How it works
Instructors are approved driving instructors (ADIs) who pay a franchise fee to the AA for the car, branding and a flow of pupils. Lessons are booked centrally and priced by region. Block bookings are discounted. Because instructors are franchisees, quality varies between individuals, as it does with any national school.
What you get
- A dual-control car, usually a recent small hatchback, with manual and automatic options.
- A structured syllabus with progress tracking.
- The option to switch instructor without starting again.
- Intensive and refresher courses, plus Pass Plus style post-test lessons.
How it compares
National schools cost more per hour than most independent instructors because the franchise fee is built in. The advantages are availability, consistency of car and process, and recourse if things go wrong. If you can get a personal recommendation for a local independent ADI, that is often better value; if not, a national school is a reliable default.
Breakdown cover for new drivers
Once you have passed, cheap breakdown cover is worth more than a new driver thinks: young drivers in older cars are a high-breakdown group. Our guides to cheap breakdown cover and personal versus vehicle cover are the places to start, and the AA profile covers the parent organisation's breakdown products.