Comments from previous pupils

Below are comments from some of our previous pupils. Should you want to add your own comments, please use the contact form.

Andrea Hields
Passed 1st Time

Thanks to steven I passed my test first time with only four minors and I couldn´t be happier, although I will really miss my lessons. Steven always made lessons enjoyable, fun and stressfree. He is an excellent instructor, a great guy and has the patience of a saint. He simplified the manoeuvres and never made me feel silly for all my blonde moments and daft questions. He is a brilliant confidence builder and would highly recommend to anyone. Definitely couldn´t get better value for money.

Thanks again

Jannine Baldwin

I remember my first lesson telling Steven that he need not think that i was going to sit in the drivers seat. My initial thought of driving was that i was going to be a white knuckled silent driver as i was so scared. My fears were put to bed though as Steven talked me through everything in a way that was easy to understand. I can honestly say that it is true why they say "you only get what you pay for". I had heard so many horror stories about some instructors but Steven was absolutely great. Thank you so much for helping me achieve my freedom and a huge big thank you from my 3 kids as well as we can now go for day trips to where ever they want. Highly recommended.

Neil Docherty
Passed 1st Time

Big thanks to Paul. Despite me having my doubts about sitting my test Paul alway kept faith and I´m sure he took great pleasure in saying "I told u so" when I passed! I will throughly recommend M8 driving School.

Lorcan Martin
Passed 1st Time

Although I started lessons with Steve having had no driving experience beforehand. Thanks to his patient teaching approach and techniques I quickly gained confidence in my ability to drive. This meant that when it came to my test day I was so confident in what I needed to do that I passed first time !! A big thanks needs to go to Steve who I would definetely recommend to anybody wanting to start taking lessons or even if you´ve had lessons before. Cheers Steve.

Nicole O'Hara
Passed 1st Time

After 5 years suffering acute anxiety, in social and stressful situations, I was not sure if I would be able to leave the house without having a panic attack, let alone learn to drive. I contacted Steven and we began our lessons. To say I was nervous is an understatement. I would get frustrated with myself for not being able to pick it up fast enough; I would moan and refuse to move any further and would normally end up in tears either during my lesson or immediately after; I would grasp the wheel so tightly my arm muscles hurt for days after each lesson. I was ready to pack it in before I really got started.

Steven saw I was nervous and spent time talking to me and allowing me to calm down. He used a variety of coaching techniques to help me to understand how to improve. Which I begrudgingly accept, worked really well. He built a rapport with me and is one of the few people who had the patience to truly understand how to deal with my huge mood swings.

As time went on my driving improved and I found I didn’t have to focus on every single action I made in the process of changing gears, indicating etc. I felt I was ready for test. But as the time for test approached I found myself getting anxious and frustrated again. Steven spotted this and used some of his NLP training to try to help me understand that the only thing that would stop me from passing the test was my own negative thoughts. The ability was there already.

Yesterday morning I was preparing for my driving test. I was crying and feeling sick and was ready to cancel it, but I remembered what Steven had told me and put on some of my favourite music. Got myself into a relaxed mood and went.

I am proud to say that I passed my driving test 1st time. And I can honestly say that without Steven there to support me I would not have continued my lessons, or sat the test let alone have passed it.

Thank you!

Dylan Woods
Passed 1st Time

I would like to say a huge thank you to Paul Gregory. Paul is a great driving instructor who is very patient and understanding. He is always very encouraging and explains everything very well. Paul is also always more than happy to answer any questions you have during lessons. I would highly recommend taking driving lessons from Paul as I passed my test on my first attempt today and I owe it all to him. thanks again Paul!

Justyna Rymek

Big Thanks to Steven Porter for teaching me how to drive. He is a great instructor with excellent teaching skills. He got my confidence up and made me believe in myself. I´m a very nervous person, and Steven made it that I became a confident and good driver. Would recommend him to anyone.

