Refresher lessons · Oxford

Refresher Driving Lessons in Oxford

You already hold a licence. You just have not used it lately, or not on roads like these. Refresher lessons pick up exactly where your confidence stopped, at whatever pace that takes, with no test at the end and nobody rushing you. Manual or automatic, pick up from anywhere in Oxford, and a female instructor is available on request.

βœ“ No L plates, no test, and no need to explain why you stopped driving.
Full licence holders Overseas licences welcome Female instructor on request Dual controlled car
Start with an assessment

£85

Two hours, so we can see where you actually are.

2 hour assessment£85
10 hour block£420
20 hour block£820

Most refresher drivers need only a few lessons. After the first one your instructor will give you an honest number rather than a package.

See all prices

750+

Learners passed in Oxford

98%

Would recommend
us

87%

First Time Pass Rate
What we work on
Nobody starts from the beginning

Where Confidence Usually Goes

Refresher lessons are not driving lessons again. They are targeted at the two or three things that have gone rusty, which for most people are the same two or three things.

  • ARoundabouts and lane choiceKnowing which lane you should be in before you are committed to it. The Eastern Bypass and the Cutteslowe roundabouts are where this gets sorted out properly.
  • BBusy traffic and junctionsReading what is happening far enough ahead that you are never surprised. Cowley Road and the Botley Road do that work for us within minutes of setting off.
  • CParking and manoeuvresReversing, parallel parking and bay parking. Usually the first thing to go and the quickest to get back.
  • DMotorways and dual carriagewaysJoining, merging and lane discipline at speed on the A34 and the A40. If motorways are the whole reason you are here, say so when you book.

How a refresher lesson actually works

The first one is an assessment, not a test. Nobody is marking you and nothing is being reported anywhere.

  • You drive, your instructor watches and says very little at first
  • You get an honest view of what is fine and what needs work
  • You get a number of hours, and it is usually smaller than people expect
  • Lessons are in our dual controlled car, so there is a second set of pedals
  • No L plates, no test at the end, and you stop whenever you are ready

See the full price list

Prices
The same rates as any other lesson

Refresher Lesson Prices

There is no separate refresher rate and no course you have to commit to. Most people start with a two hour assessment and take it from there. Manual and automatic cost the same.

Start here

2 hours

£85
Assessment lesson
  • Manual or automatic
  • Pick up across Oxford
  • An honest plan at the end of it

10 hours

£420
Prepaid block
  • Cheaper than paying by the lesson
  • Usually two hours at a time
  • Use them at whatever pace suits you

20 hours

£820
Longer rebuild
  • For a long time away from driving
  • Or for building up to motorways
  • Spread over as many weeks as you like

NHS and students

£80
2 hours with valid ID
  • 10 hours £400
  • 20 hours £790
  • Valid NHS or student ID required

Out of area

£90
2 hours outside Oxford
  • Wheatley, Abingdon and Bicester
  • 10 hours £430
  • 20 hours £840

Lessons are two hours as standard. NHS staff and students pay the discounted rate on production of valid ID. We ask for at least 48 hours notice to cancel or move a lesson. There is no test fee to worry about, because refresher lessons do not lead to a test.

Which one are you?
Two very different starting points

Coming Back, or Starting Here

Refresher drivers arrive from two directions, and the lessons look quite different depending on which one you are.

Coming back to driving

You passed here, years ago
  • You know the rules, your hands have just forgotten the car
  • Manoeuvres and roundabouts usually come back within a lesson or two
  • Roads have changed, so we cover bus lanes, filters and new junctions
  • Often only a handful of hours in total
  • The nerves are usually the last thing to go, not the first

New to driving in the UK

You passed abroad
  • You can already drive, so we start from road craft rather than controls
  • Driving on the left until it stops being a conscious decision
  • UK roundabout priority, which catches out almost everybody
  • British road signs, markings and speed limit rules
  • Check how long you can drive on your existing licence before you book
If you passed outside the UK How long you can keep driving on a licence issued abroad depends on which country issued it and how long you have been resident here. Check your entitlement on GOV.UK before booking, because it decides whether you need refresher lessons or a full UK test. If it turns out you need to sit a test, our manual and automatic lessons cover that instead, and very little of what you already know is wasted.
Oxford roads
The bits people tell us they avoid

The Roads You Have Been Avoiding

Almost everybody who calls us names one of these. Whichever one it is, we go there, and we go there before it has grown any bigger in your head.

The Eastern Bypass

A4142 · OX4

Multi lane roundabouts and merging at speed. The single most common reason people book a refresher lesson in Oxford.

Cowley Road

East Oxford · OX4

Bus lanes, cyclists, parked cars and constant crossings. Several side streets now have camera filters that did not exist a few years ago.

Botley Road and the A34

West Oxford · OX2

Joining a fast dual carriageway from a standing queue. Worth doing a few times with somebody calm sitting next to you.

The city centre

Oxford · OX1

Bus gates, one way systems and restricted streets. Knowing which roads you simply cannot use is half the confidence.

