Driving Lessons in Essex

From £22/hr·Average £37/hr

Essex's Top Picks

Best Value

High Pass Driving

Cheapest manual driving school in Essex.

1.0
£22/hr
Top Rated

Innov8 Driving School

Highest-rated manual driving school in Essex.

5.0(25 reviews)
£40/hr
Best Automatic

Smooth Pass Driver Training

Top-rated for automatic driving lessons in Essex.

5.0(92 reviews)
£55/hr

Driving Schools in Essex

132 schools

Top Gun School of Motoring

Top Gun School of Motoring

From £38/hr·10hrs for £350Save 8%
5.0

Competitive rates starting at £38/hour with flexible block deals from 10 to 50 hours, ranging from £350 to £1,750. One-to-one tuition tailored to each learner's...

ManualIntensiveTest car available
44 Cedar Rd, Grays RM16 4SX
5Day

5Day

3.0

Intensive driving courses designed to get learners test-ready in just five days, with 1:1 practical tuition and included theory training. From £1,480 all-in,...

ManualAutomaticIntensiveFemale InstructorsTest car available
Suite A, Ground Floor, Widford Business Centre, 33 Robjohns Rd, Chelmsford CM1 3AG
Kims School of Motoring

Kims School of Motoring

10hrs for £675
5.0

Operating since 1950, this family-run school combines 70+ years of experience with Level A and B qualified instructors and a strong reputation built on...

ManualAutomaticIntensiveFemale InstructorsTest car availableEvenings & Weekends
6 Chase Rd, Brentwood CM14 4LG
CM Driving School

CM Driving School

5.0(3)

All instructors have achieved advanced instructor status with experience spanning from 2001 onwards, offering a philosophy that extends beyond test passing to...

ManualAutomaticFemale Instructors
24 Van Diemans Rd, Chelmsford CM2 9QQ
Pass It Driving Academy

Pass It Driving Academy

4hrs for £140
5.0

Award-winning school ranked #1 in Colchester for 2023 and 2024, with an overall quality score exceeding 95%. Block bookings start from £140 for 4 hours, while...

ManualAutomaticIntensive
The, 1 George Williams Way, Colchester CO1 2JS
High Pass Driving

High Pass Driving

From £22/hr·10hrs for £190Save 14%
1.0

Known for a calm, patient teaching style that puts nervous learners at ease quickly. Pay-as-you-go lessons at £22/hour, or start with a special offer of £57 for...

ManualAutomaticIntensiveFemale Instructors
25 Great Brays, Harlow CM18 6DL
Drivelink Driving School

Drivelink Driving School

From £38/hr
5.0

One-to-one lessons at £38/hour with pick-up and drop-off included, plus mock tests at £40/hour and test car hire for £150. Pass Plus courses also available...

ManualAutomaticIntensiveFemale InstructorsTest car available
Southend Rd, Grays RM17 5NP
Driving School of Excellence

Driving School of Excellence

4.8
Manual
Ilfracombe Ave, Southend-on-Sea SS1 2QD
Mutlows

Mutlows

From £36/hr·10hrs for £299Save 17%
2.0

One of the UK's largest independently owned driving schools, founded in 1991 and now operating nearly 100 cars across East Anglia. The founder Kevin Mutlow...

ManualAutomatic
1-3 High St, Great Dunmow, Dunmow CM6 1UU
Skillup Driving School

Skillup Driving School

From £37/hr
5.0(13)·96% pass rate

96% first-time pass rate with a 5.0-star rating across 14 reviews, backed by instructors praised for patience and thoroughness. Flexible intensive courses start...

AutomaticIntensiveFemale InstructorsTest car availableEvenings & Weekends
12 Sartoria Cl, Grays RM20 3BA
Innov8 Driving School

Innov8 Driving School

From £40/hr·10hrs for £390Save 3%
5.0(25)

£40/hour for manual lessons or £42/hour for automatic, with 10-hour blocks from £390. The standout offer is the Guaranteed Pass Scheme: pay a £500 deposit plus...

ManualAutomaticIntensive
Forge View, Back Ln, Pleshey, Chelmsford CM3 1HL
Castle Driving School

Castle Driving School

4.4

Founded in 1966 and now run by Grade A instructor Shirley Diaper, Castle combines decades of experience with a family-run approach that keeps learners coming...

