Testimonials

'I really enjoyed the [MCC] course in Cardiff yesterday, it was very worthwhile. Cliff did say that if we needed any Section 19 Permits you could send some. Could I possibly have six please?

I ask because Cliff's warning that the DVSA were doing their rounds was very timely. I had a phone call at 7.30pm last night to say that the Police and a DVSA inspector had followed one of our minibuses back to School after their evening run and did a spot check. All OK apart from the fact that although the permit was in the bus it wasn’t on display – hence my request!

Kind regards
Sarah'

'10/10: At LVS the safety of pupils and staff is always paramount, the Castle Minibus Compliance Course is a great way of ensuring that we are complying with all the relevant laws and regulations and therefore maintain our safety standards'
Tom Farrell

'We are more than happy with the excellent service that Castle provide, all the staff that have completed their D1 have been extremely grateful for the professionalism and attitude that the instructors provide.

Thanks again
Leo'

'I’ve spoken to all four members of staff who undertook the MIDAS training recently and they all thoroughly enjoyed it! They said that the instructor had a great sense of humour and they had a great day out.

Thank you once again and look forward to booking more training in the future.

Kind regards

Jenny'

'Just want to say thanks again for the training with Cliff. I learnt more in the two days with you than I did after months of training when passing my regular driving test (I also managed to change a lot of bad habits too!) Thankfully all the advice and wisdom you passed on enabled me to pass the D1 test.

Since passing the test, I've driven the minibuses at school with children on board which was a totally different experience but one I enjoyed nonetheless!

Thanks again,
David Winter'

9/10 - Very informative [MCC] workshop. Learned various elements to managing the fleet of school minibuses at school and appointing a 'Transport Manager'.

'Couldn’t fault the experience I have had with you as a company. Incredibly helpful communications at all times, even if that has been to ‘gently encourage’ my studying for theory tests, speedy responses to any questions and providing handy help sheets. Liz, what can I say? She was simply brilliant. Beyond being a real pleasure to spend two days with, her professionalism, knowledge, handy hints and ever steady/calm demeanour was just what I needed. She had a fabulous ability to instill confidence in me, without being too positive (which would have no doubt made me too cocky!!) and always knew just what to say. So, all in all, with ‘D1’ ready to be stamped on my licence, the process was super easy and I can’t say thank you enough. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend you.'

‘We are delighted that both David Winter and Matt Nichol have passed!

They both thoroughly enjoyed the training and as a school we have been very impressed with the quality and administration of all contact with Castle. In addition, both candidates gave very positive feedback about Cliff.’

'Hi,

From my side, I find you all extremely helpful.

You were very patient with me answering numerous questions when I first contacted you and then dealt with the initial set up so swiftly. Anne is always following up and keeping me informed, which I need! If I ever ask for updates, Anne promptly lets me know what I need.'

From Linden:

'They were excellent, instructor was an especially nice guy. 10/10 from me.

Merry Christmas,
Linden'

Upon receiving a new minibus from Castle, Nick had this to say;

'Very straight forward thank you, looking forward to a long partnership hopefully.

Nick'

Following his attendance on our MCC, Adrian said, '10 / 10 - very good - Outstanding, worth attending, is a must for schools. The trainers made the course.'

Can I just say how helpful everyone has been with theory material and Keith my instructor was outstanding.

Kind regards

Jaime

I'm very happy and relieved. Both Cliff and Liz were great. Can't fault either of them. Friendly and really good instructors. Thank you for all your advice, training and helping me achieve this qualification.

Regards
Alex Doolan

​I would like to say Keith, was an absolute star - must have been to put up with me! It was a full on couple of days but he was an excellent instructor in every way - would highly recommend him to everyone. Please pass on my thanks and that he is a credit to your company.
Penny x

Paul was a great instructor and really helped me out a lot. I was very pleased with the training and ease of everything so thank you.

Will.

Following the MiDAS training, Sarah, Bursar from Truro High School for Girls said;

'The candidates enjoyed their training & said they found it very helpful. I was especially grateful that your trainer managed to fit in practical sessions before lunch to allow one of our drivers to catch his flight!

Sarah Budd
Bursar'

Of the Minibus Compliance Course, David said, 'Good overall content of the course. 8 out of 10' and Grant said, 'I generally enjoyed all aspects of course from beginning to end - Many Thanks. 9 out of 10'.

We are all very pleased that Ian has passed his minibus driving test and can now drive his own football team about! He has spoken very highly of the course that he attended and has given glowing references to everyone who will listen to him here in the staff room.

We will certainly be using your company again and hope to be able to train up more teachers to drive over this academic year.

Can I just add that I really liked not having to do too much paperwork to enrol him on the course and that you managed everything really well.

Thank you!

Kind regards
Carolyn

I did not know if I had passed or not, but luckily I had! Even though I was a bit worried yesterday about one or two things, Paul's knowledge and guidance helped to prepare me well for the test.

Thank you also Anne. You have been very approachable and helpful. I think that Castle are very lucky to have you!

