The CFI then told me that their usual practice is to wait until the student complete's the PPL course and then they get them all signed off,any advice I would be most grateful for, thanks,
That's ridiculous. When the Examiner (and no-one else) marks
and debriefs you on a PPL exam, if you pass he/she must sign as such on your PPL Application Form SRG1105 rather than waiting weeks or months until you actually apply for your licence.
Lazy schools with slack administration often pay little attention to this requirement; you should insist that the Examiner does so.
Everything must have been completed before the Skill Test; if the Examiner checks the application form and finds that your exams haven't been 'signed-off', he/she has every right to take your fee and terminate the Skill Test there and then!