Learning to drive in Banbury will give you the edge when it comes to passing your driving test. Banbury town has grown in size since it’s original market town days. Although it is still a market town- the town prospers and flourishes for its London commute via the M40.
Famous for the ‘fine ladies’- Banbury town also enjoys a hub of activity in many other areas such as shopping, and its coffee manufacturing.
“population of 44,000”
The town currently has a population of 44,000 people – and this figure is growing with the housing boom in the UK. Although due to the commuter belt of the M40, and the new Gateway shopping complex – the roads in Banbury aren’t as complex as other places such as Northampton and Oxford. When it comes to how to learn to drive in Banbury – all learners will experience busy roads, dual-carriageways and multi-lane roundabouts that are in the town.
Banbury has a large mix of new and old roads.
The nearer the town centre you travel, the older part of the town you are. With the famous ‘fines lady roundabout’, there are lots of one-way roads, terraced streets and complex cross-road layouts. All in which add to the learner driver’s road experience.
Although the town isn’t as big as other towns – the compact town centre, hills and the small terrace streets – conclude the learner’s drive within the town.
Page Contents
Driving Schools in Banbury
When it comes to learning to drive in Banbury, picking a driving school in Banbury will be a tricky challenge.
Due to the town having its own driving test centre – very near the ‘Banbury Cross’ roundabout, the town attracts a lot of driving schools from out-of-town. There are a vast amount of driving schools to pick from: some national schools, regional schools and there are lots of independent schools to choose from.
Many learner drivers will ask friends for recommended instructors, some will simply search in Google. When it comes to picking your driving school: here is a quick guide.
- Are they reputable? Where did you find them?
- How long have they been in business?
- Have they been referred by a friend or have they lots of reviews online?
- What courses do they offer?
- Do they offer evening/weekend/holiday lessons?
- What offers does the school have?
- Do they travel to your postcode?
- What do ‘other’ training courses they provide?
When it comes to picking your driving school in Banbury these are the things to consider. Sometimes; the local schools offer a better service as it is more personable, against the larger schools with overworked and tired driving instructors. However- this, of course, goes both ways!
Picking the correct school for you is the most important thing. Once you have chosen your driving school, it is advised that all ‘matters of business’ are discussed to determine the driving school’s terms and conditions; after all- you don’t want to get your finger burnt later on.
The more clarity you have from the off-set the better. For more information on driving schools in Banbury please visit LPOD Academy. Here you shall find details on intensive driving courses in Banbury and other areas of interest.
Theory Test Centre In Banbury
When it comes to your theory test, there is NOT a theory test centre in Banbury. The nearest centre is in Oxford. This will mean commuting to Oxford to sit your exam. Other centres to choose from include: Aylesbury and Northampton.
58 St Aldates (3rd floor)
Oxford
Oxfordshire
OX1 1ST
You will need to pass two exams to qualify a pass for your theory test. These are 43/50 for the multiple choice, and 44/75 for the hazard perception. For more information on passing your theory test, please visit the DVSA website.
When booking your theory test- it is advised to plan early and allow up to 4 weeks for an appointment. Sometimes you may be able to get an appointment sooner, but in most cases they book 4 weeks in advance.
You should be prompt on the day of your test and allow an extra 15 minutes earlier. You will have approximately one hour to sit your exam. Your results will be given to you in an envelope when you leave.
Driving Test Centre Banbury
The driving test centre in Banbury is near the Banbury Cross Roundabout, just off the town centre. The test centre does have a car park which is for the use of the test candidates and driving instructors only.
When booking your practical test it is advised to make sure you book in advance. Test waiting times in Banbury appear to be quite long – as much as 6-8 weeks waiting. Sometimes, you will be lucky to be able to get a late cancellation, but these go very quickly.
“Pass Rate In Banbury 53% Banbury”
There is a college of further education nearby, so during term-time, the waiting list increases due to the increased students in the town.
The town also has its own hospital so this can see an increase in traffic in the town. Due to the size of the town, sometimes there are some late cancellation tests, and pupils from out-of-town often come to Banbury to take their driving test, due to not being able to get one where they live.
The driving test centre address can be found here:
3 West Bar Street
Banbury
Oxfordshire
OX16 9SD
It is advised to not be late for your driving test appointment. You should allow 10 minutes prior to get parked and be seated in the waiting room. Also, please do not turn up before 10 minutes, as previous test candidates are still returning from their driving test.
The test centre management can issue warnings to driving instructors who persistently ignore this advice. This is standard procedure for most test centres.
Driving Test Routes In Banbury
There are about 10 driving test routes in Banbury. When learning to drive, it is advised to have some guidance on certain routes within the town.
Although the DVSA advises that all test candidates should be able to drive in whichever town they choose, regardless of familiarity- from my personal experience as an ADI, it is important to have a varied training schedule, and unfortunately not all towns have challenging or complex roundabouts and road-layouts.
However- Banbury does have some challenging areas of the town, so it is advised to become familiar with them prior to taking a driving test.
There are certain places in the town, where it would be advised to gain some experience on/in. These include:
- Banbury Cross roundabout – zebra crossings
- Hospital road- hill starts
- Costa coffee roundabout (on the edge of town, turn right towards M40)
- ‘No entry’ in Boughton village
- Dukes Meadow – 7 roundabouts in a row
- The slip road turning left, coming from the M40 towards the town (this is the first roundabout you shall come to)
- Bretch hill
- Grimsby
- STOP junctions in the town centre
- Spice ball roundabouts
- Cherwell Heights for reversing
- Crossroads turning right in the town centre.
These are a few places in which some familiarity will help you plan your understanding and journey.Be sure to seek the advice of your trainer when preparing for your exam. If you are learning to drive in Oxford be sure to check out our article on ‘Learn to drive in Oxford”.
Learning to drive in Banbury will help you to become a competent and a rounded learner driver, having experienced lots of road experience and road layouts.
With anything to do with learning – your reasons have to be strong enough; and when they are, anything is possible because your motivation and commitment to learning will increase, they will improve and ultimately you will achieve your goals! Good luck on your driving journey! Raise your standards.
