Terms & Conditions
The following terms and conditions represent the basis upon which training is offered by Valley School of motoring.
The provision of training is subject to the acceptance of these terms and conditions.
1. Driving Licence
You must hold a current, valid, provisional, full or international driving licence and produce it on (or in advance of) your first training session.
2. Fitness To Drive
You must be fit to drive with regard to legal and medical requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are fit to drive on each of your lessons or test.
Sickness, tiredness, alcohol, illegal drugs or medication may affect your driving; any of these could put you and other road users in serious danger. Please note that some ‘over the counter’ medication may affect levels of concentration, always read the instructions. If you are taking any medication, please check with your doctor or pharmacist to ensure they will not affect your driving.
If you have recently ingested alcohol, illegal drugs or medication please inform your Driving Instructor. In the interests of public safety, we reserve the right to cancel your driving lesson or refuse the use of the driving school vehicle for the driving test if there is any suspicion of impairment because of illness, drugs or alcohol.
You may face action from the Police or the Crown Prosecution Service if you choose to ignore the law with regarding fitness to drive.
3. Payments and Cancellation:
Tuition fees are normally payable in advance. Payment can be made by cash, cheque or BACS payment. Any cheques offered for payment that are subsequently refused by the bank will be subject to an administration charge of £15.00.
If either you or your instructor needs to cancel or re-arrange a lesson; at least 48 hours’ notice will be required for single lessons of up to two hours duration. Lessons longer than a planned duration of 2 hours need a minimum of 96 hours (4 days) notice. Failure to give notice will result in a valid claim for an equivalent value in compensation.
Your instructor will do everything possible to ensure that your lessons start and finish on time, but reserves the right to cancel, postpone or change lesson lengths and start/finish times under certain circumstances (For example; dangerous weather conditions, traffic delays etc.). In the event of postponement fees paid in advance will be carried forward.
The instructor reserves the right to cancel a lesson at short notice if it is suspected that the pupil may be unfit due to the effects of alcohol, illegal drugs or medication or any other condition that would cause his/her driving to be dangerous or illegal. In such circumstances the lesson fee will be payable.
Any package purchased must be redeemed within 4 months of date of purchase. Failure to do so will allow Valley School of Motoring to retain any unused credit at their discretion.
4. Bookings and Lesson duration
Your instructor will endeavour to maintain regular lesson slots at the same time each week to ensure continuity of learning, however, this cannot be guaranteed. The minimum lesson period is one hour. If, for any reason, the instructor is late for the lesson he/she will make a concerted effort to inform the pupil of the estimated time of arrival. If the delay is greater than 15 minutes this time will be credited to the pupil and when possible the lesson will be extended by the time due, if this is not possible the extra time will be carried forward to the next suitable lesson.
5. Training Location:
All sessions will start and finish at the same location unless alternative arrangements are made in advance. The instructor will determine a location for practical lessons which ensures both the pupil’s and public safety this means that the instructor may need to drive the pupil to and from the lesson location; this journey time forms part of the lesson as paid for.
6. Training vehicles:
Training vehicles provided by the school are taxed, insured for the purposes of driving tuition, fully roadworthy and fitted with dual controls. Pupils who require or request tuition in their own vehicle must supply evidence from their motor insurer that the car is covered for lessons when being supervised by a professional instructor in return for payment. The car must also be taxed and hold a current MOT certificate where appropriate.
7. Driving Tests & Bookings
Your instructor reserves the right to refuse use of a driving school vehicle for test if he/she considers that provision of a vehicle could cause a risk to public safety. Where a driving school car is used for test, the booking period will based upon the instructor’s normal diary schedule. Depending on the time of the test this will require a minimum two hour booking and possibly longer.
While your instructor will make every effort to ensure that the vehicle supplied for test will be fully road worthy and comply with all legal requirements at the start of the test, he/she cannot be held responsible for vehicle failure that occurs during the test and is not liable for consequential loss.
Your instructor cannot be held responsible for test appointments cancelled by the DVSA due to bad weather, sickness, staff shortages or other reasons. Such cancellations are beyond the control of your instructor and therefore, the lesson fee and ‘use of car’ fee for the booked period will be charged. Your instructor will advise about claiming compensation from the DVSA.
8. Code of Practice
Your instructor agrees to abide by the conditions of the Professional Code of Practice (a copy of which will be provided on request). In the unlikely event of complaint or dispute the guidelines of the Code of Practice will be adhered to.
9. Your Rights
These conditions do not affect any protection that you have under consumer legislation. We reserve the right to change or alter any of the terms and conditions without notice, but will endeavour to inform pupils of any changes as soon as possible.