What…High wing or low wing - what's best for training purposes?
It really doesn't matter. Pick the best school based on other criteria, and learn on whatever aircraft they use. If the best school has a choice of aircraft, then come and ask us again!
Where…Old Sarum, Bournemouth, Thruxton or Compton Abbas?
There are schools with good reputations at all of those airports. They are quite a way away geographically, so the first question to ask yourself is how long would it take to get to each one? It's no good if the airfield is so far away that it become a hassle to go for a lesson.
Once you've narrowed the choice down to those airfields which are practical, go and visit each of the schools at each of the airfields. Have a chat with the instructors, and with students if possible. Look at the aircraft. Find out about prices, and what's included in the price. Find out about availability (instructors and aircraft). In general terms, I would suggest going for the school you feel most comfortable with after this visit. It's a subjective thing, so don't expect me or anyone else to tell you which one is best.
If you're thinking about different training environments, the odd one out from your list of airports is Bournemouth. Bournemouth is an international airport -and, although it's not the busiest international airport in the country, you'll be mixing with airliners, and interacting with air traffic control. This could be good (it's good experience) or bad (it's distracting to new students). Whether you train at Bournemouth with its busy commercial background, or any of the other airports which are un-controlled and purely used by general aviation, you ought, at some stage of your training, to get some experience of the other environment, so that by the time you get your license you are reasonably comfortable with both.
The only real disadvantage of Bournemouth is the possibility of having to spend time waiting - either on the ground or in the air - for air traffic control to give you permission to take off or land. So find out from the Bournemouth-based schools whether you would have to pay for these delays. You should expect to have to pay for delays in the air (someone has to pay for the fuel), but some schools will charge you a fixed amount for time on the ground regardless of any delays you encounter (10 minutes is typical) whereas others will charge you for the full time of the "flight" which includes delays on the ground.
How…Try and accomplish PPL ASAP or over a period of several months
Probably would recommend doing it over months. Allow about a year if you have one lesson a week. The reason for this is that, once you get your license, you will probably be flying mostly at weekends, so it makes sense to train mostly at weekends and get used to flying being a regular, weekly occurance. Also, by training throughout the year, you get experience of the weather at different times of the year, and get to discuss all aspects of this with your instructor. If you chose an intensive course over the summer months, you might find yourself lacking in the ability to make good weather-related decisions in the winter.
Good luck!
FFF
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