Regards
Andrew Macdonald

The communication and organisation of this course has been excellent, followed by an excellent instructor who I couldn't fault. Paul was friendly and covered all bases without making it too overwhelming.

All together a brilliant training programme.

Thank you very much.

Regards
Marcus Dee

The training was certainly very intense, but Cliff was an excellent tutor. Incredibly thorough and supportive. I wouldn't have passed without him!

It was great to have Kaz with us as well. Kaz was also very supportive and encouraging and I am sure she will be an excellent minibus driver trainer.

Kind regards,
Marie

Cliff was really helpful and the entire program was organised and supported.

Thanks
Eddie

I just wanted to pass on how great Cliff was. He was a fantastic instructor and a top bloke!
Thanks very much

Keir Ferguson
Music/Music Technology - New College Pontefract

I really enjoyed the training and Cliff was brilliant. He is really knowledgeable, and I felt really well prepared when taking the test. I am looking forward to seeing him again for my MiDAS training.
Thanks
Will

Thank you very much, I was very happy with the result! I would just like to say how great Paul was. I honestly could not fault him throughout the two days, he was fantastic, and made sure I was fully prepared for the exam.

Thank you for the support.
Ben

Thank you very much for the help. Paul was an amazing trainer.
Many thanks
Dan

Having now passed both elements of my D1 licence, I would like to thank you for making the process as straightforward as possible. The theory test preparations were extremely thorough and my progress was clearly indicated at every stage of my revision, making it easy to see which areas needed targeting. In the run up to my practical test, Cliff made me feel at ease, outlining the criteria for success from the start and helping me overcome a few bad habits I had picked up in my twenty years driving. I went into the test feeling confident, knowing exactly what I needed to do to get the desired result.

A big thank you to Castle Training!

Kind regards, Richard

Thank you very much. I really enjoyed both days and came out with a pass and 0 faults which I was very pleased with. Cliff was a great instructor, gave very clear advice which really supported my driving and he made sure I felt well prepared for the test.

Many thanks, Kate

My thanks to all at Castle, for helping me gain my D1 licence. Liz was calm and very professional, even when I made the same mistakes, over and over she remained calm. I feel it was all down to Liz that I passed with only 2 minors. Could you pass on my thanks to her, for all the help she gave me during my training. I would like to wish Castle all the best for the future.
Many thanks
Paul Morgan.

I thoroughly enjoyed my two day training days with Paul. He was excellent in building confidence. Set out the key points right from the get go and picked up on the finest of details in which I needed to be more observant.
I feel the two day programme set me up perfectly for the test and was very confident when I undertook my test.
In both the theory and practical test I had sufficient practice and training and was very pleased with it all.

Thank you

Regards
Martin

We are very pleased with the overall service that has been provided and obviously the outcome. The way you provided a clear, step by step approach and organised things directly with the learner was excellent, obviously keeping me informed when I need to be. If the need arises again we would definitely call upon your services or be happy to recommend.

It was a lot of driving!

Paul was very professional and had me impeccably prepared in time for the test.

Heavy roadworks limited my opportunities to mess it up!

"I didn’t feel very confident but Paul was great at correcting all my mistakes in a very encouraging way and over the two days I could feel my driving improve to the point that I was pretty confident by the time the test came.

Thanks
Tom
"

Good Afternoon

I just wanted to say thank you for helping me pass the D1 test.

The online resources were a great help with preparing for the two theory tests. The two days practical training were also fantastic. Cliff was extremely professional, very clear with his advice and instructions, explained the reversing manoeuvre and test fantastically well and on the morning of the test gave me amazing advice and hints for the roads around Kirkham, several of which came up on the test. I honestly don't think I could have done it without his advice, support and calming influence.

Thanks again

Dave

Hi Anne,

Thanks for your email. I was really pleased to have passed!

I must say I’ve been really impressed with Castle all the way through this process. You’ve been very easy to get in touch with and very proactive in contacting me to prompt me to get things done. I’ve appreciated very much the best wishes and good luck messages as well. Cliff was terrific through both days of training. He’s an outstanding teacher with a very clear understanding of how he wants his pupils to drive. He’s also a really fun guy to drive around with which is pretty important for two days 1 to 1!

Thanks so much,
Richard

"Dear Anne

I am relieved to have passed too!

Thank you very much to you and to Paul for all your help in getting me to this point.

Paul was super – I am very pleased I didn’t let him down.

Best wishes

Jilli"

"Dear Anne,

Thank you for your email. Very pleased with passing today.

Big thank you to Paul who was an excellent teacher."

"Please pass on my thanks to Liz. She was a great instructor and made the test so much easier than it could have been!! I couldn't have done it without her! I'm just sorry (and annoyed at myself) that I couldn't give her a clear sheet!!! All the best Jonny"

Thank you very much.

I would just like to thank you for all your support and reminders along the way and to stress that Paul is a fantastic asset to the company and his approach and way of working is great! I thoroughly enjoyed the training and would recommend it to anybody thinking of driving larger vehicles as the experience has been invaluable.

