Well said eharding!! I especially agree with the idea of a full english. Though my preference would be steak or curry. The point about a high performance aircraft is equally valid for 2 reasons... 1) eharding needs this to get airborne in the first place, and 2) maximum effective use of instructional time by recovering lost height (or just gaining it in the first place) quickly. I think the RAF selected the bigger engine for their Bulldogs for reason 2.
.... And yes having someone with you who knows what they're doing when it comes to sorting out your mistakes is a bonus. Better than hitting the ground. Hence my earlier comment about incipient spin recovery was in similar vein.
Personally, I'd spin during the course. I did this during my ATPL course when it was mandatory to spin. We did about 4 or 5 in a T67c.... Then spent 2 hours looping and rolling. It was a nice break from flying under the screens.