Well, FlyingSquirrel, I don't know about the tax system in England (?) but over here you don't have to pay for the VAT as long as it is considered to be training for a commercial licence.
For the PPL part this is only true if you are enrolled in a commercial course from "pedestrian" to "CPL". If you enrole for the PPL first and go for the CPL add-on, than you are screwed. VAT refund only for the CPL-part.
A friend of mine was actually able to set off his entire training costs (travel expenses, books, etc.) against tax liability.
A good tax adviser might be useful.