You are a great guy with the patience of a saint:)

Marissa Gibson
Passed 1st Time

Would like to say a big thank you to Paul for helping me pass my driving test today for the 1st time, great instructor and I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to do their driving lessons. Thanks very much for all your help:)

Michael Finlay
Passed 1st Time

Hi steven I can´t thank you enough for what you have done for me over the last few months with my driving. You are one of the best out there and I would highly recommend you to anybody out there. Thank you so much for what you have done for me and a bottle of whisky will be on its way to you soon.

Derek Smith
Passed 1st Time

Really good instruction from Paul. Catered lessons to suit my style and requirements. Helped me pass 1st time with 8 minors - Will be recommending to others. Thanks Paul.

Derek Smith

Amanda O'Rourke
Passed 1st Time

A big massive thank you to Steven for helping me pass my driving test first time! He got me through lessons of tears and tantrums. Had a really good time on lessons and looked forward to them. Always made me feel better when I thought I couldnt do it. I had two instructers before Steven, so was nervous at getting used to yet another car and instructer, but everything was put to ease. Thank you so much again! highly recommend!

Allen Macree

Thanks to M8 I passed my test second time around. Mr Steven Porter got me out of serious bad habits and taught me to drive safely and during lessons made me feel confident. I failed my first test but that was my own stupid fault. Second time around Steven talked me through how to handle my nerves and gave me alot of confidence to pass. Top quality instructor and well worth the effort. I can say best driving school by far in the land. So many thanks to M8 and Steven. My advice looking for an instructor, look no further than M8, Top class!

Marina Shumitskiy
Passed 1st Time

My husband recommended Paul to me when I was looking for a driving instructor. I should have contacted Paul straight away, but like many others, I had made up my mind on a cheaper driving school. After taking thirty lessons I felt that I was not progressing and I would never pass the test. The whole experience was awful. The instructor would raise his voice at my silliest mistake and I thought I wasn´t worth a thing. I ended up hating driving and losing confidence. My husband suggested trying a couple of lessons from Paul to see the difference. During the very first lesson with Paul I realised that my previous thirty lessons were a complete spare. Paul was amazing! he is such a calm and composed person. He had so much patience for me! Paul is a real professional. He could always explain any problematic situation and was always eager to answer any of my questions. Moreover, Paul really cared for my progress. I enjoyed every lesson with him. Soon my confidence returned and I passed the test first time. It may sound ridiculous, but I even enjoyed the driving test. Thank you very much, Paul! I will definitely recommend you to anyone looking for a driving instructor in paisley area.

Harriet Dradge

I recently passed my test with m8 driving school. steven was great, very patient and very thorough, I feel as if he was teaching me to drive properly rather than just drive at a standard good enough to pass the test. I was very nervous and had a mental block about the driving test, so he used NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programmming) techniques with me and really took his time to help me get over my fear of the test, and it really worked! I wish I had went with m8 the first time around, would have saved me alot of money in the long run and now i feel more than confident on the road.

Robert McKain

Driving was not second nature to me. Working in Glasgow meant that I didn´t need a car so I held off having lessons until I was 30 but I still expected to jump in a car and drive perfectly straight away. Through Steven´s guidance and excellent teaching I was able to pick up the rules of the road quickly, however, whenever I made a mistake I fell out with myself which seriously held back my progression. Steven was very patient and calm and helped me understand that learning from your mistakes make you a better driver. Steven showed that he is an excellent driving instructor. He not only teaches you how to drive but his additional study and CPT have allowed him to develop techniques for overcoming confidence issues or in my case frustration at not being perfect straight away. I got on so well with Steven that I booked my Pass Plus lessons straight after I passed my test. Thanks Steven!

Ikechi Awa

After several driving lessons and 2 failures in the practical driving tests with another instructor in Paisley area, I decided to change purely on the fact that the instructor was no longer adding any value whatsoever and was very impatient.

When I started with Steven, I found out that it would have been impossible to pass the practical diving test giving my level of driving. In a very very short period, Steven was able to bring me up to the required speed and boosted my confidence.

I am happy to say that the decision to change to M8 driving school is the best thing that happened to my driving and my confidence cos I was going to give up having already spent so much with the previous instructor.

Steven is not just a Grade 6 ADI on paper, he is a teacher and customises the training to suite your individual.

