Hi Charlotte,
Everyone knows toyota's reputation for longevity, but be careful of abused examples. I'm sure Alan could spot a shagged gearbox/engine, or something that's had a couple of shunts (stop s******ing...).
Autotrader seems to think about £2.5k-£3k for what you've listed, and you can be sure it'll be massively more fun than a Corsa! If you can trust the source and afford the insurance difference then go for it.
There seems to be a glut of seriously rapid but un-trendy cars in the £3k-£6k region, perfect for learning tracks off-season....
Cheers,
Ali