I wonder if Pitts has put his finger right on the pulse there.
A flying school (even if it is called a club) is basically a money making venture - and quite right that it is.
A flying club, consisting of individual members sharing their love of flying is a quite different thing. To work it needs (a) members with something and somewhere to fly, and (b) a minimum of commercial interference from anybody trying to make money from their flying.
I'd be willing to bet that anywhere with a proper club, separate from any school, has a far lower dropout rate than a pure school (even, as I said, if it calls itself a club).
Thinking of a couple of good examples, Sywell (the Aviator hotel) or Popham (clubhouse) are the sort of places you actually want to be. Many PFA struts or microlight clubs create the same sort of environment; but most schools with a "sort of club" tacked on do not.
G