A FORMER Swindon schoolboy who has just graduated with a First from Oxford has shrugged of criticisms of the town's education service.

Phil Copestake, 20, says he couldn't have asked for a better education.

And he says the solid grounding he received in the rules of grammar at a Swindon comprehensive put many of his public school-educated contemporaries to shame.

Phil, from Cheney Manor Road, attended Rodbourne Cheney Primary School and Commonweal School.

He was accepted at St Anne's College, Oxford, after achieving three grade As in his A-levels.

Although Swindon Council education department failed its government Ofsted report last year, Phil has nothing but praise for his state school education.

He said: "I thought Commonweal was a really great school, I enjoyed being there and there were some great teachers.

"It had a nice ethos friendly and laid back but dedicated to hard work."

He particularly praised his old English teacher John Cobb who he said drilled home the basics of grammar.

"He was absolutely fantastic, even when I went to Oxford I found that my grammar and my way of writing was a lot better than people who'd been to public school and paid thousands of pounds for their education."

Phil also praised his primary school head teacher Barry Smith who he said always had faith in him.

He said the buildings at New College were "pretty grotty" and he was not sure about some of the terminology used there, like having "customers" instead of students.

But overall, he said: "My experience of Swindon education was really good - we are lucky to have some really good teachers."

His mum Liz said: "I think he has had a good education right from the start.

"Swindon comes in for a lot of stick but we've brought our three children up here and they are doing really well so don't knock Swindon."