Cutteslowe and North Oxford

Summertown · OX2

The roundabouts onto the A40 and the ring road, approached from every direction until the lane choice stops being a guess.

Parking, anywhere

Residential Oxford

Parallel parking on a real street with a real car behind you, rather than in an empty car park where it always works.

Where we pick up Anywhere in Oxford, including Headington, Marston, Iffley, Jericho, Littlemore, Blackbird Leys and Kidlington. Wheatley, Abingdon and Bicester are covered at our out of area rate.
What we offer
Whatever it is you actually need

More Than Refresher Lessons

Not everybody who calls about a refresher lesson turns out to need one. Here is the rest of it.

βš™

Moving to an automatic

A common reason to book a refresher. A few hours is usually enough to get comfortable in an automatic if you have only ever driven a manual.

πŸš—

Back into a manual

If your clutch confidence and your hill starts have gone, that is normal after a break, and it is one of the quicker things to rebuild.

πŸŽ–

Pass Plus

Structured practice in motorway, dual carriageway and night driving. Designed for newer drivers, and it can reduce some insurance premiums.

⚑

Intensive courses

If it turns out you need a full UK test rather than a refresher, a course gets you there in weeks rather than months.

πŸŽ“

Student and NHS rates

Discounted rates for students and for NHS staff on production of valid ID, with early and late slots for shift work.

❓

Learning to drive questions

Licences, entitlements and what the rules actually say. The common questions, answered properly.

Is this you?
People who book refresher lessons

Refresher Lessons Suit

πŸ•‘Drivers who passed years ago and have barely driven since
🌎People who passed abroad and have never driven on UK roads
πŸ“Anyone who has just moved to Oxford and finds the roads harder than expected
πŸ”„Drivers switching between manual and automatic for the first time
πŸ›£Confident drivers who avoid one specific thing, usually motorways or parking
πŸ₯NHS staff starting a role that needs them to drive between sites
At a glance Oxon Driving Tuitions runs refresher driving lessons across Oxford for people who already hold a driving licence, in both manual and automatic cars, with pick up from home or work. Refresher lessons are charged at our standard rates: £85 for a two hour lesson, £420 for ten hours prepaid and £820 for twenty hours. NHS staff and students pay £80 for two hours, £400 for ten and £790 for twenty on production of valid ID. Lessons in Wheatley, Abingdon and Bicester are charged at the out of area rate, from £90 for two hours. Most refresher drivers need only a few hours, and we recommend starting with a two hour assessment so your instructor can give you an honest number. You do not need a provisional licence and you do not need L plates, because refresher lessons are for full licence holders and do not lead to a test. Lessons are taught in our dual controlled car, and using your own car may be possible by arrangement depending on insurance. A female instructor is available on request. Lessons run Monday to Friday from 7am to 9pm and Saturday from 9am to 6pm. We ask for at least 48 hours notice to cancel or move a lesson. Call 01865 763458 or book online.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions

Refresher Driving Lessons: Your Questions Answered

Do I need a provisional licence for refresher lessons?
No. Refresher lessons are for people who already hold a full driving licence. You do not need a provisional, you do not need L plates on the car, and there is no test at the end unless you want one for another reason.
How many refresher lessons will I need?
Fewer than most people expect. Many drivers need only a handful of hours, because the knowledge is still there and it is the confidence that has slipped. We recommend starting with a two hour assessment so your instructor can watch you drive and give you an honest number rather than selling you a block you do not need.
Can I use my own car?
Lessons are normally taught in our dual controlled car, which means there is a second set of pedals if you need them. Using your own car may be possible by arrangement, but it depends on insurance, so ask us when you book rather than assuming either way.
I have not driven for over ten years. Is that too long?
No, and it is more common than you think. A long gap changes the plan rather than the outcome. We usually spend the first lesson on quiet residential streets getting the controls back under your hands, and only move into traffic once that part is comfortable. Nobody is going to put you on the ring road on day one.
I passed my test abroad. Can you help?
Yes. Drivers who passed outside the UK are one of the groups we teach most often, and the lessons focus on road craft rather than controls: driving on the left until it stops being a conscious decision, UK roundabout priority, and British signs and markings. Before you book, check on GOV.UK how long you are entitled to drive on your existing licence, because that decides whether you need refresher lessons or a full UK test.
Do you offer automatic refresher lessons?
Yes. Refresher lessons are available in both manual and automatic at the same price. Moving from a manual to an automatic is one of the most common reasons people book with us, and it usually takes only a few hours.
Can I ask for help with just one thing, like motorways or parking?
Yes, and plenty of people do. If the only thing standing between you and driving normally is parallel parking, or joining the A34, then that is what the lessons cover. Tell us when you book so your instructor can plan the route around it.
How do I book a refresher lesson?
Book online through our booking page, or call 01865 763458 and speak to us directly. We will ask when you last drove and what you would like to work on, then arrange a pick up point that suits you.

Ready to Get Back on the Road?

Start with two hours and no commitment beyond that. Tell us when you last drove and what you would rather avoid, and we will work from there.