Hi there
I just finished a distance learning course with CATS and my overall impression has been positive.
I talked to some of the full time guys and they are also happy to be there. Because the classes are small you get a lot of 1 on 1 time with the instructors. Dan, Stuart and Simon all know what they are talking about and are a really nice bunch of guys.
They mainly use power point slides, but also models and handouts to explain things. They do a lot of question papers which is nice. For the price, I would definately say that is more value for money compared to some of the other schools out there.
Luton is not great, but its convenient and cheap. Theres free parking at the school, also a little coffee shop on the premisses.
Hope this helps!