LDC Driving School - Adam Kearns

16/08/2026

The UK gutter press and social media are at it again!

Sensational headlines want us to believe that over 70s will need to take a driving test in order to keep their driving licences. This is deliberately misleading.

Currently UK driving licences last until the driver's 70th birthday. After this they must renew it. The government is proposing a change which will require drivers to take an eyesight test when they renew their licence. There are no plans for any kind of driving test during the renewal process.

https://fullfact.org/politics/over-70s-driving-test-retake-false/

28/06/2026

The real reason why your "driving instructor" won't take you to your test.

It's becoming more common for learners to be ghosted by their instructor just as they are coming up to their test. Sometimes the instructor tells them that they have a family emergency, or makes a similar excuse, just before the test date.

To become a licenced driving instructor we have to pass three difficult tests. With some low quality instructor training schools the training can cost thousands of pounds, take up to two years, and with poor training there's very little chance of qualifying.

Unfortunately, some people are not bothering to put the hard work in to become legal and licenced instructors. There are many fake instructors operating around the country, including quite recently in Tamworth. There may still be some operating here. They usually don't live locally - they have to keep moving around to avoid being caught. And they absolutely can not go anywhere near a test centre, where they would immediately be rumbled by the examiner, so once the test date gets close they make excuses or just simply disappear.

All driving instructors MUST display their badge on the left hand side of windscreen by law. There are two types of badge: a green octagon and a pink triangle (as pictured). There is either an ADI or PDI number on the badge which can be checked with DVSA to see if your instructor is registered, and therefore legal.

If your instructor refuses to tell you their ADI/PDI number, or their full name, they are NOT legal.

Follow this link for guidance on checking if your instructor is licenced https://www.gov.uk/find-driving-schools-and-lessons

Follow this link for guidance on reporting an unlicensed instructor
https://www.gov.uk/report-an-illegal-driving-instructor

06/06/2026

From 9th June you will only be able to move your driving test to either:
- one of the three nearest test centres to your current booking
- back to the test centre of the original booking

From Lichfield test centre you can only move it to:
- Kingstanding
- Wednesbury
- Burton on Trent

This is the third change to the booking rules to come into force this year.

Since March you can now make changes to the date and/or location of your test on a maximum of two occasions. (Changing the date and location at the same time counts as one change)

Since May only the test candidate can book or make changes to a test appointment. Instructors and third party agents are no longer allowed to book or change tests on your behalf. This includes any test finder apps or non-DVSA online services.

26/05/2026

Congratulations Darcy on passing your test first time with help from LDC Driving School: Adam Kearns. Thanks for leaving this great 5 star review:

“Adam is a great instructor, super friendly and always happy to answer any questions. Improved my confidence on the road. Would 100% recommend to anyone looking for a supportive instructor. The LDC school is fantastic with all of the things provided. The LDC workbook and theory test app significantly helped me to pass my theory test and driving test first time.”

Adam offers automatic lessons in Tamworth, Fazeley, Polesworth, Warton, Austrey and Kingsbury plus the surrounding areas. For more information about lessons, you can visit their website at https://www.courseswithadam.co.uk

17/05/2026

I regularly get enquiries from people wanting to use my car for a test with few or no lessons, usually with an explanation of: "My driving instructor has let me down."

Today I had a conversation with someone who told me her driving instructor, who she has taken all of her lessons with, told her on Friday that she must pay £200 to use the car for her test ... which is this week!

A quick online search suggests that this is a fairly common occurrence, both nationally and here in Tamworth.

Travelling to a test, taking the test, and travelling home takes about two hours of my time, so I have always charged two hours at my usual rate ... and I will continue to do so. Anything else would be extremely unfair, especially when you consider how much the student has already paid for lessons.

To wait until a few days before a test to tell them about the extra charge, knowing that it will be nearly impossible to find another instructor, shows the instructor to be morally bankrupt and a disgrace to the profession, in my opinion.

11/05/2026

From 12 May the rules on who can book and manage driving tests are changing.

From 12 May only you can manage your driving test booking. Anyone who booked your driving test will not be allowed to make changesWhat you need to do: 1. Get...

09/05/2026

Reminder of upcoming changes to the rules around driving test management.

18/04/2026

The AA Driving School and BSM Driving School, which are owned by the same parent company, have been ordered to pay nearly £5 million in fines and refunds for illegally sneaking booking fees into their driving lesson booking process.

This isn't a minor smack on the wrist. This is a massive fine for a serious breach of consumer laws.

They have accepted the ruling and admitted breaking the law.

Although they have now been forced to comply with the law, the booking fee still remains in place.

This shows what those at the highest level within The AA Driving School really think about their paying customers. A disregard, that at least locally, appears to have filtered down to some of it's instructors and their capability to deliver quality learner driver training.

I currently have a number of students who have joined me after becoming dissatisfied with their local AA Driving School and I have had many others over the years.

The problem may be that The AA isn't first and foremost a dedicated driving school. They are a multifaceted business and their priorities may well lie with other, more profitable parts of their business.

In comparison, at LDC, we won't sell you insurance.
We won't help if you break down.
We don't offer financial services.
We won't MOT or service your car.
We won't help you sell your car.
We won't help you buy a car.
We won't help you plan a route.
We won't help you find a hotel.
We don't rate restaurants.

At LDC we do driver training. That's it. And because we don't prioritise any other business we're very, very good at it.

That's why we are National Driving School of the Year... again!

The owner of the driving schools has been fined for failing to disclose fees upfront online.

17/03/2026

DVSA has confirmed the dates that changes to the practical driving test booking process will come into force.

These changes are designed to make test appointments easier to book, reduce waiting times and prevent third party booking agents from hijacking the booking system and selling tests at inflated prices.

- From 31 March it will only be possible to change a driving test appointment a maximum of two times.

- From 12 May it will be ILLEGAL for ANYONE other than the test candidate to book or make changes to a driving test. This means driving instructors will no longer be able to assist with test bookings, changes or swaps in any way. (Subject to Parliamentary approval)

- From 9 June it will only be possible to move a test to one of three other test centres local to the original booking.

Lichfield tests will only be able to swap with Birmingham (Kingstanding), Burton-on-Trent and Wednesbury.

Nuneaton tests will only be able to swap with Coventry, Hinckley and Birmingham (Garretts Green)

You can find out more about these changes here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/changes-to-driving-test-booking-rules-in-2026?utm_source=dvsa&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new-booking-rules&utm_content=message4

05/03/2026

LDC is officially GoRoadie National Driving School of the Year... again!! 🚗🥇

This award was voted for by industry experts AND members of the public, and was contested by all national driving schools, so to win it two years running is a massive achievement. LDC instructors are consistently able to provide learners with the highest quality training because we not only have the best training ourselves, but also because at our head office we have the best team supporting us of any driving school in the UK, and that has been recognised at the highest level... twice!

🏆🥇🏆🥇🏆🥇🏆🥇
In announcing us as winners, GoRoadie said:

"LDC has been committed to delivering high-quality driver education across the UK, empowering learners to become safe and confident drivers... At the heart of LDC's success is its dedication to excellence and ethical practices... ensuring the highest standard of service and training for both learners and instructors....LDC has fostered a culture of integrity and professionalism that has built its reputation as a trusted and respected national driving school."
🚗🎉🚗🎉🚗🎉🚗🎉🚗🎉🚗

If you are starting your driving lessons, we would love you to come and learn with the best driving school and the best driving instructors in the UK. Your success is our success.