The Bill Plant Driving School has been named National Driving School of the Year at the Intelligent Instructor Awards 2019.
It was one of two awards for the company, with the driving school also scooping the Driver Instructor of the Year award for one of its driving instructors in Scotland.
Three driving schools were up for the national award, with the judges looking for a company that actively supports its pupils and instructors.
Customer service, innovation and effective instruction were other factors taken into consideration.
Last year, Volkswagen became the sole vehicle supplier for Bill Plant, with the company using T-Roc and Golf models.
The T-Rocs available to learner drivers are 1.6 TDI SE models, with the Golfs boasting the same engine but the SE Match trim. There’s a small premium for drivers to receive tuition in the T-Roc.
According to Bill Plant figures, the average learner will spend £1,222.47 on driving lessons, plus an additional £23 for a theory test and £62 for their practical driving test.
Drivers aged 17 and 18 have the highest first-time pass rate of any age group (50 percent overall). Of the 1,266,796 Brits who passed their theory test between April 2018 and March 2019, only 761,791 went on to pass their practical test.
‘Happiness and success’
Tom Hixon, head of instructor support at Bill Plant, said: “We’re thrilled to have won the award for National Driving School of the Year, this is something our driving instructors across the UK can join in with us to celebrate our collective success.
“We’ve made some significant improvements within the business over the last couple of years, with the happiness and success of instructors and pupils at the forefront of everything we do.
“It’s great to have our hard work and achievements recognised – especially when you’re up against such well known competitors – and we’re excited to continue to further enhance the business and take Bill Plant to the next level.”