helen's driving school
I founded Helen’s Driving School in 2009. Initially teaching on my own, I was
joined by Jacqui in January 2020, due to the growing number of pupils on my
books. Together we worked under the umbrella of Helen’s Driving School and
strive to get all our pupils to pass first time. Since surviving all the
challenges the pandemic brought, Jacqui and I decided 2022 was a good time to
change the set up of the driving school into a partnership and create Top Hat
Driving School. I am passionate and enthusiastic about safe and eco friendly
driving, and enjoy sharing these skills with my pupils and I thoroughly enjoy
meeting such a variety of people. Having lived in Bristol all my life, I have
great local knowledge of both Bristol and surrounding areas, including the test
areas. Lessons with me are always relaxed and friendly with a laugh or two along
the way. I pride myself on my approach to teaching and I feel that with my style
pupils learn quickly and successfully because they feel at ease. I have taught
many nervous pupils over the years and have found the best way to overcome the
fear and nerves experienced whilst learning to drive is simply to maintain a
calm and relaxed atmosphere in the car at all times. It is normal to feel
anxious and as I have much experience in dealing with pupils anxiety, and have
many tools and techniques to help manage these feelings whilst driving. Over our
lessons, I will help you build your confidence and develop your driving skills
to enable you to become a safe and confident driver for life. Jacqui Barr I
worked in the film and tv industry for many years, but in a complete right turn
(pun intended!) decided to retrain as a driving instructor. I qualified in 2018,
and absolutely love the job. Every day is different, and I look forward to
spending time with my pupils who teach me just as much as I teach them. I met
Helen in the Avonmouth Test Centre at the end of 2019 and thought she was
brilliant. She asked whether I would be interested in driving for Helen’s
Driving School and of course I lept at the chance. The pandemic hit almost
immediately, and lessons ground to a halt. Weathering the storm has not been
easy, but (in the main) we have come out the other side: Helen and I decided we
wanted to reflect the changes we’ve been through, and so created Top Hat Driving
School. In addition to becoming an instructor, in 2019 I took a further exam
with the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) to become an Advanced Driver,
putting a spotlight on driver safety and skills. I bring these advanced driving
techniques to my teaching, as well as being assessed as a DVSA grade A
instructor (Standards Check 2021). I am conscious of Climate Change and the
impact driving has on the environment. Therefore I am commited to giving all my
learners methods for driving in a more eco-friendly way, reducing our impact on
the environment, and saving money too. I carbon offset all my annual mileage
with Carbon Footprint, choose petrol over diesel, and in the not too distant
future intend to go fully electric.
