We’ve taught a lot of people.
Here are some of them, some more are on Google Maps.
This is what students say about us, please note, these are
as sent by the students and only changed if our solicitor
beat us with a stick, and then we changed them a little
bit..yes we’ve removed company names.
Helen was a great teacher who was always patient and calm
whilst I was driving. I needed someone who would teach me
at my own pace so that I could become a competent and safe
driver - Helen did just that! I looked forward to every
lesson as each one was enjoyable and fun. She helped me
build my confidence in general driving as well as all the
manoeuvres and never pressured me towards taking my test
and we just took it step by step. I was able to pass first
time with all Helen’s help and am so grateful to have such
a kind and encouraging instructor! Definitely recommend
SDDA to anyone! - Sam Terry - New Malden
- Jan 2010
Learning to drive with SDDA was a fantastic experience, I
was worried about learning to drive again because I had
picked up some bad habits from driving with another
instructor, but Helen restored confidence in me and made me
feel really comfortable at the wheel. Helen is really easy
to talk to and we had so much FUN!! Helen’s calm, confident
and relaxed manner really helped me to learn easily and I
realised learning to drive was no longer a burden.
I really looked forward to my lessons and loved every
minute of it! I passed with 3/15 Driver faults!! Which is
something I never thought I’d achieve. I would highly
recommend SDDA to anyone that wants to learn in a calm,
relaxed, educational and fun environment. -
Lauren -
Kingston June 2009
When I first
started driving I never thought I would pass, anything to
do with gaps, roundabouts and generally any other car on
the road I was a mess! Helen has really helped me to be a
confident driver and I wouldn’t of passed without her. She
doesn’t shout at you when you make a mistake and makes you
feel at ease. I would definitely recommend her to anyone
who wants to have fun and enjoy learning to drive -
Jenny -
Banstead - May 2009
Helen was the best teacher I could hope for. When I began
to drive I was very nervous, with little confidence behind
the wheel; her reassurances throughout my learning enabled
me to not only gain this confidence, but also pass first
time with only 3 minor driving faults. She is a considerate
and patient teacher, and every lesson I had with her was
great fun. She is a wonderful person and teaching, whom I
would recommend to anyone! - Millie - Oxshott -
March 2009
“As someone who already has a full driving licence but
hadn't driven in years, I was looking for an instructor who
could make me feel comfortable on the road again without
making me feel like a learner. Helen at the Surrey Downs
Driving Academy completely fit the bill! Each lesson was
fun and full of laughs at the same time as being
instructive and helpful. I now look forward to driving
instead of dreading it. Thanks Helen! All the best,
-- Kat - Hampton Court -
2007
“As a late learner, I thought I would
benefit from one of the well-known driving schools but
found the experience less than satisfactory and this put me
off learning for a while - again. The instructor was
impatient, scowled at my mistakes and the learning process
was painful and slow.
I
was introduced to Helen by a family friend who recommended
her wholeheartedly, one of the reasons being that she had
passed first time with Helen. From the first lesson, I felt
very comfortable, relaxed and found the experience fun,
which was not a word I would have previously associated
with learning to drive! I always received compliments on
things I did right and she was (scarily) patient when
things went a bit wrong! She never lost her temper and she
always made sure I made the most of each 2 hour lesson –
Something else I wasn’t used to. As a full time worker,
lessons were sometimes few and far between, which resulted
in some of my manoeuvres going awry, but she always showed
patience and motivated me to succeed. In the previous
school, I was always made to think I was ‘just a learner’,
but Helen succeeded in building up my confidence. I
was never rushed into taking the test – She made sure that
I had all round confidence in my manoeuvres and driving in
general before I even thought of booking it – Skills that I
now use every day on the road. Due to the wonderful
instruction I received from Helen - I passed first time
with very few minor faults!” -- Arnon - Richmond - June
2007
"I started learning with (a large driving
school chain) but i didnt get anywhere. I contacted Helen
during the holidays and managed to pass my test first time!
the best driving instructor you can hope for, she’s calm
and very kind. very good teacher! I would strongly
recommend her to anyone!” -- kaelie - Hampton Court
- 2007
" Helen and SDDA
made my learning to drive experience fun. I looked forward
to every lesson and was given reassurance and confidence
that I could, and would be, a good driver. I was taught
logically, patiently and with consideration. As a result,
having passed my test, I now love to drive. I would
definitely recommend SDDA to anyone starting out on the
road. All true!” Kim - Molesy -2007
"Helen was a superb teacher. She was
friendly, helpful and very patient as I learned to drive in
the UK. Her support was an important component in my
efforts to pass my driving license." -- Rowan - Wimbledon
-September 2006
Helen took me as a very nervous driver, built up my
confidence, and took me through to passing my test. I’m
sure I am a more confident driver today, thanks to Helens
patience when teaching, and yes, as promised we had some
fun too! -- Jack - Molesy - June
2006