How I Work — lessons with Dan Stagg

One instructor. The same roads you'll face on test day. No pressure, no guesswork about where you stand. Here's exactly what learning with Dan looks like.

✓ ADI Registered since 2006 ✓ 18 years' experience ✓ DIA Member ✓ Dual controls ✓ Manual lessons only

The same instructor, every single lesson

This sounds obvious, but it's not as common as it should be. At bigger schools, your instructor might change mid-course, or you could be assigned to whoever's free that week. It means re-establishing where you got to, what you struggled with, what terminology was used. That time is wasted.

Every lesson with Dan is with Dan. He knows what you found difficult last time. He knows what you're ready for next. He knows how you respond to feedback, and how much to push you on a given day. That continuity builds progress in a way that switching instructors simply can't.

A car with dual controls

Dan's teaching car has full dual controls — brakes, clutch, and steering. From your very first lesson, you're in a safe environment with someone who's been handling uncertain first-time drivers for 18 years. You don't need to worry about what happens if something goes wrong. It won't — because Dan has it covered.

The actual test roads — before test day

Crawley's test pass rate is well below the national average. One big reason people fail is encountering roads on test day they haven't properly prepared for. Dan teaches across the full range of roads in Crawley and Horsham — roundabout, Hazlewick roundabout, the A23, dual carriageways, town centre junctions, rural roads. When you arrive on test day, nothing will be new.

On the roads that matter

roundabout. Hazlewick roundabout. Crawley town centre. Rural stretches. Dual carriageways. These aren't just practice roads — they're your test routes.

How a lesson actually works

At the start of each lesson, Dan asks how you're feeling and adjusts the plan from there. A lesson where you're tired, stressed, or anxious looks different to one where you're sharp and confident. That's not a problem — it's just good teaching.

Before you tackle a new skill, Dan explains what you're about to do and why, usually with diagrams or a quick video on his iPad. You understand the aim before you attempt it. Then:

  1. 1
    Guided practice Dan talks you through the manoeuvre in real time. You're following clear instructions, not guessing.
  2. 2
    Prompted practice Dan steps back to questions rather than instructions — "What do you need to check here?" — so you start thinking it through yourself.
  3. 3
    Independent practice You drive the situation on your own. That's the point — not just following prompts, but actually getting it.
  4. 4
    End-of-lesson debrief Dan tells you plainly what went well, what needs work, and what to focus on before next time. You always leave knowing exactly where you stand.

That progression builds real understanding, not just muscle memory. By the time you're driving something independently, it's because you've actually got it.

No early test bookings

Dan has seen what happens when pupils are pushed to test before they're ready. He won't do it. Before your real test, you'll complete a mock test. It's not optional — it's how both of you know you're genuinely ready.

What you'll cover across your lessons

Everyone moves through this at their own pace — some topics click quickly, others need more time. Dan will be straight with you about where you are throughout.

  • Cockpit drill — controls, mirrors, seat position
  • Moving off and pulling up at the kerb
  • Gear changes and basic vehicle control
  • T-junctions — turning left and right
  • Emerging onto main roads
  • Smaller roundabouts, then larger and spiral ones including Hazlewick
  • Parking — parallel, bay, and right-hand side
  • Dual carriageways
  • Rural roads
  • Sat nav use and reading signs independently
  • Emergency stop
  • Mock test
  • Test day

Dan tracks your progress against each topic honestly. You'll know which areas are strong and which need more work — not because he'll tell you once and move on, but because it comes up in the debrief after every lesson.

Whoever you are — you're in the right place

Dan teaches a wide range of learners. Here's how he approaches some common situations.

😌 You're nervous about driving

Nearly everyone is, at first — Dan hears it in almost every first lesson. He starts in quiet areas, goes at whatever pace you need, and doesn't create pressure. Most pupils are surprised by how much they've done by the end of lesson one.

More about nervous driver lessons →

🧠 You're autistic, or learn differently

Dan has years of experience teaching learners with autism, ADHD, and processing differences. He breaks every skill into small, clear steps, pulls over mid-lesson to process what's been covered, and gives specific feedback — not vague reassurance. Progress is never compared to anyone else.

More about autism & ADHD lessons →

😞 A previous instructor put you off

Some instructors make pupils feel stupid. Some cancel repeatedly. Some push tests to hit their own targets. If you've been through that, Dan's approach will feel different from the first phone call.

⏸️ You haven't driven for years

It happens. Dan has helped plenty of returning drivers pick it back up — without making them feel behind or that they're starting from scratch.

Manual lessons only — and why that matters

Dan teaches manual lessons only. That's not just a preference — it has a practical impact on the licence you walk away with.

A manual driving licence covers every car on the road. An automatic-only licence locks you to automatics, permanently. Manual cars still make up the majority of vehicles in the UK — especially at the affordable end of the second-hand market. A full manual licence keeps your options open.

Manual driving also tends to make you more attentive on the road. You're more actively involved in what the car is doing, which builds better habits early on.

Worth knowing

If you pass in a manual, you can drive any car. If you pass in an automatic, you cannot drive a manual — ever — without retaking your test.

A bit about Dan

Dan grew up in Croydon, passed his test the day after his 18th birthday, and trained through BSM — spending nine months on all three parts of the ADI qualification: theory, driving ability, and teaching method. He's been instructing ever since.

He launched Stagg Motoring School independently in June 2015. He's a member of the Driving Instructors Association (DIA) and hasn't been called for a DVSA check test in over a decade — a signal the DVSA is satisfied his teaching consistently meets or exceeds national standards.

18 years teaching, every day, on the same roads you're about to learn on. Not managing a franchise. Not behind a desk. Teaching.

Read more about Dan →

Ready to start your lessons?

Call or email Dan to talk through what you need — first lesson, switching from another instructor, or restarting after a break. No pressure, no sales script.

Book a Lesson 📞 07720 920759
✉️dan@staggmotoring.com
🕗Mon – Sun, 8am – 8pm