CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)
Safety Key Points
I take mine and my family’s as well as others’ health very seriously therefore if you have recently been
- ill or have been in contact with someone who has – had a continuous cough, high temperature, breathlessness, loss of taste and smell. Also, any appearance of a rash especially on the feet.
- mingling with a crowd i.e. protest, youth/social gatherings of more than 6 people
- to the beach or arrived from abroad in the last 2 weeks
please refrain from booking lessons as you will be asked politely to self-isolate and not attend your lesson for 10 days. I trust you will be honest and think of everyone’s well-being!
In addition to the above
- you must wear a face covering/mask for your lesson – if you don’t bring one your instructor will offer you one at cost. Ensure it fits well, snugly covering your nose and avoid touching it at all times
- you have to take a Rapid Coronavirus Test (LFDs) as per the present government guidelines
- temperature checks and hand sanitiser are a must before entering the vehicle.
- I trust your judgement to be aware of your own heath condition and I understand if you fall ill with Covid symptoms, your lesson will be cancelled as you’ll need to self-isolate for 10 days.
- Sandi has had the Astra Zeneca vaccine and will duly take the rapid tests twice a week.
This page is best viewed on PC and in landscape on iPad. Not optimised on mobile.
- Stay Alert.
- Don’t spread the virus.
- Protect yourself and others.
- Keep safe and healthy.
• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds immediately before leaving your home for your lesson.
• Bring your face covering/mask
• Wear disposable gloves if you wish to – but only put them on just before getting into the car.
• Wear clothing that covers as much of your body as possible, including your arms and legs. You should also wrap up warm during cold spells as the windows will most likely be open during the lesson to improve ventilation.
• Do not touch any unnecessary surface as you leave the house
• Expect your instructor to ask you questions about your health and anyone else’s in your environment. At the beginning of each and every lesson and before you’re allowed to get into the car, a chat about your lesson goals will be had and agreed between you and your instructor. This is also an opportunity for Sandi to check that you are not displaying any symptoms. Some info about what you want to achieve on the day can be asked by text or email on previous communications. If your instructor is not 100% happy with your perceived state of health, your lesson will be cancelled on the spot. Please don’t take this personally – we are just trying to keep everyone safe.
NOTE: Your instructor has had the vaccine and will duly take the rapid tests twice or more a week.
|
|
Safeguarding & Responsibilities
click to expand menu
on the day of your driving lesson
your instructor will call or text you, asking if you or anyone in your household has any symptoms of COVID-19 within the last seven days – or have been in contact with someone who has within the last 14 days.
If you have, your lesson will be cancelled. Remember, even if you feel fine, you could be one of the many people who don’t show any symptoms, and by continuing with a lesson, you could endanger your instructor’s life.
On that, you are required to take a rapid coronavirus test at least 24 hours before and no later than 1 hour prior to the agreed booked lesson and inform your instructor of the result whether negative or positive to give time and avoid unnecessary travel.
what to do before your driving lesson
if you’ve got a negative rapid coronavirus test (these are not always 100% accurate) and are well and have not been around people that are ill, your instructor will advise you to do the following:
• Meet your instructor by the car itself, and not by your front door. • Temperature checks will be made with a Digital IR non-touch on the forehead to ensure safety.
• Though not mandatory, there is a NHS QR code poster in the car for you to scan with your NHS Covid-19 App – see NHS T&C
• Avoid bringing any more items than absolutely needed i.e.: keys, bag, phone, wallet, extra clothing. Any extra item will be kept in the boot of the car
• When we first meet, there won’t be a handshake 🤝 for obvious reasons
what to do during your driving lesson
To reduce the risk of contagion during the lesson, your instructor will:
• Hold up any visual aids or training resources, instead of passing them between the two of you.
• Avoiding that neither of you face each other directly when talking about scenarios; remaining face forward is the safest option when a 1-metre gap between two people cannot be maintained.
• Make sure no devices are shared such as pens with the instructor giving any brief notes digitally via text or email where possible.
• Wipe down the car’s controls if and when the instructor has completed giving you a demonstration drive.
• Ask you to make any payments electronically and not in cash, where possible.
what to do after your driving lesson
As you depart, remember not to shake hands with anyone or touch anything and once you’re back home, do wash your hands as soon as possible. You may also wish to wash the clothes you wore during your lesson immediately.
Accepting full responsibility
Upon booking and agreeing to have driving lessons with Sandi’s Driving School, you thereby
- • accept full responsibility for any loss, cost or expense you might incur should you contract COVID-19 or pass it on to others as a result of taking driving lessons
- • will not take any action against Sandi’s Driving School to recover any such loss, cost or expense.
