Testimonials

Hi Michael, sorry I haven't contacted you sooner.
I saw you teaching another student yesterday and it reminded me that I haven't properly thanked you for all the help and guidance that you gave to me in the short time that I was learning with you. From the stories that I have heard from others that are learning to drive, it's suppose to be 'difficult'. But somehow you managed to make it seem easier by taking small steps toward learning to drive. I have now been driving for 3 months, and you will be pleased to hear that I have had no 'near misses' or accidents yet. I feel very safe . From reading through the other testimonials that other students have left you, it seems to be the case across the board that you are an excellent instructor and I am recommending you to my friends that have held back from learning to drive.
Many thanks.
TB - Northampton

Michael is the best driving instructor I have known. I am very glad that I have finally found an excellent instructor. Michael is my fourth ! I have even learnt with one of the big National companies before but I have found that not all driving instructors provide value for money.
The three driving instructors’ before never really explained where I needed to improve so I can honestly say a driving instructor like Michael is hard to come by. My aunt recommended me to Michael after passing her driving test and I will strongly recommend him to anyone who wants to learn driving. He is really helping me with my driving.
AT - Northampton

The thought of learning to drive presented me with a mixture of excitement and lots of apprehension, yet after just a few lessons with Michael, I have really started to feel relaxed and confident with my driving. This is down to both the excellent tuition and thoroughness of his teaching, along with his great personality, enthusiasm and understanding. I would definately recommend him to anyone who wants to enjoy learning to drive.
IC - Northampton

I was quite nervous before my first driving lesson as i had never driven a car before. However Michael was really reassuring and friendly. I have now done just 5 lessons but already feel like i have learnt so much and i would really recommend him to anyone who's thinking of learning to drive or wanting to change instructors.
DM - Northampton

Hi Michael - I just wanted to say "thank you" for helping me to pass my driving test. I would recommend you as an instructor to anyone - not only as you taught me well and prepare me for my test, you also gave me the confidence that I needed to believe I could do it. I sailed through my test because of your excellent teaching. You are the best driving instructor I know and I will tell all my friends about you!!
AB - Northampton

I was really impressed with Michael as an instructor. Before meeting with Michael I had lost confidence in my own driving skills, due partly to my previous instructor being quite negative with feedback. I was rarely praised for my good points but often criticised for my mistakes. Michael helped me get my confidence back by explaining things clearly and this resulted in getting my driving back on track and to a really good standard. Michael likes to involve himself a lot more than others to make sure that what I was doing was right and allowed me the right amount of practice. I would be more than happy to refer him to others who need lessons because he helped so much and that is something I am truly grateful for. I passed with 2 minors. I even sat my Pass Plus and Motorway lessons with Michael and felt that I had really learned valuable skills to keep me safe on the roads.
DH - Wellingborough

Regarding Michael and Accona Driving Academy. The lessons I had with Michael were fantastic! I really enjoyed driving and found myself looking forward to each session especially as I felt safe and comfortable in the knowledge that i was improving every lesson. I found Mike really easy to get along with and a very good instructor. I did have some experience of learning with another driving school before coming to Accona but I found I progressed at a much quicker rate for the same price. Mike caters for all personalities and even altered his teaching technique to reflect the way I was likely to learn best. And I could see he is passionate about his work and strives to improve - his teaching was clear and precise and near enough 10/10 in my opinion. If I did something wrong Mike would definitely make clear what I needed to correct but delivered this in a way that did not put me under pressure. As a result i would rarely do it a second time. I found myself going into my practical test knowing everything I needed to pass. The lessons prepared me well and they certainly met my expectations - I ended up passing my test with only 3 minors which I largely put down to the standard of teaching and teaching methods. I would definitely recommend him to my friends and family: he's a top class driving instructor and a nice guy too!
BB - Northampton

I felt I learned a considerable amount with Michael compared to the driving instructor I had prior to him. I passed first time with only 3 minor points. Michael was recommended to me by a family member who, after having lessons with him, also passed first time.
I found I was more relaxed with Michael teaching me as he was very patient and always had innovative ideas to enable me to remember things. Michael did not repeat something over and over again if I was already competent (as many instructors do), but alternated and varied my lessons so that I was always learning something new and then in addition, gave me time towards the end to have a go at the things I needed practise on. This made me feel that my lessons were always useful and good value for money.
Michael clearly explained the theory side of things including parts of the car and the safety questions that would be asked. He gave me a two hour lesson prior to my test and did a practise ‘mock’ run to give me an idea of the test environment and the manner in which the examiner would operate. This ensured that I was fully prepared at the time of my test and everything was fresh in my mind.
All in all I would say that Michael is a very knowledgeable instructor with good ideas and good people skills and I would happily recommend him to anyone that is learning to drive.
AM - Northampton

It was only a few months ago I was considering driving and after looking around for a driving instructor I decided to use Accona because of it's excellent reputation. I was very impressed with the service, every lesson was enjoyable and educational and I never felt like I was doing anything wrong. If I made a mistake then there wasn't any pressure. Every lesson was taken one step at a time and progressed as and when I was ready. I was taught how to drive safely and how good defensive driving is always the safest way to drive and that rule still applies to my driving today.
I passed my practical driving test first time and decided to continue to educate myself by doing the Pass Plus course with Accona. I found the Pass Plus course to be very useful with driving in the dark on country roads as well as on the Motorway. I even saved some money on my car insurance!!
DH - Northampton

