Driving Lessons in Paignton
Paignton's compact but well-equipped driving instruction options feature 3 schools with transparent pricing from £40-£44 per hour and impressive 4.9-star average ratings. Two schools provide automatic driving lessons and intensive courses, while one offers female driving instructors. The nearby Newton Abbot test centre maintains a solid 51.9% pass rate for practical tests.
- £40
- prices from
- 3
- driving schools
- 1
- test centre
Top driving schools in Paignton by what matters most
The standout school for each of the most-asked questions.
Bay School of Motoring
Cheapest manual driving school in Paignton.
The Driving School South West
Highest-rated manual driving school in Paignton.
The Driving School South West
Top-rated for automatic driving lessons in Paignton.
iLEARN School of Motoring
Top-rated manual driving school with female instructors in Paignton.
Driving schools and instructors in Paignton
Bay School of Motoring
Block of 10 lessons at £38 per hour, or £40 per hour for single bookings. Door-to-door service across Torbay and South Hams with instructors who know all local test routes, aiming to help students pass first time. Pass Plus courses also available for new drivers seeking insurance discounts.
iLEARN School of Motoring
Grade A instructors with 52 excellent reviews, including multiple first-time passes and learners who've built confidence from scratch. £41–£42 per hour with block deals from £210 for 5 hours up to £410 for 10 hours, plus pay-as-you-go options at £63 for 1.5 hours. Standout for their personalised approach: one instructor donated free lessons to a learner rebuilding confidence after trauma, and another got a nervous late-starter through their test with flying colours.
The Driving School South West
£44 per hour or block deals from £126 for 3 hours, with intensive courses and Pass Plus training also available. Flexible options across both manual and automatic lessons mean you can choose the pace and transmission type that suits your learning style.
Block booking
Best block deals in Paignton
Pay for a block of lessons upfront and the hourly rate drops. The best block here saves you £20.
Intensive courses in Paignton
Want to pass fast?
2 Paignton schools run intensive courses, compressing months of training into days or weeks.
Paignton Test Centres and Pass Rates
Newton Abbot achieved 51.9% from 6,263 tests between 2024 and 2025, performing above the national average despite Devon's challenging road conditions. The South Devon location features steep hills, narrow country lanes, and the busy A38 Devon Expressway that can test learners' confidence. Men significantly outperformed women with 55.1% versus 48.7%, showing a 6.4 percentage point gap. The area's rural nature and tourist traffic create varied driving conditions from quiet market town streets to busy coastal routes. Automatic drivers achieved 46.9%, reflecting the demanding hill starts and narrow road navigation that characterize this part of Devon.
Newton Abbot
6,263 tests taken| Test Centre | Female | Male | Automatic | Overall | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton Abbot | 48.7% | 55.1% | 46.9% | 51.9% | 6,263 |