What are the risks of catching Covid-19
COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and in some cases, death.
Sandi’s Driving School will do everything possible to minimise the risk to you and others by sanitising all in-car touch points and surfaces and opening the car windows allowing ventilation, weather permitting, before each lesson. Due to there being a confined environment in which it does not allow the 2 metre social distancing rule to be observed while in the car, and because the space is used by a number of different people, Sandi’s Driving School is unable to guarantee you will not be infected by COVID-19 during your driving lessons. Albeit we’re going to do everything we can to minimise that risk in the interest of all parts involved.
What if/when you or one of your family members tests positive
If you know you may have potentially been in a situation where you or any member of your household may have contracted COVID-19
- • have tested positive
- • have been advised to self-isolate (e.g. NHS Test and Trace or equivalent)
- • are having any symptoms (see list below)
it is vital that you let Sandi know as soon as possible and refrain from booking lessons.
If you start having symptoms, stay at home, take a test to check if you have been infected and self-isolate to stop the spread.
NOTE: Should Sandi start having symptoms, tests positive or someone else has, your instructor will have to isolate for 10 days as is required and your lessons will be postponed.
Read more on the NHS website here
COVID-19 symptoms list
- • a new constant continuous cough
- • a high temperature over 38° degrees
- • loss or change of taste and smell
- • any kind of rash on body especially the feet
More info: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-symptoms/
As you understand it takes time and energy to book and organise lessons in diary, more importantly due to high demand other people are also wanting/requesting to have lessons and therefore a cancelled lesson slot with less than 48 hours’ notice means they will miss out on a lesson they could have had too.
So please be considerate and don’t leave it to the last hour to give notice to cancel just because you feel like not having your lesson or use this as an excuse.
IMPORTANT - Cancelations & Self-isolation
IMPORTANT: should a pupil cancel lessons more than once on the excuse they are unwell, the instructor reserves the right to withhold monies paid, charge the lesson cancelled and refuse to give lessons in the near future – other pupils may loose out on a slot they could have had and it is time consuming reorganising bookings in the diary.
If you are not happy with any of the above your lesson will not go ahead but you may still be charged (except if you look unwell, have tested positive or/and are showing symptoms).
If you wish to cancel a lesson, a minimum of 48 hours’ notice must be given (not including weekends). Failure to give 48 hours’ notice will result in the lesson(s) having to be paid for. Lessons can be cancelled by telephone, text message or email but must be acknowledged by your instructor.
Should you need to self-isolate either because you
- • got a positive rapid test
- • someone in your household had a positive test
- • show any symptoms
- • have been advised to self-isolate (e.g. NHS Test and Trace or equivalent)
Your booked lesson will be cancelled with no charge and you will miss at least two weeks due to you being required to self-isolate for 10 days or due to the fact that your instructor had to fill in your slot and has no availability at present. Should your instructor need to self-isolate or fall ill potentially with Covid, your lessons will be immediately cancelled without notice.
Access free, regular, rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) testing
Alongside the rollout of the vaccine, regular testing is an essential part of the easing of restrictions as this helps to quickly suppress the spread of variants. Through new testing technology, positive cases of variants of concern are being detected faster than ever before. More people getting a test will increase the ability to identify and control variants and infections in the community.
Sandi’s Driving School encourages that every pupil takes a test around 24 hours before the day of the lesson and it is important that they inform Sandi of the results no later than 1 hour before their lesson.
The Government twice a week rapid tests are available to everyone – more info here
Wash hands and wear a face covering
Wash your hands just before leaving home trying not to touch any surface more than necessary
Avoid touching eyes, mouth, nose at all times during and after the lesson until you get home and wash your hands for at least 20 seconds
• Bring a good mask that hugs the bridge of the nose
• If you wear glasses, try and test different masks to find the perfect one and stop steaming up
• If you are exempt from wearing a mask, please wear a visor and inform your instructor
• Tie your hair and/or wear a cap if possible
• Try to wear freshly washed clothes that cover your arms and legs
On the day of your test
You must wear a mask, unless you have notified the DVSA that you are exempt at the time of booking, failing to wear one will result in your test being terminated and you will lose your fee.
Refrain from bringing unnecessary objects
Bring as little as possible to the lesson, try to leave unnecessary items at home
- • a purse or wallet
- • cash
- • keys
- • phone
- • extra clothing
You’ll be asked to leave any extra items in the boot so please remember to collect them at the end of the lesson. On the first lesson you will be given a clean clear bag with your lesson appointment card so you can keep your belongings tidy so ensure you don’t loose this bag and keep it in a clean place in your house.
