7 February 2024
Care experienced young people are being helped to pass the driving theory test, as the pass rate sits at an historic low, by the AA Charitable Trust.
The AA Charitable Trust has funded 4,000 free downloads of the AA Driving School Theory Test App for young people who have spent some time in care. Support is essential for them as they navigate the complex and challenging road to adulthood.
The offer will be accessible to care leavers who are registered with the Care Leaver Covenant.
The pass rate for the driving theory test is at its lowest point in recorded history.
Learners’ chances of passing their theory test have dropped by a third since 2007/08 from 65.4% to just 44.2% in 2022/23*.
Edmund King, Director of the AA Charitable Trust, said: “We know from our work teaching care leavers to drive that the theory test can be a particular challenge. When you couple that with the historic low in theory test pass rates, it’s clear that something should be done to help care experienced young people achieve this milestone.
“Being able to drive is vital for many people’s employment and education, but without familial support it is often out of reach for people who have experienced the care system.
“Programmes like the Care Leaver Covenant and Live Unlimited do a phenomenal job in supporting care experienced people and we are delighted to be able to launch this offer to help support their work.”
Matthew Gordon, Chief Executive of Spectra, the social impact company which delivers the Care Leaver Covenant programme for the Department for Education, said:
“It is amazing to have The AA Charitable Trust on board with the Covenant.
“One of the most important pillars in establishing independence for care leavers is the ability to reach places, not least for education and work. So, The AA Driving School Theory test app will be a big help to our young people preparing to take their driving test.
“This great offer from The AA Charitable Trust underlines our message to care leavers: you are wanted.”
The AA Trust has worked to help care leavers access driving lessons since 2011, when it ran a pilot project with Bristol University and Bristol City Council, funding lessons for young people within the care system**.
More recently it has supported Live Unlimited, a charity dedicated to supporting care experienced young people in Barnet, with its Driving Ahead scheme. The AA Trust has recently made the AA Driving School Theory Test App available for free to participants on the Driving Ahead Scheme.
Sue Cocker, Operations Director for Live Unlimited, a charity providing support and opportunities to Barnet’s care experienced young people said: “We are proud our Driving Ahead scheme, delivered in partnership with The AA, has resulted in 19 young people gaining their driving licences to date. We currently have 11 people learning to drive and a dozen people on our waiting list. We also know that passing the theory test is a hurdle which some care experienced young people can really struggle with.
“We are delighted the new AA app gives them an opportunity to learn in a clear and easy to understand way. Providing this theory test app free of charge for care leavers is a fantastic asset, helping more young people to unlock the opportunities that gaining a driving licence can really bring.”
The AA Driving School Theory App contains more than 700 theory questions and extensive hazard perception clips. Learners can use the flash-card feature for quick-fire revision sessions, access content when offline, take timed mock tests and track their progress.
It is available on Apple and Google Play stores.
*2022/23 is the most recent full year of theory test results. Car theory test data by test centre - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
** AA Charitable Trust | AA (theaa.com)
The Care Leaver Covenant is a promise made by organisations across the private, public and voluntary sectors to provide support for care leavers aged 16-25 to help them to live independently. A care leaver is a person, aged 16 to 25, who has spent time in care as a child.