Kildare Town · Established 2001
Calm, patient, fully RSA-approved instruction. From your first EDT lesson to the morning of your test you get Paul McCulloch — one instructor who knows the roads, knows the routes, and knows exactly what the tester is looking for.
What we teach
Whether you have never turned a key or you are sitting the test on Friday, there is a route through.
All twelve mandatory EDT sessions, delivered in order and logged straight to your RSA record after each lesson. Progress you can actually see.
Two decades of test routes out of Naas and Portlaoise, distilled. We drill the manoeuvres, the reversing, the roundabouts — then hand you the keys on the day.
Licence in the drawer for ten years? Nervous on the motorway? Back after a break or a knock? No judgement, no rush — just hours behind the wheel until it feels ordinary again.
Why Acorn
We are not a call centre with a rota. When you book with Acorn you get Paul McCulloch, and you get him every single lesson — the same instructor who remembers what you struggled with last week and picks up exactly there. It is why people who learned with us in 2004 are sending their own children to us now.
Talk to usPricing
Every lesson is a full hour. Block bookings are paid up front and never expire.
€55/hour
Perfect for a first lesson or a top-up before the test.
€660/block
All twelve mandatory sessions at the standard €55 hourly rate.
Ask us/package
Warm-up, mock test and use of the car on the day. Give Paul a ring for a quote.
Every lesson is a full hour at €55. Pretest packages are quoted to suit your test centre and date.
Word of mouth
★★★★★“I had failed twice with another school and was ready to give up. Three lessons here and the difference was night and day. Passed in March.”
★★★★★“Did my EDT with Acorn in 2019, and my younger brother is doing his now. Same patience, same car, same brilliant instructor.”
★★★★★“I was a genuinely terrified 41-year-old learner. Never once made me feel silly. Motorway driving now and loving it.”
Where we cover
Free collection and drop-off within Kildare Town. Surrounding areas by arrangement — just ask when you book.
Every roundabout, every hill start, every awkward junction on the marking sheet.
Questions
Yes. You will need a valid learner permit in your hand before we can take you out on the road, and EDT sessions can only be logged against it. Bring it to every lesson.
Essential Driver Training is the twelve-session course the RSA requires every category B learner to complete with an approved instructor before sitting the test. We deliver all twelve and submit each one to your record as we go.
Most people do one lesson a week, with practice in between alongside a sponsor. Any less and progress stalls; any more and it is hard to absorb. We will be honest with you about what you need.
Yes — car hire for the test is included in the pretest package, and available separately. The car is fully insured, dual-controlled and exactly the one you have been learning in.
You would be amazed how ordinary that is, and a fair share of our best pass stories started right there. A first lesson can be a quiet estate or an empty car park. We go at your pace, full stop.
Cash, card or bank transfer. Block bookings are paid up front, and we are happy to split an EDT block into instalments if that helps.
Get started
Send a message or just pick up the phone — we come back to you the same day where we can.