If you want to make most of your time and money in driving lesson and pass the practical test go for M8/Steven and trust me, there will be no regrets.

Sean Spalding (17) - 5 minors
Passed 1st Time

Learning to drive with Steven was exciting and enjoyable . He was a newly qualified instructor which I thought was good as he would have all the up to date methods for passing your test . He isn´t like the old grumpy instructors that you sometimes see , he likes to have a laugh . On the day of my test I was quiet nervous but Steven knows what to say to calm your nerves and help you with your test . When I first met Steven he looked at my skills on driving and said I could be sitting my test round about the time when the schools go back , and if I had sat my theory sooner I think I would have. But in the end and with all of Stevens help I passed my test first time with only 5 minors

Andy Mimnagh (18) - 7 Minor faults

When I first started to take driving lessons it was an unusual experience as I had only been in the passenger side of a car, never behind the wheel! However, once I started learning to drive with Steven he taught me the fundamental skills needed to become an accomplished driver. It was a pleasure being taught off of Steven as he ensured a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere everytime we were out on the road, which made things that bit easier when starting off.

After working the basic skills, Steven would then identify what exactly needed to be worked on to make me into a 'complete' driver. Now that I look back on my lessons I'm glad that it was Steven who taught me how to drive as not only did he provide me with the attributes needed to pass my test, he became a good friend aswell

John Madden
Passed 1st Time

I had been taking lessons on and off now for a few years and never managed to get to the required standard, mainly due finance and other commitments, not to mention lack of motivation. When I booked with Steven he assesed my ability and gave me a rough date when he thought I'd be ready.

I managed to pass first time eight weeks later and felt really confident on the day. I had a good laugh with Steven on my two hour lessons, I'm sure this helped me to relax and begin to enjoy the process. Momentum was always lacking I thought with previous instructors, but Steven was passionate about his work and for the first time I felt a bit of energy. I knew I'd pass this time.

Andy McLauchlan (31) - 2 Minors.
Passed 1st Time

I already had driving experience and had to resit my test for my licence. Steven was concise and informative and brought my driving skills up to scratch in a very short time. He always had a relaxed, unstressful style to teaching and useful comments to improve my control of the car. Thanks for all your help. Cheers.

Robyn Galloway (17) - 5 minor faults
Passed 1st Time

Steven always made driving easy and fun. He was really good at building confidence and helping me learn in the ways i felt comfortable. Lessons were always really casual, there was no real stress when I was driving with Steven, even when I was having trouble with things. Because Steven had always been honest with me about my abilities, when I went to take my test, I knew I was ready for it and felt comfortable taking it.

Adam Lawrie (19) - 5 minors
Passed 1st Time

After previously failing my test with another instructor, I lost my motivation towards driving. I only decided to start lessons again because i had alot of free time and some extra money. But when i started learning with steven i regained my motivation, I felt as if he was constantly challenging me to improve and to become a capable confident driver. Most importantly he gave me confidence to overcome my nerves on the road and now I feel as if the skills that I have learned come second nature to me. I'd recommend Steven
to anyone, he has a great positive and friendly attitude to teaching, and his confidence in me as a driver really helped, especially on the day of my test.

Nicola Spalding (23)
Passed 1st Time

I first started taking driving lessons when i was 18 and absolutely hated every minute of every lesson. I gave up. At 23 i decided enough was enough, i not only needed to drive to get me to and from work, i really wanted too.

Steven was recommended to my dad from a friend of his. At first i was extremely nervous and still disliked my lessons. However that soon changed as Steven made learning to drive fun and enjoyable.

Steven helped me to relax and enjoy new driving skills. He was always patient and relaxed (even when i was having a blonde moment or stating "I can't do this" lol) He always reassured me that i could, building my confidence.

I can honestly say I'd recommend Steven as a driving instructor to anyone thinking of taking lessons. He is passionate about his work and it shows in his enthusiasm.

