I did my PPL at SFC, and I must say it was excellent. Because I was on a Commercial Course I was geared towards being trained at a Commercial standard. The instuctors at Stapleford are top notch and very helpful, and to be honest I never met a bad one amongst several. They have a large fleet of basic trainers C152s and PA28s, own their own airfield (so no landing fee charges) and train within some of the busiest airspace in the country (which is great for developing RT skills and situational awareness). Doing my PPL in the South East also gave me a 'leg up' when it came to the CPL because I was aware of the airfield procedures,the airspace and training area. I don't think you can go far wrong with Stapleford!
Good luck