The Full Time/Home Study option is one that will depend on your personal circumstances, and study habits. Although I would have prefered to go on a full time course, as I find it esier to learn this way, I currently have a full time job, and other commitments, which makes this inpractical. I therefore chose the distance learning course with BristolGS, after visiting there, and using the mightly useful
search function in pprune, and have my first set of exams booked for November.
With respect to the prices, distance learning costs do not vary by more that a couple of hundred quid, and, are excellent value considering the 4 weeks courses included, so i would not consider this a significant factor in choice of school.
If you are going to stay for an extended period at a residential school, then you really need to visit before splashing the cash, and since residential was not an option available to me, I have not visited any of the schools, or done any reearch in this area, so I am unable to comment in this area.
Regards
NB
PS, please get your CAPS LOCK KEY fixed it SEEMS TO get randomly STUCK ON.