Driving School for El Camino Real Charter High Students

Before a California teen can apply for a license, two requirements must be met:

• Minimum 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a licensed driving school (this is what our lesson packages cover)
• Minimum 50 hours of supervised driving practice with a parent, guardian, or licensed instructor. At least 10 hours must be at night

Practice hours can be tracked using our free California driving log. If your student adds individual or custom lessons with us, those count toward the 50-hour total too.

Students who want more time with an instructor beyond their standard package can book individual or custom lessons at any point. These are a great option for:

• Extra practice on specific skills (freeway driving, parking, canyon roads)
• Logging additional hours toward the 50-hour DMV requirement
• Night driving practice with a licensed instructor (counts toward the required 10 nighttime hours)
• Building confidence before the DMV road test

Just ask about individual lesson options at sign-up, or anytime after your package is finished.

Practice the skills from the most recent lesson before progressing further. The quieter neighborhoods around Woodland Hills work well for this.

• Quiet residential streets with minimal traffic
• Empty public parking lots (school or shopping center off-hours)
• Avoid jumping to busier roads or freeway until the instructor confirms the student is ready

Students who practice in their own Woodland Hills neighborhoods between lessons typically progress faster. Less time spent reviewing old skills means more time gained on new ones.

We typically recommend spacing lessons across the 6 months students hold their learner's permit. This allows time for real supervised practice between sessions, and helps each lesson build meaningfully on the last. That said, every family's schedule is different. We work around school, sports, and activities.

Completely understandable, and more common than you might think. Families should never feel pressure to practice beyond their comfort level. Simply wait until the next lesson. The instructor will assess readiness and take it from there.

A focused lesson scheduled 1-2 weeks ahead of test day. Your instructor walks through DMV expectations, runs a mock road test, flags habits that could cost points on the actual exam, and helps build pre-test confidence.

If you have already booked your DMV appointment, share the location with us. We will work to practice nearby beforehand, within legal limits. Keep in mind that DMVs prohibit driving the actual test route during business hours, but our instructors know the roads around local DMV offices well and can prepare your student for similar driving conditions.

This lesson works great on its own, and pairs naturally with the day-of test prep below.

This is our most hands-off option for families. When you book the DMV Test Prep package, we work with you to find a DMV appointment that fits both your schedule and our instructor and vehicle availability. No DMV scheduling stress for you. If you're using this package, please don't book your own DMV slot separately, as we may not be available for that date.

On the day of the test, we pick the student up roughly an hour ahead of the appointment, warm up with focused practice on roads near the DMV, then drive to the test in our licensed, insured, and test-ready vehicle. The instructor handles check-in, makes sure all paperwork is correct, and gives last-minute tips and encouragement right before the examiner arrives.

Families don't need to bring their own car, figure out the drive to the DMV, or untangle paperwork. All of that is handled for you.

For most families, home pick-up is the most convenient and common choice. Your instructor comes directly to your front door at the scheduled time, greets the student and, when a parent is available, briefly discusses the lesson plan beforehand and shares progress at drop-off.

There is a 15-minute arrival window built into every lesson to account for traffic. Lesson time is always taught in full from the moment the instructor arrives, with no portion shaved off because of a delayed start.

A convenient option on school days or after activities. Students can meet us at or near the tall football field wall on Burbank Blvd near Platt Ave. Our vehicles have a large leaf logo on the side. The instructor will exit to greet your student when safe, or your student can approach and enter directly.

Pick-up and drop-off can sometimes be different locations. For example, picked up at El Camino Real Charter High School and dropped at home.

Pick-up spot: Woodland Hills

Each lesson is followed by a personal written assessment, emailed to both the student and parent. The report breaks down what was covered, how the student performed, and what to focus on before next time. If a parent is around at drop-off, your instructor will also walk through it in person for a few minutes.

Practice what your most recent lesson covered. The progress report will spell out specifics, but the general principle is simple: get comfortable with what you just learned before stepping up to anything more advanced.

• Quiet residential streets, good for Level 1 review
• Empty parking lots, good for parking, turning circles, and low-stakes maneuvering
• Main streets throughout Woodland Hills once residential driving is solid

When a student and parent or guardian don't feel ready to practice a skill without an instructor, the best choice is to wait for the next lesson. Don't take on situations that feel unsafe.

We have both male and female instructors on staff, and you can read bios before booking any lesson. Vehicle choice is also flexible: pick between our Toyota Prius and Lexus SUV, both fitted with dual brake controls for instructor safety.

Both instructor and vehicle preferences are honored where possible, subject to availability. Assignments are made on a first-come, first-served basis at the time of booking.

Meet all of our instructors

It is common for students to use both test prep options as a sequence: first a refresher lesson in the days before the road test to polish skills, then our full DMV Test Prep package on test day, when we coordinate the appointment, bring a licensed and insured vehicle, check the student in, and give a final confidence boost before the examiner arrives. Together they cover preparation and execution.

Book a DMV prep lesson