I feel sorry for u britts
In sweden we send in a birth certificate, police records, and medical exam papers to the swedish CAA to get a "Student Lincense" and Medical before beginning education.
When we do the final examiner checkride, he/she looks att the logbook, checks your photo-ID, your school records and talks to the CFI of the school, then, if you pass, he fills in a real PPL(A) license application which he sends in. And then the GOOD part, he/she issues a temporary license on the spot, which you can fly on for a limited time until the real license arrives, is that GREAT or what!!! And this under JAR-FCL.