By the end of a PPL course I expect the student to be able to fly a constant turn from downwind to rolling the wings level at about 300ft on final.
The tighter the circuit the more landings per hour so the more practice the student gets the better they get.
I cant help wondering if these large circuits are for the benifit of the student or the club owners or instructors ?.
The great advantage with these tight circuits is that if the engine stops you have a better than even chance of putting the aircraft back on the field.