Motability Scheme lessons in Wheatley

Lessons built around you

The best way to begin is a chat. Call us on 07402 034084 or send a WhatsApp message, and let us know about any adaptations you use and any health conditions that affect driving. It helps us decide together whether our cars are right for you, and how to plan your first lesson.

Our cars are automatic, so there is no clutch, and every car has dual controls. Our instructors are all DBS checked and most are DVSA approved driving instructors (ADIs).

Convenient pick-up points in Wheatley

We can collect you from your door, which is often the easiest option. Other pick-up points that work well for many learners include:

• Doncaster Royal Infirmary on Armthorpe Road, if you have appointments or work there
• Wheatley Family Hub on Old School Way, off Beckett Road
• The Wheatley Centre shopping park on Wheatley Hall Road
• Your college or workplace

Tell us what you need around getting in and out of the car, and we will choose a spot with enough room.

Why automatic cars help

Many disabled learners find an automatic gearbox makes a real difference. With no clutch pedal and no gear lever to work, there is less physical effort, and more of your energy goes on reading the road. That matters on Wheatley's busier stretches, such as the stop-start traffic on Thorne Road or the queues near the Wheatley Centre.

As your lessons progress, you will move from the quieter streets near home onto Wheatley Hall Road and towards the test centre near Sandall Park, which is only a few minutes from Wheatley. Being close to the test centre means less time spent travelling in each lesson, which helps if long sessions are tiring for you.

PIP and starting to drive at 16

Normally you can drive a car from your 17th birthday, though you can send off for a provisional licence three months before you turn 16. For people on the enhanced rate of the mobility part of PIP, or who have applied for it, that age drops to 16.

Apply online with the GOV.UK provisional licence service. Once your licence arrives, we can start on the quiet side roads off Beckett Road before building up to Thorne Road and Wheatley Hall Road.

You will also need to pass your theory test at Fraser House on Netherhall Road before booking the practical test, and support such as extra time can be requested when you book on GOV.UK.

Help with the cost of lessons

The Motability Foundation runs a driving lessons grant that can cover up to 40 hours of lessons. To qualify you need to be on the Motability Scheme, have passed your theory test and meet some extra conditions, including receiving a means-tested benefit. The Foundation organises the funded lessons itself, so check with them first: call 0800 500 3186 or visit the Motability Foundation website.

If you do not qualify for the grant or would like to start sooner, you can book lessons with us privately.

Specialist driving assessments

Not sure which adaptations you need? Driving Mobility, a charity, carries out car driving and adaptation assessments. It runs an outreach centre in Doncaster, booked through its Leeds centre, so you can get expert advice locally.

Find out more on our main Motability driving lessons page. Learners in Kirk Sandall can see Motability driving lessons in Kirk Sandall, and for the wider picture in DN2 see driving lessons in Wheatley.

Motability Scheme driving lessons in Wheatley: your questions

Do you teach disabled learners in Wheatley?

Yes. We teach disabled learners and Motability Scheme customers in automatic, dual controlled cars. Call us to talk through your needs, including any adaptations, before your first lesson.

Can the Motability Foundation pay for my lessons with Alma?

The Foundation arranges grant-funded lessons itself, so you should check eligibility with them directly on 0800 500 3186. If you are not eligible, or want to start sooner, you can learn with us as a private pupil.

Can I be picked up from the hospital?

Yes. Doncaster Royal Infirmary on Armthorpe Road is close to Wheatley, and we can arrange to collect you there if that is easier, for example after an appointment or a shift.

Where can I get an adaptation assessment?

Driving Mobility runs a Doncaster outreach centre for driving and adaptation assessments, arranged through its Leeds centre. It is a good first step if you are not sure what controls you need.