Completely agree with and understand everything you've said VariablePitchP, and Portos8. Thanks for all the advice!
At the moment I haven't put any money down and I'll certainly be keeping it that way for as long as possible. It would be a shame to give up the place having been going through the application process since December but I'm well aware that realistically, that's looking like a possibility. So I'm trying to stay optimistic given that the start date is November but I fully understand that even if this blows over by then, the job market could well be non-existent for years to come.
As for going modular, It's something I'm seriously considering as a back up option. I live about 10 minutes away from Stapleford and I've had a few lessons with them in past so I'm sort of familiar with the place. I would have no problem if it came to it, with going somewhere like that and taking it a bit more slowly while keeping a close eye on how things are going. And of course, save an enormous amount not just on the course but also on living costs (I'd rather not be stuck with my parents but oh well).
Financially, yes my parents are helping me out so there's a bit less risk there. But I do have a job to keep me busy and I'm just finishing up at university so will have a degree to fall back on if necessary. Even if I did end up sticking with the integrated route, I understand there could be a very long wait for a job at the end. So I've done a bit of research into potentially having to revalidate licenses etc.
So yes, just watch how things go I think. Things seem to be calming down in China now, so hopefully once the worst has past that will be the case in Europe. And quite frankly, if the worst comes to the worst, I'm happy even if I end up just flying around in a 152...