Online payments
Due to the fact that cash, may it be notes or coins, pass through many hands, they harbour many germs and viruses, therefore Sandi’s Driving School requires payment to be made by Bank Transfer (or PayPal if you wish but you need to pay their charges on top)
If you absolutely need to pay cash, please bring the correct amount in a clean clear plastic bag, no receipt will be given but your instructor keeps a digital record. Online payments are preferable as mentioned above.
Car windows open and ventilation.
The Sandi’s Driving School Seat Leon car that you’ll be learning in has window wind deflectors installed.
Wind deflectors are clever devices that fit over the car windows, altering the contour of the vehicle slightly to keep wind and rain out of the cabin while the windows are down. Perfect for warm and rainy climates or just everyday driving, wind deflectors also cut out a large amount of the noise created by driving with the window down – ideal for enjoying a bit of a breeze without the distraction.
Good weather – both front and rear windows will be half way down unless the car is travelling at higher speeds
Bad weather – both front and rear windows will be slightly open just under the line of the deflector to protect the inside of the car and its occupants from the elements.
On test day – the DVSA requires that the car you use for your test must have at least one window open on each side throughout the test. Any combination of windows can be opened – for example, one from the front and one from the back. Wear clothing suitable for the weather.
DVSA driving tests backlog
After a year of disruption to driving lessons and tests that left tens of thousands of learners having to rebook their cancelled tests multiple times, to try to clear this sizeable backlog of 420,000 tests, the DVSA has hired new examiners to offer more tests, including on bank holidays and weekends, with more examiners brought in “so as many learners can take a test with all necessary safety measures in place.”
As of April 2021, expect a delay of around 4 to 5 months for you to find a date to book your driving test. Before the pandemic the test waiting time was around three to four weeks.
Test & trace on lessons & tests
In line with PHE and HSE guidance, the relevant NHS service can contact the pupil, instructor or examiner and ask them to self-isolate at home. All lessons and tests will be cancelled even at short notice.
Please also inform your instructor in the event you have taken a test for Covid-19 or are asked to take one.
Privacy notice: GOV.UK
Full Terms & Conditions need to be read and acknowledged before your first lesson
The New ASTRA
Your Learning Car
- Integrated two 10” Digital Cockpit Pure Panels
- 10″ Pure Panel Pro Navigation with Apple CarPlay
- Intelli-Vision 360° Panoramic Parking Camera
- Automatic central locking system
- Keyless Entry & Start button
- Active Braking System and Evasive Steering Assist
- Forward collision warning braking reaction to vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists
- Electronic Stability Control and ABS
- Electric Parking Brake with Hill start Assist
- Automatic Headlights and Wipers with Rain Sensor
- High beam assist & automatic light control
- Adaptive Cruise Control and Intelligent Speed Assist
- Lane Position Assist
- Auto-dimming Rear-view Mirror
- Front and Rear Parking sensors
- Front, Side and Curtain Airbags maximising protection
- Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
- Heated Seats and Steering Wheel
- Tiredness recognition system ‘Driver alert system’
Lesson Prices
Lessons From just £38 Per Hour - Save £20 by booking 10 hours or more.
-
DRIVING LESSON - 1 HOUR
£40Lessons from £38 ph on 10 hr blocks
Female Instructor
Brand New Seat Car
iPad Teaching Tools
-
DRIVING LESSON - 2 HOURS
£80Book 2 hour lessons and pass quicker
Pass Quicker
Learn More Each Lesson
Most Popular Option
-
Lesson Block - 10 HOURS
£380Book a 10 hour block save £20
Best Value
Ongoing Tuition
Most Popular Option
-
DRIVING LESSON - 1 HOUR
£40Lessons from £38 ph on 10 hr blocks
Female Instructor
Brand New Seat Car
iPad Teaching Tools
-
DRIVING LESSON - 2 HOURS
£80Book 2 hour lessons and pass quicker
Pass Quicker
Learn More Each Lesson
Most Popular Option
-
Lesson Block - 10 HOURS
£380Book a 10 hour block save £20
Best Value
Ongoing Tuition
Most Popular Option
-
DRIVING LESSON - 1 HOUR
£40Lessons from £38 ph on 10 hr blocks
Female Instructor
Brand New Seat Car
iPad Teaching Tools
-
DRIVING LESSON - 2 HOURS
£80Book 2 hour lessons and pass quicker
Pass Quicker
Learn More Each Lesson
Most Popular Option