Driving Lessons- any of them give military discount?

HappilyMarried08

Hi,

As above. My sister is just about to turn 17 and wants to start her driving lessons. She is in the RAF, does anyone know of any driving schools who might give a good military discount?

Thanks.

buglawton

I am surprised that the RAF does not have some sort of in-house teaching or maybe a bulk purchase deal with BSM or the AA - a driving license might be essential to the job.

Andy_L

Can she get the system to teach her? That would be the 100% discount route

HappilyMarried08

Thanks for your replies. They will arrange lessons for her, but they cannot release her from work at the moment due to lack of manpower, so she's no idea how long she'd had to wait. She is really desperate to drive as she's 16, over 300 miles from home and the surrounding public transport is a nightmare! She said she'd rather pay for it herself, then its done and she can get a car to get off base at the weekends.

Cat695

she might be able to get some of the grants to pay for this....i believe she is entitled to 175 quid to pay for 80% of the course (if she goes the direct access route) however she will have to prove its benificial for her job (very easy just ask around someone will have done it)

though i'm Army i would have thought the RAF would have the same sort of thing

Bumbles2

I don't know about AA and RAC but some independant places might.

I know or one in the Portsmouth and Southampton area that does. It doesn't say on their website but just ring and ask.
www.whiteleydriveacademy.co.uk

Great if you're in that area. Not so great if you're not!:o

RichieHall

I'm guessing here, but at 16 turning 17 is she still in trade training? In which case there will be no room for external activities in the training program. Once she reaches she first operational unit there "should" be opportunity to take her driving lessons. Or, as Cat695 said, she could use the Standard Learning Credit to claim back 80%, upto £175, of the cost.

System

I don't think that she can use SLC as it does not lead to a nationally recognised qualification.

TomJ

Surely a driving licence is nationally, nay internationally, recognised?

System

But it is not a qualification.

The following is taken from DIN 200706-037. (DIN = Defence Information Notice)

The course must lead to or facilitate the award of nationally recognised qualifications as defined in the following sources:
(1) The National Data Base of Accredited Qualifications (NDAQ) website:https://www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk
(2) The current edition of ‘British Qualifications’ or ‘British Vocational Qualifications’.
(3) The National Academic Recognition Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC): https://www.naric.org.uk
(4) The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)Directory: https://www.ucas.com

johnpigg

I would speak to your education officer, or the RAF equivalent. I KNOW people in the RN who have supplemented their driving lessons with the SLC's I even know people who have used them to do a PADI dive course.

Often the applications only have to be approved by your line manager, and they are pleased to see people using the system and claiming the money.

ELC's however are far stricter and can only be used for approved courses.