Varney Driving School - York

Trudy H.

James was great with my son Jake. Jake is v shy and James put him at ease and made him feel comfortable. James is friendly, calm and patient. We are delighted Jake has passed his driving test.

Mariya G.

Patient, thorough and considerate, I cannot recommend James enough. As an older learner, I appreciate his ability to adapt the lessons to match your unique style of learning. I also liked his focus on getting you to first understand the reasons behind the rules of the road instead of just telling you to drive a certain way. Because of that, I have passed my test feeling confident that I have good technique and can drive safely.

Henry

Just passed my test with James. Our lessons have been excellent. He teaches safe and efficient ways of driving and has a good amount of patience. Notices things you need to improve on and helps you with it. A rather charismatic fellow too, which was nice. I'd certainly recommend him.

As a bonus, he's a Dr. Who/Harry Potter fan, so that's good news if you're one too!

Harry O.

James is an excellent driving instructor, adapting his teaching style to fit me and make me into a safe and confident driver - and I passed by test first time. Cannot recommend enough!

Mike L. C. (. C.

Adaptable, intelligent & trustworthy person, who is an even better driving instructor.

I was learning to drive on and off for 15-20 years, had a number of good instructors, all of whom I enjoyed talking to... Which may have been part of why I hadn't passed in any of my previous attempts.

When I met James, I didn't emotionally feel like I'd ever pass the practical driving test and with 3-4 practical fails, plus numerous theory tests under my belt, I felt like history had shown me the limits of my ability.
That all changed when I started learning with James, so after a waiting period, when I got the call to ask it I was still interested, I was delighted to say yes and be officially on his books.

I immediately found James to be adaptable to my learning needs, making doubly sure I understood, explaining differently and talking things through in the times I didn't feel confident, the result of which was that I felt less of a frustrated urge to give up.

James is a genuinely wonderful person who is a delight to spend a few focused hours in a car with. I feel like our working relationship blossomed to the point where I would look forward to our humorous moments and now I've passed I know I'll miss the comfort of feeling like my teacher is also a friend.

After one year of 2-4 hour lessons once a week and through lockdowns, I passed my first practical driving test with James - the first in 5 or more years - and 1 month before the birth of my first child who will benefit from being driven around as they grow up <3 I feel so confident driving and exploring my potential that I am even considering an advanced driving course! So if you're looking for a flexible and clear instructor who is always quick to communicate, contact Varney Driving School to find out when there's a vacancy. Hearty thanks forever and hopefully, I'll see you around. Mike C (2020 - 2021 pupil)

Piney P.

James is a great driving instructor would recommend to other. I pass my test first try thanks to him teaching me

Archie K.

I passed my test with James last summer. He had been my instructor for a long time due to lockdowns, breaks and other circumstances causing me to need longer time learning. He was extremely attentive, informative and overall a very friendly person. I would highly recommend him as a driver instructor, as helped me pass my test but more importantly taught me to be a safe and sensible driver.

Cecile L.

James gave me clear driving instruction. I had a regular two hour lesson once a week while I was in sixth form and then was able to continue with more flexible lessons through taking cancellations once I had gone away to university. Even after I had moved away I was able to get generally at least one and often several more lessons a week. We started near my house with the basics and then advanced to different roads around York. I felt consistently challenged but never pushed to do anything beyond my capabilities. In the run up to my test we also did lots of practise tests which I found particularly useful. James gave me resources to study for my theory test. Because of these I was able to study effectively and pass first time. James taught me very thoroughly and to a high standard valuing both safety and precision with driving. I also passed my driving test first time because of a combination of James' rigorous teaching and practise on my part.