It's one of those subjects which is endlessly debated. Spinning was made non compulsory on the back of arguments about safety, e.g. whether the number of accidents incurred during training was greater than the number of accidents from inadvertent spins experienced by non spin trained PPL holders. However there are many other factors which migigate against spinning as part of the PPL, including:
- the unsuitability of large proportions of the training fleet
- the low ceilings imposed by controlled air space around many of the busier training airfields in the SE of England
- the fact that it's an extra hour or two in the syllabus and lots of people don't want to spend the money
- the fact that many people say they find it frightening or offputting
An increasing factor against spinning in the UK as time goes by will be that all the new generation 450 kg two seaters have a blanket regulatory ban on spinning or any kind of aerobatics, regardless of what their designers may have intended, or indeed what they are permitted under other jurisdictions.
If you want to spin, do, but you are definitely right to get some proper dual instruction rather than have a go by yourself. If your PPL training organisation oesn't have the right equipment or instructors go somewhere else, preferably a place that teaches aerobatics, and get a few hours in.
Personally I'm very glad that I learned to spin as a glider pilot and have always made a point of spinning any aeroplane I've flown which is cleared to do it (obviously only if the owner and/or insurer is happy for me to do so). However, I prefer to do so while wearing a parachute, starting at a goodly height, and paying great attention to location and lookout. The lowest height at which I have ever entered a spin is 1000 feet AGL, dual in a Schleicher K-13 glider, straight off a winch launch at Seighford in Staffordshire, as part of of a pre-solo-check. That was quite exciting but with the daring of youth I pressed on, did my one turn and recovery, flew a low level circuit to land with height to spare. But I don't think I'd do it now, I'm much older and it changes your perception of risk. Now, I'd go get an aerotow to at least 3000 feet. In a powered aeroplane, with far greater wing loading and height loss during the spin, I prefer to be at 5000 feet agl minimum, and 10,000 for anything deliberately unconventional, like a flat spin.