Hi Pipergirl,
If it were me doing my ME IR again I would go back to AFT at Exeter without doubt. It is well, well worth considering for the following reasons:
All ex military/civil instructors (ex Harrier joc's, creamy military instructors, TRI/TRE's with the airlines) All have 000's of hours, most have stopped counting infact! and all very very friendly.
A very competative all inclusive price (price quoted is what you actually pay upon completion of th course normally, how many other schools do that?). Price includes VAT, Taxi time, Approaches, Landings, Hire for the tests (regardless of length), All required equipment, plates, any groundschool, even parking at the airport and unlimited tea and coffee!!
Specialist school only doing modular ME IR's and CPL's. No Integrated v Modular problem!
Good equipment (BE76'), engineers on the airfield and a new FNPT2 SIM on site.
Exeter, small friendly airport but busy enpough to be a realistic training environment for IR training. Cheap local accommodation readily available especially out of the holiday seasson. Excellent part of the UK.
Many of the students attending the courses are ex-military. My view was that if the school is good enough for ex-Red arrows pilots and ex-typhoon guys then it is good enough for little old me! Also the stories you hear in the coffee room I would say are a little more interesting than at many other flying schools/clubs I have visited before.
Only downside I can think of is that the school building doesn't have any toilets you use the terminal's toilets which if you are bursting after a 2.5 Hr tense IFR exam flight seems like a long walk!! It isn't really though only about 2 mins away!
Just one for you to consider adding to your list perhaps.
Good luck.
Lookoutbelow