Driving Lessons in Darwen
Two driving schools serve Darwen, both with 4.9-star ratings, and one offers automatic driving lessons and female driving instructors. Lessons are priced at £37 per hour where listed. Several test centres serve the area, with Preston showing the strongest 56.3% pass rate and Chorley at 52.8%, while Atherton sits lower at 44.3%.
- £37
- prices from
- 2
- driving schools
- 6
- test centres
Top driving schools in Darwen by what matters most
The standout school for each of the most-asked questions.
Sams Angels
Cheapest manual driving school in Darwen.
Darwen Driver Training
Highest-rated manual driving school in Darwen.
Sams Angels
Top-rated for automatic driving lessons in Darwen.
Sams Angels
Top-rated manual driving school with female instructors in Darwen.
Driving lessons in Darwen
2 driving schools and 0 independent instructors.
Showing 1–2 of 2 driving schools.
Sams Angels
Over 3,000 students passed with this school, backed by 500+ Google reviews and a top-three rating in the area. Lessons start at £37/hour for refreshers or £74 for 2-hour sessions, with block deals from £185 for 5 hours up to £360 for 10 hours. Pass Plus courses and motorway lessons also available.
Darwen Driver Training
1.5-hour and 2-hour lessons at £60 and £80 respectively, with block vouchers offering better value at £285 for five 1.5-hour sessions or £380 for five 2-hour sessions. The instructor emphasises longer lessons to maximise practice time and skill retention, recommending 2-hour sessions to reach test standard in approximately 22 weeks based on DVSA guidelines. Additional services include motorway training, mock tests with detailed feedback, and confidence-boosting refresher lessons for nervous or returning drivers.
Block booking
Best block deals in Darwen
Pay for a block of lessons upfront and the hourly rate drops. The best block here saves you £10.
Darwen Test Centres and Pass Rates
Roads around the Darwen area include tight mill town streets in Blackburn, motorway approaches near Bolton and Atherton, and the challenging urban networks of Bury where narrow residential roads meet busier A-roads. Across six centres and 58,443 tests between 2025 and 2026, the average pass rate was 49.7%. Preston had the highest at 56.3%, with women at 54% and men at 58.2%. Atherton was the toughest at 44.3%, with women at 42.4% and men at 45.7%. Automatic pass rates ranged from 37.9% at Atherton to 49% at Preston. Waits stretch from 8 weeks at Bury to 18 weeks at Preston.
Preston
9,194 tests taken · 18 week waitChorley
5,415 tests taken · 12 week waitBolton (Manchester)
11,570 tests taken · 16 week waitBlackburn with Darwen
12,205 tests taken · 9 week waitBury (Manchester)
7,024 tests taken · 8 week waitAtherton (Manchester)
13,035 tests taken · 15 week wait| Test Centre | Female | Male | Automatic | Overall | Tests | Wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preston | 54.0% | 58.2% | 49.0% | 56.3% | 9,194 | 18 weeks |
| Chorley | 53.2% | 52.5% | 46.2% | 52.8% | 5,415 | 12 weeks |
| Bolton (Manchester) | 50.0% | 53.5% | 46.7% | 51.8% | 11,570 | 16 weeks |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 44.6% | 48.2% | 45.7% | 46.6% | 12,205 | 9 weeks |
| Bury (Manchester) | 43.0% | 48.9% | 38.9% | 46.3% | 7,024 | 8 weeks |
| Atherton (Manchester) | 42.4% | 45.7% | 37.9% | 44.3% | 13,035 | 15 weeks |