St Albans, Hertfordshire
Automatic lessons, taught properly.
Sarah has been teaching people to drive for 15 years and counting, and holds the DVSA's Grade A rating, the highest grade awarded. Independent, never a franchise, so it is the same instructor and the same car every single lesson.
Automatic only
- St Albans AL1
- Radlett WD7
- Bricket Wood AL2
- Park Street AL2
- London Colney AL2
- Chiswell Green AL2
Automatic only
One car, one gearbox, all of your attention on the road.
Behind the Wheel teaches in an automatic and nothing else. Without a clutch and gears to manage, most people spend their lesson time on the things the test actually assesses, observation, planning, junctions, road position and confidence in traffic.
Less to juggle, sooner on the road
Learners typically reach test standard in fewer hours because the mechanics of the car stop competing for concentration.
Ideal if driving makes you anxious
Stalling, hill starts and clutch control are the usual sources of stress. An automatic removes them, which suits nervous learners, returning drivers and anyone taking a refresher.
Built for the cars you will drive
Electric and hybrid cars are automatic by design, so an automatic licence matches the way most new vehicles are now sold.
What an automatic licence lets you drive
Passing your test in an automatic gives you a full category B licence restricted to automatic vehicles. You can drive any automatic car straight away. If you later want to drive a manual, you take a separate practical test in a manual car, there is no need to retake your theory test. Sarah will explain all of this before you book your first lesson so the decision is made with the facts in front of you.
Not sure if automatic is right for you?
Two minutes on the phone will settle it. No hard sell, no obligation.
Independent, not a franchise
You are booking Sarah, not a call centre.
Franchise driving schools sell you a brand and then allocate whoever is free. Instructors change, cars change, and the person who taught you the manoeuvre in week three is not the one sitting beside you in week nine. Behind the Wheel is one instructor, working for herself, teaching every lesson personally.
The same instructor, every lesson
Sarah knows exactly where you got to last week and what you found hard. No repeating yourself to somebody new, and no starting again with a different teaching style halfway through.
The same car, every lesson
One automatic, one set of mirrors, one brake and accelerator response, one set of dimensions to judge. Swapping cars costs learners hours of progress, and you never have to do it here.
A female instructor
Sarah is a woman, which matters to a good number of learners, whether that is a teenager, a parent making the booking, or an adult who would simply feel more comfortable. If you have been looking for a female instructor, you have found one.
Book the instructor, not the brand.
Sarah answers her own phone, so you speak to the person who will teach you.
How lessons work
Ninety minutes, planned together, every time.
Longer lessons mean fewer lessons overall, which usually costs less. It also means a new skill can be introduced, practised and consolidated in the same session rather than being half learned and forgotten by the following week.
You know what is coming
The next lesson is agreed at the end of the current one, so you arrive knowing exactly what you will be working on.
Structured to how you learn
Lessons are calm, supportive and adapted to your pace. Sarah does not take calls or texts while teaching, it is illegal and it is your time.
Free online study access
Every student gets free access to a learning site to revisit each topic and prepare for the next. Around twenty minutes a week keeps progress moving and keeps you off the kerb for long explanations.
Included after you pass
A free motorway lesson, on the house.
The test does not cover motorways in any depth, yet it is the first place most new drivers feel out of their depth. Once you pass with Behind the Wheel, you get a complimentary motorway session covering joining, lane discipline, overtaking, slip roads and what to do when things go wrong.
All within a few minutes of St Albans, so the lesson happens on the roads you will actually use.
Who Sarah teaches
Seventeen or seventy, the door is open.
There is no upper age limit on learning to drive in the UK. Roughly a third of Sarah's students are adults, and a good number are well past their twenties.
First time learners
From your very first lesson through to test day, including help booking your theory and practical tests at the right point.
Adults learning later in life
Never got round to it, moved here from a city where you did not need a car, or life simply got in the way. You will not be treated like a teenager and lessons are booked around work.
Nervous and anxious drivers
Off the road after a knock, a bad experience with a previous instructor, or years of avoiding it. Calm, patient sessions at your pace, with no pressure to book a test until you are ready.
Refresher and confidence lessons
Passed years ago and barely driven since. Sessions built around what you want to cover, including dual carriageways, motorways and driving into London.
Older drivers staying independent
Moving to an automatic, getting back behind the wheel after illness, or taking on the driving for the first time. A short assessment session will tell you exactly where you stand.
Overseas licence holders
Exchanging a foreign licence for a UK one, or preparing for a UK test after driving abroad. Call for a chat about what applies to you.
Rated 4.8 out of 5 on Google
Forty two reviews, and the same words keep coming up.
Patient. Calm. Confident. Passed first time. These are drawn from verified Google reviews left by Sarah's students and their parents.
An older learner who describes herself as very nervous says Sarah is putting her at ease and her confidence is already improving, lesson by lesson.
A licence holder who had never driven, after years of avoiding it, took lessons with Sarah and finally started driving. Her confidence came back quickly.
Only a few weeks to learn from scratch. Clear instructions on the manoeuvres, well prepared going in, and a first time pass.
Booked to build confidence ahead of a test. Every session felt useful, relaxed and properly planned, and the pass followed.
