Now 17, and long-term unemployed, he has only just had his dyslexia identified through a basic skills programme with Keighley Training Group, part of Bradford Council's community development and lifelong learning section.
"I'm OK about it - I'd half guessed I was dyslexic because I've got two brothers with it," he admits.
But school was tough and didn't teach him much. He says: "Kids called me thick and I started to believe it."
The future's looking brighter for Phillip, who hopes to go to college and train to be a car mechanic, but other dyslexic young people aren't always so lucky. Some who leave school without qualifications and find it tough to fill in forms can miss out on claiming benefits and even end up behind bars.
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