Which Firm to learn with? (UK)

Hey, In the next month or so I'm wanting to begin learning to drive - but I don't know who to learn with. I've looked around my local area at instructors (I live in Leeds, W. Yorkshire) but since none of my friends have learned to drive yet either I have no recommendations... apart from the guy who taught my mum to drive about 30 years ago... lol.

I was wondering if anyone in the UK could give me some ideas on which firms in Leeds, or even opinions on the national firms like AA or BSM. I want someone who's good enough to teach me to drive but doesn’t charge £60 for a 2 hour lesson :|

I believe it tends to be cheaper to book a block of lessons rather than on a individual lesson basis, from what I know you'll be looking at about £20 to £25 on average per lesson which is expensive in my opinion, one reason I've not learnt to drive yet

Some advice people always tell me is when you have passed your test take an advanced driving course and test, it'll cover driving at night, on the motorways etc and will massively drop your insurance down.

This seems to be a common subject for UK members...don't you guys have Drivers' Ed in high school or something like that? Are you required to take lessons through a firm before you can get a license?

Here we just get a lerner's permit and take drivers' ed at school and/or go out with a brave parent until we can get the full license.

no, we have nothing like drivers ed in the UK - although it might be more useful than the hairdressing GCSE (14-16yrs) my old high school started up recently.

I checked out AA but for about 17 lessons I worked out it would cost me £500, which I can't afford, not if I want a car to drive at the end of it lol ; ; and if I want to take them advanced driving lessons then I definatly can't afford that :|. It'd be much easier if my mum would be kind enough to take me for most, but she's said she'll never teach anyone to drive again after my grandma lmao :'(