I am emailing as I took the D1 practical test today and passed with only a few minors. Despite previous concerns raised regarding Cliff, he was absolutely brilliant today in helping to calm my nerves during the training and prior to the test. His clear instructions on how to improve my reverse were sound and well explained, assisting me to perfect the manoeuvre and really raise my confidence (despite failing on this aspect previously). I would also like to feedback that Cliff helped me refine my general driving skills and that he was patient, kind and good humoured when giving constructive criticism to help me improve. Overall the driving experience today was excellent.

Many thanks to both Cliff and Paul for helping me to pass the minibus driving test.

Liz is excellent - very patient with her students and a good calming presence with what can be very frustrating if like me you took your original test 20 years ago.


Thanks for all your help, support and flexibility in working around my other commitments.

The training was excellent with the correct balance of humour and seriousness. All three of us thoroughly enjoyed ourselves ( makes a change from being stuck at my desk!) 

Good afternoon
Just to let you know that Alan, Jayne and I all passed our Midas.
We had a useful and fun day and I think Cliff did too. Please, would you pass on my thanks to him?

Paul was an outstanding teacher and really considered every detail.  He was keen to discuss feedback at the end and I was really impressed by his professionalism.

"I passed my D1 practical test today and I just wanted to give you some feedback on my experience in completing my D1 assessment with Castle driver training.

The whole process was extremely straightforward and easy thanks to Cliff, my instructor and all the staff at Castle who I have been in contact with (Anne and Val are names which spring to mind). I was kept up to date with the whole process and always received a quick response when I had a query or question; as a teacher, I am often very busy throughout the week so this efficiency was highly appreciated! The level of service that Castle provided to me was fantastic - the fact that all of my tests were organised for me and I did not have to do anything other than practice my theory and turn up for the test made the whole process easy and not at all stressful.

I would also like to say a special thanks to Cliff, my driving instructor. Again he has kept in regular contact with me throughout the process, even to wish me good luck and congratulate me when I passed my theory which I thought was a really nice touch. As an instructor I cannot rate him highly enough, he is extremely knowledgeable and a fantastic teacher – thanks to his guidance I am much more confident about my driving. When I was really nervous before my test Cliff really made me feel at ease and I am sure that without him I would not have passed!

I would be grateful if you could pass on my thanks to your staff and especially Cliff. I will also pass on my feedback to our principal and business manager and I will not hesitate to recommend Castle driver training in the future."

I am very happy to have passed the D1. I thought the training was excellent. Paul was a fantastic instructor and had a great way of ironing out problems and habits.

The feedback I would give is on how excellent Cliff is. As a teacher myself I deal with how people should learn and I believe Cliff is truly excellent at it. He speaks in a slow, methodical manner which is easy to understand and the expert way to do it for instruction. He steadily builds up the learning progressively, with structured instruction.This not only made my driving better but also helped raise my confidence. His relaxed manner of teaching is really good and I was most impressed with him.

The minibus was fantastic and you did us proud. We would not hesitate to use Castle Minibus again or recommend others to do the same.

It was important that the D1 training was facilitated in the school holidays to avoid disruption to the school timetable. Thank you so much for providing the training Castle Minibus. I would certainly recommend your services to other schools.

It has been a great experience from completing the theory test right up until passing the practical. I would like to thank the Castle Driver team for their support and assistance throughout and in particular Cliff, whom was very supportive, patient and professional over the last couple of days. Passing first time would not have been possible without his expertise and brilliant approach which not only prepared me for the test but also gave me lots of confidence during it.

A huge thank you on behalf of all of us at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and for providing us with an excellent mini bus training service. We are all confident about driving teams around now and have the certificates to go with it.

The whole process was brilliant. I was really impressed with how accommodating everyone was.

I have been very impressed by the level of contact, communication and support received. I would have no hesitation in recommending your company to colleagues.

I couldn't have passed my D1 test without Cliff! An excellent instructor and person, very lucky to spend two days with him. His knowledge and tips got me through a very stressful test.

Thank you ever so much for all your hard work behind the scenes. You've all played an integral part in me passing this qualification. Paul was fantastic as an instructor. Very friendly and excellent at transferring his knowledge. Couldn't have asked for more !

Thank you very much for your efficiency in providing us with our new minibus. We are delighted with the service from you and your team, the bus was delivered on time and as arranged - the two drivers were lovely, friendly and helpful and the whole process has been smooth and efficient.

I just wanted to thank you for helping me pass my minibus test... your trainer was a true professional who used a range of coaching techniques in order to get the best from me.

His tuition was intense but rewarding. He really pushes you hard but it is totally worth it by the time you come to your test. I felt totally prepared and breezed through the assessment with little problem.

We are delighted with the minibus, the school are using it loads and the staff, pupils and parents are very happy with it.

Those that did the training enjoyed the day and found it useful too.

There are 420 very excited children and 60 very excited staff at this end. Seriously, we are very grateful for the superb way in which Castle Vehicle Leasing have helped us to secure these vehicles on terms not offered by our local authority.

Castle has made this process so easy for us, and you have been so quick and flexible, we really are looking forward to a long-term association with Castle.

All of the staff has given me good feedback so thank you for your help and support.