A parent whose daughter found Sarah kind and patient, with clear guidance on what to practise between lessons. She passed first time.
Taught a lot, prepared thoroughly, and it showed on the day. Passed on the first attempt.
Read all 42 reviews, then call.
Reviews live on Google and are left by real students, not selected by us.
Areas covered
Local roads, local test routes.
Lessons are taught on the roads and roundabouts you will be tested on, with pick up from home, school, college or work across these areas.
- St Albans
- Radlett
- Bricket Wood
- Park Street
- London Colney
- Chiswell Green
- How Wood
- Frogmore
- Napsbury Park
Lessons and availability
Please call to check availability.
All lessons are 90 minutes and taught in a fully insured, dual control automatic. Rates and current diary availability are confirmed by phone.
Single lesson
90 minFull length, every time
- Pick up and drop off included
- Progress record after every lesson
- Free access to the online study site
Pay as you go
No packagesNever locked in
- Pay lesson by lesson, no large prepayment
- No block booking to commit to
- Gift vouchers available
Refresher session
90 minFull licence holders welcome
- Built around what you want to cover
- Motorways, London driving, parking
- Nervous and returning drivers
Call Sarah on 07800 700777 to check availability and confirm rates for your area.
Official links
Book direct on GOV.UK, never through a third party.
Provisional licences are issued by the DVLA. Theory and practical tests are run by the DVSA. Both are booked on GOV.UK at the official fee. Copycat sites rank highly in search and charge an admin fee on top for the identical slot, so always check the address bar shows gov.uk before you pay.
Fees and requirements correct as at August 2026, for information purposes only.
DVLA. You can apply from age 15 years and 9 months and drive from 17.
£34 online Book your theory testDVSA. Fifty multiple choice questions plus hazard perception, both passed in one sitting.
£23 Book your practical testDVSA. Book only once you and Sarah agree you are at test standard.
£62 weekday Change or cancel a testTen full working days' notice is needed for a practical test refund, three for a theory test.
Free Current DVSA test feesThe official fee table. Evening, weekend and bank holiday practical tests cost £75.
GOV.UK The Highway CodeFree to read online and kept up to date. The source everything in your theory test comes from.
Free Safe Driving for LifeThe DVSA's own revision service, including free practice questions and hazard perception clips.
DVSA Exchange a foreign licenceCheck whether your existing licence can be exchanged for a UK one and by when.
DVLAThe fees shown are the published GOV.UK rates as at August 2026 and are stated for information purposes only. They are set by government and can change without notice. Behind the Wheel is not responsible for fees charged by GOV.UK or by any third party, and you should always confirm the current fee on GOV.UK before you pay.
Common questions
The things people ask before they call.
Am I too old to learn?
No. There is no upper age limit on holding a licence or taking a test in Great Britain. Licences are renewed every three years from age 70, and there is no test at 70, only a self declaration of fitness to drive. Plenty of people learn in their forties, fifties and beyond, and they often make calm, careful students.
How many lessons will I need?
The DVSA's own figure is around 45 hours of professional tuition alongside private practice, though automatic learners frequently need fewer. Sarah will give you an honest view after the first few lessons rather than a number over the phone.
Can I learn if I am very nervous?
Yes, and a large part of the work is exactly this. Lessons start somewhere quiet, move at your pace, and no test gets booked until you want one. An automatic removes stalling and clutch control, which is where most of the anxiety starts.
Do I need my provisional licence before the first lesson?
Yes. You must hold a valid provisional licence and bring it to every lesson. You can apply from 15 years and 9 months old and start driving on your seventeenth birthday.
How long is my theory test pass valid?
Two years from the date you pass. If you have not passed your practical within that window, the theory test has to be taken again, so timing the two together matters.
Are you part of a franchise?
No. Behind the Wheel is fully independent. Sarah owns the business, owns the car and teaches every lesson herself. Nothing is subcontracted and no lesson is passed to another instructor.
Is the instructor a woman?
Yes. Sarah is a female DVSA approved instructor. Some learners prefer this and some parents specifically ask for it, so it is worth saying plainly rather than leaving people to guess.
Will I always have the same instructor and car?
Always. You will never arrive to find a stand in instructor or an unfamiliar car. Consistency is a large part of why students progress quickly here.
Do you cover my village?
Lessons run across St Albans, Radlett, Bricket Wood, Park Street and the surrounding villages. If you are just outside that, call and ask, it is usually workable.
Can I use Sarah's car for my test?
Yes, subject to availability on the day and to you being at test standard. Discuss it when you book the test so the diary is held.
She teaches you to drive with confidence, not just to pass a test.
Students come to Behind the Wheel through recommendation, most often from parents of previous learners across St Albans and the surrounding villages. Many pass first time. The aim is not simply a certificate, it is a driver who is safe and calm on the road years afterwards.
Parent of a former studentGet started
Call Sarah and book your first lesson.
The quickest way to get going is a phone call. If Sarah is teaching she will be with a student, so leave a message or send a text and she will come back to you the same day where possible.
- Phone07800 700777
- WhatsAppMessage Sarah
- Emailsarah@solts.com
- Based inSt Albans, Hertfordshire