Friday 7 April 2017

Young Driver Driving Lessons for 10-17 year-old's at Newcastle Racecourse

Did you know that you book your 10 - 17-year-old child onto driving lessons? Neither did I until I heard about Young Driver driving lessons. Recently myself and my teen were invited down to the recently opened venue at Newcastle's Gosforth Park racecourse, which is only a five-minute drive from where we live. Young Drivers used to be based near the Metrocentre but the new venue at the racecourse is brilliant as it is so easy to get to from the A1 and A19 with free onsite parking and regular buses stopping outside the racecourse gates.

Young Driver at Newcastle racecourse review


So what are Young Drivers? Well, it is pretty much as the name suggests driving lessons for young drivers, children aged ten to seventeen years of age, although adults can book lessons too if they want too. You can book either half-hour or hour-long lessons and Chloe was booked onto the hour long lesson. 

Arriving at the racecourse we easily found the Young Drivers area all set up with cones to replicate a road system, with parking areas and junctions. The area was closed off to the public - meaning that children can learn to drive in a safe controlled environment. Chloe - aged 14, was greeted by her instructor and she was showing to her car for the lesson, a modern Skoda. After a brief safety talk from her instructor she was off driving the car down the track, it was rather strange seeing her drive but she was a natural (unlike her mum).

Young Driver review

During the hour-long lesson she learnt to drive the car around the track, making sure to stop at the junctions and let the other drivers pass, she was even doing reverse parallel parking and driving in and out of cones on the track. The hour seemed to pass quickly and Chloe was brimming with confidence after her lesson and is eager to return and have another lesson in the future, she enjoyed it that much.

Young driver teenage driving lessons Newcastle

Each driver gets a drive diary and at the end of the lesson the instructor ticks to say what you have accomplished, which you can keep for future lessons so your instructor knows what to focus on. As Chloe is only 14 she still has a few years until she can start proper lessons when she turns 17, I will certainly be booking her more lessons in the lead-up to her turning 17. I think learning to drive at a young age in a controlled environment like this is great for getting her used to driving a car and building her confidence.

Young Driver lesson review Newcastle racecourse

The price of an hour-long lesson is a bit pricey at £60 but as an occasional treat or birthday or Christmas gift it is something I will pay for, you can also book half-hour lessons. I also think that by booking the odd lesson for her now we will hopefully save on actual driving lessons once she is old enough to start learning to drive for real. You can also purchase a video recording of your child's first lesson for £20 which is recorded on a dash cam. There are Young Driver centres all over the UK and as a parent, I really do recommend them for building confidence and getting youngsters used to a car and driving.

You can even book lessons for younger children in a special car which you can read about over on www.freddiesmummyuk.com

To find out more about Young Driver lessons, venues, prices and how to book please visit www.youngdriver.eu

Disclosure we received a complimentary lesson for the purpose of this review. 


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34 comments

  1. I love this! I wish I had the chance to do something like this before I started to learn to drive!

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    1. I know I wish I had of tried something like this as a teenager, then I might have actually taken lessons at 17

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  2. What a fab idea - I bet Chloe will pass her test a lot more quickly when she's 17 after a few of these lessons.

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    1. I hope so, she will probably pass her test before I do haha xx

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  3. I think this is a good idea to get kids comfortable before they can take proper lessons but I do think 10 is a little too young x

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    1. It really is a great idea, I don't think I would have arranged lessons for her at 10 but 14 feels a good age xx

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  4. This is such a fantastic idea and something my eldest would love to try! I think it's great to gain confidence in the car at this age, way before they begin their lessons!

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    1. He would love it, my daughter really enjoyed it. I totally agree I think even that one lesson has built her confidence a little and hopefully with a few more lessons she will pass quicker at 17 xx

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  5. I too have a 14 year old and this looks a brilliant thing for them to do. I think the price of £60 is not too bad when you consider how much a normal driving lesson is now (I think they were about a tenner back in my day lol). Certainly something to consider for his 15th birthday in August x

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    1. He would love it, I think it would be a lovey birthday gift idea as it is something a bit different isn't it. My daughter had a great time, she can't wait to learn to drive properly now xx

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  6. I wish I'd done something like this at that age

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    1. Me too as I probably would have taken lessons when I was 17 xx

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  7. Kian did this a few weeks ago and as he is 16 we have bought him another lesson to give him a headstart when it comes to learning to drive in August

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    1. They are brilliant aren't they. I bet he passes easily after having some of these lessons xx

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  8. Oh my boys would LOVE that! They always ask me when they can start learning to drive! Yes, a little pricy, but as you say, great for a special occasion like a birthday!

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    1. All the children taking part seemed to be having a brilliant time. I really recommend them xx

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  9. I'm a huge fan of these lessons. They aren't cheap, but they are such a good investment as kids can learn the how to drive bit and then focus on the road when they start real lessons

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  10. This looks like a good idea to get them thinking about road safety at a younger age.

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    1. It really does, I bet it makes it much easier for them for when they start proper driving lessons too xx

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  11. This is a great idea and definitely something I'd like my kids to try when they are the right age. Driving is such a huge responsibility so a good start is essential

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    1. It really helps get them used to driving before hitting the roads for real xx

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  12. I think this is something that my boys will love when they are older a little bit x

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    1. Your boys would really enjoy it when they are older, all the children there were having a great time. I really recommend them as the centre and instructors were brilliant xx

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  13. Wow fantastic, if my son saw this he'd be chomping at the bit to get behind the wheel! I think this is great, getting kids used to being in control of a car, and understand their responsibility. Brilliant idea!

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    1. It really is a brilliant idea, children seem to love it and it is great for boasting their confidence too xx

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  14. My son did this, and he loved it so much. Great for giving them so practice before getting on the road

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    1. It really is great for giving them some practice before hitting the road. It has boasted my daughters confidence so much xx

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  15. It's expensive, but it looks good! Mine are too young at the moment but I know they would love this.

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    1. It is expensive, I think we will just book them as one off treats for birthdays etc. xx

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  16. It is pricy but I bet it's worth it for a teen. It's also something special and different to do if you've ran out of bday ideas haha ;)

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    1. It really is worth it, it is expensive but learning to drive can be so expensive and hopefully a few lessons will save on actual driving lessons when she is 17 xx

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  17. This is a brilliant idea for kids! My nephews both had lessons when it was at the metro centre then went on to pass their tests pretty quickly when they were 18. It's handy for us too!

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    1. I hope my daughter is the same, I don't fancy paying a fortune for driving lessons when she turns 17 xx

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