowledge, and driving was without a doubt where my passion was.
I began training to become a driving instructor in 2016 and here we are today.

After qualifying as an Instructor I wanted to keep pushing my knowledge to benefit my students.

Therefore, I undergo a minimum of 4 cpd events yearly to ensure my standards remain high and current.

In 2022 carried out my training and qualified with the Institute of Advanced Motorists and became a qualified Advanced driver with them.
I remain a member with them every year to keep my skills high.

I created and run a Facebook group for local driving instructors (DIFAGB) and to date have 117 members within that group.
I am a member of the ADINJC (Approved Driving Instructor National Joint Council)
A member of the SDIA (Southern Driving Instructors Association)
I carried out training to become a qualified train the trainer, so i can teach potential driving instructors.
I also qualified as a first aider in 2024.
And as of May 2025 will be a fully qualified coach and be accredited with the Association for coaching, with the intention of becoming a fully accredited coach with the ICF as well.
In 2024 I wrote and published a driving instructors training manual as well as created a website for driving instructors supplying as much information as possible to assist them with their learning process to become an instructor and run their own businesses.

I have Lived in Fareham and Gosport since 1978.
This gives me a wealth of knowledge of rural and urban roads within the county, and those areas that will undoubtedly cause problems for learners.

I have instructed at the Fareham Under 17's driving club, and currently teach at world renowned Goodwood Motor Circuit training Under 17's, instructing on their skid pan and also instruct on their Off-Road Experiences.
The young drivers at Goodwood undergo up to 4 sessions, of which 3 happen within a enclosed area teaching them all the core basics of driving and manoeuvres, and on their 4th session they get to experience the wonder of the race circuit getting up to speeds of 70 miles per hour.
In the Off-Road experience, areas of the Goodwood Estate and extremities around the motor circuit are used to take clients out in series 2 and 2a Land Rovers, which gives them the opportunity to experience the feeling of real off-roading and seeing parts of the Goodwood estate.
I also instruct on their Slip & Slide track (Skid pan) teaching clients how to control a BMW 220i when it loses control, how to drift and carry out J-turns, on a specially treated surface that's like ice..

I teach learners on as many different types of roads so they can experience as wide a variety of driving, to gain as broad a range of road situations and conditions as they possibly can before being behind the wheel on their own as full licence holders.
This will prepare them for as many eventualities as it can, and hopefully keep them as safe as can be with the volumes of traffic on today's roads.
A 5th of all Fatalities on UK roads come from drivers within the age group of 17-24 so we want to make sure they are well prepared with as much experience as possible before taking their driving test.

Modern day technology, although some of it being really helpful has also, in the driving field become a distraction.
Mobile phones, Satellite Navigation systems, Loud Amps and stereo systems, let alone the long standing distractions such as Drink Driving, Drug Driving, Driving tired, being ill or just passengers distracting the driver to name a few, are all items that are discussed in length to help build knowledge as to the do's and do not's when driving.
I ensure that all these items are fully discussed to ensure that my pupils have all the information they need to make calculated choices when they drive, so that hopefully they will remain SAFE DRIVERS FOR LIFE!

I teach complete Novices of any legal age, right up to senior citizens who want to know if they still have it in them to remain safe on the roads.

Should you have any questions or want to book a lesson then please call or text on
07765510704

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FREE! Our own 82 page colour hand-out sheets are supplied to pupils who undergo a full training cycle so that they have information on hand to look over in between lessons and also as a refresher if they have forgotten something within the curriculum.

We supply a Free pupil App to all our students to keep them up to date with their progress, monies paid or used, diary for lesson times etc.
Pupils wanting Homework to help with the theory practice can ask for it or I offer dedicated 1-1 hour sessions for this or areas the pupils are struggling with.
In the future I hope to have Theory practice sessions for up to 4 or 5 pupils at a time (in house) so as to drop the cost for these sessions.
We also offer basic vehicle maintenance sessions, carried out for 1-2 hours once a month on a Saturday or Sunday, During the summer months.
We currently only teach in manual vehicles, but are hoping that in the future we will have the opportunity to introduce automatic lessons as well.


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Institute of Advanced Motorists
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Life Skills Driving School
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GoodWood
Motor Circuit

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