Helen's Driving School

I founded Helen’s Driving School in 2009. Initially teaching on my own, I was joined by Jacqui in January 2020, due to the growing number of pupils on my books. Together we worked under the umbrella of Helen’s Driving School and strive to get all our pupils to pass first time. Since surviving all the challenges the pandemic brought, Jacqui and I decided 2022 was a good time to change the set up of the driving school into a partnership and create Top Hat Driving School. I am passionate and enthusiastic about safe and eco friendly driving, and enjoy sharing these skills with my pupils and I thoroughly enjoy meeting such a variety of people. Having lived in Bristol all my life, I have great local knowledge of both Bristol and surrounding areas, including the test areas. Lessons with me are always relaxed and friendly with a laugh or two along the way. I pride myself on my approach to teaching and I feel that with my style pupils learn quickly and successfully because they feel at ease. I have taught many nervous pupils over the years and have found the best way to overcome the fear and nerves experienced whilst learning to drive is simply to maintain a calm and relaxed atmosphere in the car at all times. It is normal to feel anxious and as I have much experience in dealing with pupils anxiety, and have many tools and techniques to help manage these feelings whilst driving. Over our lessons, I will help you build your confidence and develop your driving skills to enable you to become a safe and confident driver for life. Jacqui Barr I worked in the film and tv industry for many years, but in a complete right turn (pun intended!) decided to retrain as a driving instructor. I qualified in 2018, and absolutely love the job. Every day is different, and I look forward to spending time with my pupils who teach me just as much as I teach them. I met Helen in the Avonmouth Test Centre at the end of 2019 and thought she was brilliant. She asked whether I would be interested in driving for Helen’s Driving School and of course I lept at the chance. The pandemic hit almost immediately, and lessons ground to a halt. Weathering the storm has not been easy, but (in the main) we have come out the other side: Helen and I decided we wanted to reflect the changes we’ve been through, and so created Top Hat Driving School. In addition to becoming an instructor, in 2019 I took a further exam with the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) to become an Advanced Driver, putting a spotlight on driver safety and skills. I bring these advanced driving techniques to my teaching, as well as being assessed as a DVSA grade A instructor (Standards Check 2021). I am conscious of Climate Change and the impact driving has on the environment. Therefore I am commited to giving all my learners methods for driving in a more eco-friendly way, reducing our impact on the environment, and saving money too. I carbon offset all my annual mileage with Carbon Footprint, choose petrol over diesel, and in the not too distant future intend to go fully electric.