Wow a PPL is expensive nowadays! Approximately £5000 here for 65 hours in a PA38 and all equipment etc. That was back in 1998... then I went onto fly a Beagle Pup in a non-equity group for £32 per TACH hour all inclusive, oh they were the days! :-)
Anyway I digress, my advice is to pop along to your local airfields (Biggin Hill, Fairoaks and Redhill spring to mind) and visit every club on each airfield. Get a feel for them, see how they welcome you and answer your questions. Each club will have a different vibe and pick the one that you believe is right for you. After all you're going to be spending not only a lot of money but also a lot of your spare time at the club whilst learning to fly.
Pick a couple of clubs that you like the feel of and take a trial lesson with each of them. No-one is on "trial" but you can use this to familiarise yourself not only with the aircraft but also the style of instruction. Each instructor is different and I personally believe it is good if you gel and the instructor teaches in the style that best suites your way of learning.
Check for hidden fees such as landing fees, touch and go fees, whether the hourly charge is Hobbs, Brakes to Brakes, Tachometer, or a combination thereof. Some schools charge Take Off to Landing + 10 minutes.
For instance Hobbs time is calculated from the moment you start the engine to the time you stop the engine after your sortie and is in real-time whereas Brakes to Brakes is from the moment you start taxiing for departure until you park the aircraft after landing.
Don't put any unnecessary pressure upon yourself as learning to fly should be enjoyable. Don't be worried if you take 25 hours to solo and the wiz kid next to you took only 8 hours, everyone has their own pace of learning and that wiz kid may take longer to get the hang of navigation whereas you may sail through that part of the course.
Above all else enjoy yourself.
Have fun!