Just been reading through this thread again and have picked up on something.
Vulcan pilot said that he paid up front to get a discount. Mad Bear, whatever you do, do not be tempted by this idea at all. As others on other threads have said, never ever ever pay upfront at a flying school.
Although it is expensive, so are the overheads in running a school, and not all but some are in a precarious financial position, and this is more the norm than the exception. There have been thousands of pilots who have lost money paying upfront through the years. Small amounts are ok, ish! say £500 at a time max, but don't be tempted to pay the whole lot up front whatever you do.
So now 2 great pieces of advice on the thread, "chill out" and "don't pay upfront".