Driving lessons in Bentley

Where Bentley is and where we pick you up

Bentley sits two miles north of Doncaster city centre on the far bank of the River Don, in the DN5 postcode district. It grew up as a mining village around Bentley Colliery, which closed in 1993, and the old pit land is now Bentley Community Woodland off The Avenue. The ward runs north to Toll Bar and east to Arksey, with part of Scawthorpe on its western edge.

Your instructor can collect you from home or from your workplace. School and college pick-ups are fine too. Handy meeting points include Bentley station on Church Street, the roads near Bentley New Village Primary School on Asquith Road, and the High Street by Bentley High Street Primary. If you live in West End or Rostholme, we start from your street.

The roads you work through, from first lesson to test standard

Bentley suits learners because the difficulty builds in sensible steps. Most pupils follow something close to this order, moving on when they are ready.

1. Quiet streets first. The short residential roads off The Avenue (Burns Street, Edward Street, Alexandra Street, Elm Crescent) are where you learn moving off and pulling up at the kerb at low speed.
2. Junctions. The T-junctions where Cooke Street and Denby Street meet Askern Road teach you to judge gaps in steady A19 traffic.
3. Parked cars. High Street narrows where cars park on both sides, and children cross near the primary school at the start and end of the day.
4. The railway. The level crossing beside Bentley station on Church Street gets you used to waiting at barriers with a queue behind you.
5. Main roads. Bentley Road and Askern Road together carry the A19 through Bentley. Expect pedestrian crossings and buses pulling in and out.
6. Faster roads. York Road (the A638) past Centurion Retail Park, the A19 north through Toll Bar, and later the A1(M) from Red House on a motorway lesson.

From Bentley to the Doncaster test centre

Doncaster's practical test centre is at Unit 10 and 11 Heather Court, Shaw Wood Business Park, Shaw Wood Way, DN2 5YL, on the Armthorpe side of the city. On a map it is less than three miles almost due east of Bentley, but the River Don and the railway lines sit in between, so the drive goes round. A usual way is south on Bentley Road over the causeway and the river bridge, along North Bridge Road, then east on Church Way and Wheatley Hall Road (the A630).

DVSA does not publish test routes, so nobody can tell you exactly where your test will go. What we can do is make sure you have driven plenty of roads like the ones around the test centre. That means multi-lane roundabouts and lane changes in moving traffic. Read our guide to the Doncaster driving test for the eyesight check, the show me tell me questions and the independent driving section.

Lesson types for Bentley learners

• Manual driving lessons in Bentley: the causeway on Bentley Road and the queues at the High Street give you plenty of clutch control work.
• Automatic driving lessons in Bentley: suits the stop-start A19 at school times and leads to an automatic-only licence.
• Beginner driving lessons in Bentley: your first hour can be spent on the calm roads around The Avenue.
• Intensive driving courses in Bentley: Bentley is close enough to the test centre to fit long practice days around it.
• Refresher driving lessons in Bentley: useful if the A19 crossing works or city centre lanes have changed since you last drove.
• Lessons for nervous drivers in Bentley: we can stay in the New Village until you feel settled.
• Motability driving lessons in Bentley: automatic, dual controlled cars with pick-up from your home.
• Mock driving tests from Bentley: a full test-style drive starting on the roads you know.

Choosing a male or female instructor

Some learners feel more at ease with a woman beside them, others do not mind. You can ask for either when you book. Our female driving instructors include Loredana, a co-founder who works well with nervous learners, and Diana, who teaches automatic and fits lessons around family timetables. Our male driving instructors include Bogdan in a manual car and Sergiu, who explains why a mistake happened so you can fix it.

Our instructors are all DBS checked and most are DVSA approved driving instructors (ADIs), and every car has dual controls. You can read what pupils say on our reviews page.

Prices and getting ready

Current lesson prices and block booking packages are on our prices page, with more detail in our guide to driving lesson prices in Doncaster. Before your first lesson you need a provisional licence, which you can apply for from 15 years and 9 months. Book your theory test early, as you must pass it before the practical test can be booked. Our theory test guide covers the hazard perception clips. If you are torn between gearboxes, our guide to choosing a manual or automatic licence helps.

Questions from Bentley learners

Do you cover Arksey and Toll Bar as well as Bentley?

Yes. Arksey and Toll Bar are part of the Bentley ward and sit on the same roads, so pick-up there works the same way. Toll Bar learners often start on the quieter side streets before joining Askern Road, while Arksey pupils tend to use Arksey Lane to reach Bentley.

How far is the driving test centre from Bentley?

The centre at Shaw Wood Business Park is less than three miles east of Bentley in a straight line. By road you head south into the city first and then east along the A630, so allow longer than the map suggests, especially at school times.

Can you pick me up from Bentley station?

Yes. Church Street by Bentley station works well as a pick-up point, particularly if you are coming home from work or college on the Wakefield line. Tell us when you book and your instructor will meet you there.

Will my lessons include driving into Doncaster city centre?

They will once you are ready. Most Bentley learners first cross the River Don on Bentley Road after they are comfortable with junctions and the A19. From there you can practise the city centre lanes and roundabouts covered on our Doncaster town centre page.