I first had driving lessons about 12 years ago and really didn’t enjoy it. I had 3 different instructors who were all wrong for me so I gave up because I was just too nervous to drive. After I had my son I decided that I had to give it another go.
Fortunately , I was put in touch with Michael Aldridge who made me feel completely safe and relaxed behind the wheel from the very beginning. It was the first time I had ever enjoyed a driving lesson and despite the nerves, I was even excited to learn to drive. Michael is very thorough and methodical and very dedicated to his job and his students which really made me want to do well. I trusted his judgement and constantly felt that he respected me. Michael’s fault analysis was always positive and I never felt belittled. He made me feel that any 'mistakes' were opportunities to learn. When I had a problem grasping something, we would discuss it together and work on the task until I felt comfortable. When the time came to book my test, although I felt some nervousness, I also felt completely ready. Nobody was really surprised when I passed first time with only 5 minors.
I have now been driving for nine months and I’ve driven all over the UK, which really is amazing as just a little while ago I wouldn’t even drive round the Mereway Tesco roundabout in Northampton ! I’m so grateful to Michael for really being so dedicated to his work and for being a perfectionist which makes others around him strive for the same with great results. Thank you !!
HM - Northampton

I was very nervous about learning to drive; I thought it would be very difficult and complicated. I started my lessons with Michael in May 2006 and passed my test in November 2006 – I thought it would take me a long time to learn everything I needed to but driving with Michael was very easy.
When I first met him he made me feel very comfortable and at ease. He explained to me everything I would learn and how I would do this and at first seemed a lot to take in.
However, he always explained everything easily and clearly so I always understood exactly what I was to do and if I didn't understand it was very easy to tell him and he would then explain it to me again.
He made driving very easy to learn and gave me all the knowledge I needed to get me out onto the roads safely. When learning to do manoeuvres I was very nervous as I thought I would forget how to do them but he gave me very easy and simple tools on how to do them and practised them with me until I felt comfortable.
There are always situations out on the roads where you may not know which lanes to be in or another car has caused obstructions but when ever this was the case and I was unsure on what to do, Michael would talk me through the whole situation and make me feel very calm and at ease.
I have now been driving for a year and I have freedom and independence and this is all down to Michael. I recommended my sister to him and she is now driving with him and looking to pass her test in March. My friend is also driving with him and looking to pass her test in February.
Michael is a very good instructor; his instructions are clear and easy to understand. As well as being professional and very honest with you, he is very easy to get along with.
AA - Northampton

I took my Pass Plus course with Accona Driving Academy. I found it a very worthwhile experience. I received excellent tuition and noticed significant improvement in my driving ability, going far beyond what I learnt before passing my test. Most of all, the course was enjoyable and I would definitely recommend it to all drivers.
WB - Northampton

Hi Michael - I wanted to thank you for the time and effort you put into teaching me how to drive. I have now been passed for six months and since getting my own car, i've been getting alot more experience and i've noticed that i'm a lot more confident now. I really feel that I have the skills to stay safe on the roads.
CE - Northampton

Mike is a great instructor. When i first left Liverpool and my normal instructor i never thought i would find anybody as good as him. Then, whilst i was working, I met Mike and I found him very professional and easy to get on with. When i started lessons I believed that I was quite good and competent enough to sit my test. However, Michael worked on the small details of my driving that would make the difference to actually passing my test and looking back, he made me a much better driver. His teaching style is relaxed and he never shouts or tells you that you are wrong - he just explains clearly how you could do it that much better and it helps because he just gives you the confidence to do it. I passed my test with him in 2007 and i have really enjoyed driving since as i still follow his advice and he's always there if I have any problems or not sure about the rules of the road. I was pleasantly surprised that he has taken an interest in my driving after I have passed my test as well as before passing and I honestly feel that he had a genuine interest in teaching me to drive well long after our lessons together. Thanks for all your help Michael
GM - Northampton

Accona Driving Academy is a very confident learning school to go with. I was very comfortable with Michael my driving instructor and he always explained information to me that didn’t sound like jargon. I am now the proud owner of my full driving licence thanks to all the help from him, so if you want to become a very confident driver yourself then I can highly recommend Accona - they really helped me and when my son gets old enough to learn that’s who he will go with too. I will have every confidence that they will teach him to drive safely as well. So thank you Michael for everything that you have taught me - I cant wait to be on the roads in my own car, Clare.
CW - Northampton

Michael is a very down to earth person who can connect and communicate very well with the students he is teaching.
His teaching is done in a very unique way that can make people feel like learning isn’t a hard chore but a fun experience that will be a great help in the future.
He gets the points of driving across to the students extremely well so that their driving skills are always developing and improving.
JM - Northampton

I am pleased to say that I passed first time under the instruction of Michael Aldridge. I highly recommend him to anyone looking to learn the skills needed to drive safely on today’s hectic roads. He is a dedicated instructor using patient methods of teaching and I felt I learned to drive safely well beyond taking my test. Passing my test even allowed me to get a new job as a delivery driver. I am very grateful as I will carry the knowledge and experience gained with me for the rest of my life. My sister is now taking lessons with him and I will recommend Michael to anyone else I hear looking for a good driving instructor.
BF - Northampton

Following a recommendation from a friend of mine who passed first time I decided to use Accona.
Michael was very professional and friendly.
With his help I was able to learn and gain confidence very quickly and managed to pass first time as well.
Everything was explained clearly so that I could really understand how to drive safely and to understand where I needed to change my driving style.
His knowledge and patience is still helping me today as I drive my own car independently.
I would recommend Accona to anyone who would like to learn how to drive properly, safely and cost effectively
RC - Northampton

Mike is a great guy with a really laid back style of teaching.
He knows his car like the back of his hand and easily taught me the manoeuvres using his extremely simple to learn technique. You've got to try it.
Within only a handful of lessons my confidence was up, and we drove out of town to unknown roads with ease.
It only took a couple of lessons a week after work, and within a couple of months I PASSED FIRST TIME! :O)
VP - Wellingborough