ManualIntensiveFemale Instructors
154 Rowhedge Rd, Rowhedge, Colchester CO5 7JP
Darren Lord ADI - Driving Instructor

Darren Lord ADI - Driving Instructor

5.0

ADI instructor covering Wickford, Basildon, Billericay, Brentwood and surrounding Essex areas. Fully qualified with Pass Plus registration and Motability...

Manual
Orlando Dr, Basildon SS13 1TE
1st Wheelz Driving School

1st Wheelz Driving School

5.0
Manual
28 College, Los Angeles, Basildon SS15 6GS
1stinstructor

1stinstructor

5.0
Manual
Wentworth Rd, Southend-on-Sea SS2 5LG
Easy 2 Pass

Easy 2 Pass

From £35/hr·10hrs for £330Save 6%
1.0

Established for over 15 years with instructors boasting up to 20 years' experience. £35/hour for manual lessons or £330 for a 10-hour block, with larger blocks...

ManualAutomaticFemale Instructors
Southend-on-Sea SS1 1TJ
Wheels 2 Drive

Wheels 2 Drive

Block bookings available
4.9

Grade A instructor with over 20 years' experience, including previous roles at BSM and AA, now running their own practice with 25-30 students who prefer...

ManualIntensiveEvenings & Weekends
20 Crescent Way, Aveley, South Ockendon RM15 4TJ
The Driving Therapist

The Driving Therapist

4.9

Instructor with 20 years' experience and specialist qualifications in anxiety management, NLP, and advanced driving (IAM Roadsmart Masters with Distinction)....

ManualFemale Instructors
Stour Lodge, 3 Rectory Rd, Wrabness, Manningtree CO11 2TR
Joe's Driving School

Joe's Driving School

From £40/hr·10hrs for £350Save 13%

Grade A instructor specialising in nervous and anxious learners, with a teaching style built on patience and calm reassurance. £40/hour for standard lessons, or...

ManualIntensiveTest car availableEvenings & Weekends
Clears Rd, Smythe's Green, Colchester CO5 9XT
Lazer School of Motoring

Lazer School of Motoring

Block bookings available
5.0

Operating for over 30 years, Lazer School of Motoring teaches in BMW 1 Series (manual) and 3 Series Compact (automatic) vehicles, making them one of the first...

ManualAutomaticEvenings & Weekends
Ingrave Rd, Brentwood CM15 8AY

Block Booking Deals in Essex

71 schools offer block deals — book in bulk and save.

Best deal — save 17%

Mutlows

10hrs for £299

£29.90/hr

Save 14%

High Pass Driving

10hrs for £190

£19.00/hr

Save 14%

Keen Drivers

10hrs for £300

£30.00/hr

Save 14%

Nayland Driving School

10hrs for £300

£30.00/hr

Save 12%

RS Driving School

10hrs for £220

£22.00/hr

Save 8%

Sudbury Driving School

10hrs for £220

£22.00/hr

Intensive Courses in Essex

Pass in 1–2 weeks

From£37/hr
55 schools5.0best rated

Essex Test Centres and Pass Rates

Based on the latest DVSA data, 2024–25 | 6 nearby test centres

Hornchurch achieved the highest pass rate at 48.3% while Basildon proved most challenging at 45.6%, with 36,397 tests handled across six centres between 2024 and 2025. Essex's road network combines the M25 orbital approaches with traditional market town centres and new town developments around Basildon. Automatic drivers saw consistent results around 38-45% across all centres, with the county's mix of roundabouts and dual carriageways providing relatively standard conditions. Men outperformed women most significantly at Southend (51.5% vs 44.7%), where the seafront's wider roads and faster A13 approaches seem to favour more confident drivers, while the differences remained smaller at inland centres like Chelmsford and Brentwood.

49%

Tilbury

4,185 tests taken
Women47.9%
Men50.1%
Automatic44.4%
49%

Brentwood (London)

5,485 tests taken
Women48.3%
Men48.6%
Automatic44.3%
48%

Hornchurch (London)

6,310 tests taken
Women47.3%
Men49.1%
Automatic45.5%
48%

Southend-on-Sea

4,797 tests taken
Women44.7%
Men51.5%
Automatic40.3%
46%

Basildon

4,862 tests taken
Women44.4%
Men46.5%
Automatic38.6%
45%

Chelmsford (Hanbury Road)

10,758 tests taken
Women43.2%
Men46.0%
Automatic40.2%

Areas in Essex