About Passmaster Driving School
Our Story
Mike Lawrence founded Passmaster in 2002, spending 15 years teaching hundreds of students around Salisbury and Amesbury how to drive safely. In 2017, Rich Langley bought the business and kept Mike’s core principles while building on them with fresh ideas and modern teaching methods.
Today, Rich and Sally run Passmaster as Approved Driving Instructors. Between them, they’ve helped over 1,000 students pass their tests. They know every corner of Salisbury, and they update their routes every time the test changes so you’re always learning current material.
The Problem We Saw
Most driving schools teach you to memorise test routes. National chains send you out with different instructors who don’t know your progress. You pass. Then the next day, you panic driving somewhere new because you’ve only learned one way to do things.
Students also learn slowly when they’re anxious, and shouting doesn’t work. Fear doesn’t work. You need calm, space to make mistakes, and plenty of time behind the wheel actually driving.
"I saw too many people pass their test but still feel terrified to drive alone, that's not what passing should mean."
Why Local Matters
We’re not a national chain. We’re Salisbury locals who live and drive here every day. Rich and Sally know which roundabouts confuse new drivers, where the tricky junctions hide, and what conditions you’ll face on country lanes around Amesbury.
When you learn with us, you get the same instructor every time. We remember what you struggled with last week. We know your progress. We adapt each lesson to you, not to some corporate training manual written 200 miles away.
How We Teach Differently
You start driving in your first lesson. Not in three weeks. Not after endless theory talks at the side of the road. You learn by doing, because you can’t learn to drive a car while sitting still.
We create custom routes for you based on what you need to improve. If roundabouts scare you, we’ll practice more roundabouts. If rural roads confuse you, we’ll drive those until they don’t. Every student gets different lessons tailored to their challenges.
Our cars stay calm. You can make mistakes without judgment. We give you constructive feedback, not criticism. No shouting. Ever.
Our goal is simple: you pass your test, then drive confidently anywhere in the county the very next day. We want you driving independently, not just passing a test.
Meet Your Instructors
I became an instructor as I loved driving and found a lot of joy in teaching in a previous job. I genuinely love the job and a lot of passion for what I do. Outside of this, you’ll find me in the gym, up a mountain or at the side of a lake, trying to catch some large carp.
I’ve been a driving instructor for over 20 years now — how time flies! I still teach with passion and a sense of fun, because I believe we all learn quicker when we’re enjoying ourselves.
Outside of lessons, I’ve recently discovered a love for gardening (I must be getting old!). I have two grown-up children who are now enjoying their independence behind the wheel, which gives me more time for long walks with my dog — and the occasional well-earned holiday.
