About Blackwood School of Motoring
Blackwood School of Motoring is an independent driving school providing manual driving tuition across West Fife, Clackmannanshire and Stirling.
John Blackwood has been a DVSA Approved Driving Instructor for more than 20 years. His approach is calm, clear and structured, with lessons planned around the individual pupil and the skills they need to develop.
The aim is not simply to prepare pupils for a driving test, but to develop the understanding, judgement and independence needed for driving beyond it.
Meet John
John qualified as a driving instructor in 2005 and has taught pupils across the local area for more than 20 years.
Pupils learn with John throughout their tuition, giving him a clear picture of how their driving is developing from one week to the next. He knows what has already been covered, where support is still needed and what should come next.
His role changes as a pupil develops. Early on, that may mean explaining, demonstrating and talking through a new skill. As understanding and experience grow, John gradually reduces that support, allowing the pupil to take more responsibility for recognising situations and making their own decisions.
The aim is always the same: for the pupil to become increasingly capable of driving safely and independently without relying on John’s prompting.
A Limited Number of Pupils
John works with a maximum of 25 active pupils at any one time, with learner pupils normally having a lesson each week.
Keeping the number manageable allows John to follow each pupil’s progress consistently and maintain continuity from one lesson to the next. It also means that lesson planning can reflect what an individual pupil has already covered and what they are ready to work on next.
Away From the Car
Driving tuition isn’t John’s only interest. Away from the Polo, he’s a long standing Vespa enthusiast and has spent many years involved with vintage scooters. He also works alongside Helena in their glass engraving business and, when time allows, can usually be found with the dogs, working on one of his scooters or putting the world to rights in Jacks, their garden pub.
Five Things You Might Not Know About John
- He once crashed into his comedy hero Billy Connolly. True story. (Just unfortunate timing.)
- He’s built a pub in his garden. It’s called Jack’s, named in honour of his Dad, a proud Jacobite and a formidable character from Edinburgh’s 1960s gang era. These days it’s more pints and pool than punch ups.
- Every summer, he hosts the ‘Paralytic Games’. Think egg-and-spoon meets scooter limbo. It’s daft, it’s competitive, and it’s definitely not Olympic standard.
- His scooter, WOB, is his pride and joy. Tent on the back, rally tickets in hand, he’s off the moment he gets a free weekend.
- Theo, one of his spaniels, is obsessed with pool. Especially stealing the cue ball mid-game. It’s become a bit of a running joke.