You could probably buy a spam-can (reads C150 or similar plane) for around that sum!! If you aim to travel around Europe, you would likely benefit from being part of a group. But you will discover opportunities and make your own decisions later on.
About whether or not it includes fuel entirely depends on the schools you are looking at, but most places will offer aeroplane rentals "wet" meaning including fuel and oil. Some planes are rented "dry" meaning you will pay for fuel in addition to the plane rental price quoted.
The best advice I can give is to book a trial flight with schools that are near you, get to know the instructors / staff at the school, and ask these questions after your trial flight. It is important to have a good bond with your instructor and have a good feeling about the school before you commit. Understand that very few people pass their PPL at 45h, most will take 55 - 65h (or more!) to pass. Ask about landing fees and circuit fees, any surcharges to the fees outlined, and MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL - NEVER PAY ALL UPFRONT!!!
It is also important to understand how the hours are charged, some hours are "brakes off to brakes on" which are quite self explanatory, if you log 1h in your logbook, you get charged 1h. (assuming my examples are based on the same price of £150 for 1h; for 1h logged in your logbook you will pay £150)
If it is charged per "tacho hour" this means that you will get charged whenever the engine tachometer registers 1h, with normal cruise this normally ends up being around 0.75 - 0.8 of an hour. ie: £120 for 1h logged.
If it is charged per "hobbs hour", these can have different switch source, some will be electrics, some will be engine oil pressure level, or other. Generally you end up paying for some stationary time, so I would factor in around 1.1 hours recorded by the meter to 1 hour logged in your logbook. ie: £165
If it is charged per "air-vent hour", this is activated by a windspeed switch. Generally this means that you will be charged only for "airborne time", or when your wheels are likely not to be on the ground. This generally equates to around 0.8 of an hour of flight. ie: £120 - however - if you are doing circuits with "stops and go", there may be considerable uncharged time whilst on the ground, so could be cheaper than you expect.
I hope this helps!
Alex90