John Paul Bayless -1 Minor
Passed 1st Time

I passed my theory test 2 years ago and thought, ok I'll learn to drive now. I have to warn you that not all driving schools are out to work with you with the exception of this school as I had 3 tests prior to my final test. Steven was the best instructor as I felt more than comfortable. He gave me the feedback that all my other instructors never gave. His reference points work, he wouldn't teach them if they didn't. I would advise anyone learning to drive to give M8 Driving School a call as its not like going for lesson after lesson, you actually look foward to your next lesson behind the wheel. I done an intensive course as my theory test was running out but I still managed to pass before my deadline which I'll always be grateful for those reasons. Best money spent as now I dont have to get public transport everywhere. Thanks Steven for all your help

Alison Ramage (31) - 6 minor faults

I have been taking driving lessons on and off for many years now but finally I found an instructor with whom I connected to and had great patience (believe me he needed it with me.)
Through many laughs and tears he finally helped me to achieve a huge success in passing my driving test. This was a great delight to me but there was also a sadness as I felt I was losing a great friend.
I would recommend Steven as a driving instructor to anyone. He is a kind caring person and is very passionate about his career as a driving instructor. Thank you very much Steven for helping me to achieve my licence.

John McCluskie - 4 minors
Passed 1st Time

Id like to thank Steven so much for his time and patience with me. If it hadn't been for him I dont think I would ever have past my test! He was accommodating and fair, and really went out his way for me. Im normally quite nervous when I meet new people, Steven reassured me and I had such belief in my ability down to his manner and honesty. So much so that I asked him to sit in the car with me when I did my test. You really can't ask for more in an instructor. My family and I thank you so much and would definently recommend Steven to anyone.

Suzanne Campbell - 6 minor faults
Passed 1st Time

I used to be a really nervous driver and had been learning for 4 years, with one failed test in another location, but Steven helped me gain confidence again and taught me new methods that I had never learned before. As a result I passed first time with him, for which I am very grateful because over the past 4 years I had 5 different instructors and I think each one of them lost their patience with me! But Steven was very patient and good banter, even though I wasn't so good at talking and driving at the same time! I would recommend Steven for anyone, as he took me on at a late stage in my driving progression and still managed to get me passed in a short space of time. Now I'm driving everywhere and it's great!

Jordan Agnew (17) -13 minor faults
Passed 1st Time

When I had my first lesson with Steven I was extremely nervous.
He done all the talking which helped alot and settled my nerves. Sometimes I wanted to give up on driving but I was assured by Steven that I was cabable. That I could do it!

He's not like other instructors because he talks to you about what you want to talk about and with him teaching my sister how to drive there was always something to talk about. He gets all of his students to a level where even if you have a bad drive on test day like I did you can still pass because the fundamentals he has tought you and the methods he uses stick and become second nature.

Although I'm thrilled with passing my test I'll miss steven because I looked up to him not just as my instructor but as a friend. I would highly recommend him to anyone who wants low minor marks (with me as an exception) a great laugh and most importantly confidence in your own ability.

Thanks Steven.

Ashley Agnew (22) - 8 Minors
Passed 1st Time

When my dad booked my first lesson i was so scared but when i got into the car with Stevie he made me feel so at ease because of his friendly manner that he has with his pupils. With ever lesson i had my confidence grew in the car however i still had my moments when the famous sayings "a cannae do it" or " will you please help me" came up.

Stevie is a fantastic instructor who develops friendships with his pupils as well as just being there to teach them how to drive. I would recommend Stevie to anyone who is thinking about learning to drive...

THANK YOU SO MUCH..!!!!!!! Ashley xx

Barry Stewart - 5 minor faults.

I had previously done alot of driving but never got round to sitting my test. When I started lessons with Steven I had driven only once in three years and my confidence was understandably low. I went into the first driving lesson with apprehension but Steven soon put me at ease. He gave me the skills to get my driving up to test-standard without it being a laborious process. Within a couple of lessons I was actually looking forward to going out in the car. The reference points Steven uses greatly simplified each of the maneauvres so I could concentrate on observations. I also gained a comprehensive knowledge of the test area which gave me a lot of confidence going into my test as I knew there wouldn't be any surprises. If your contemplating booking driving lessons, I can't recommend Steven enough. He's an excellent instructor and you'll have a laugh with him.