Gee I guess none of you guys ever struggled early solo on downwind?
The airport I work at has a few schools that would fit this category and they generally aren't too bad. More often than not it depends on what level the student is at. From my days of instructing I recall most early circuit lessons the students struggled to get the pre landing checks done and the radio call on downwind completed (along with trying to fly the aeroplane). Whilst I like to keep it tight and would prompt along those lines, if I took over all the time how does the student learn? It was generally a non issue after a few lessons but still they can be busy early solo.
From an ATC perspective rarely will we tell you how to fly unless we specifically need it (ie Helicopter traffic inside the fixed wing circuit or about to leave the CTR).
Saying something can help, but a "can we tighten it up" has more effect than "am I following a 747 out there".