 Having attended Mark Hall Comprehensive School, Harlow, and The Broxbourne School in Hertfordshire, Acer was admitted to University College, Oxford to study Physics and Philosophy as an undergraduate.He subsequently earned a BPhil and then a DPhil degree in philosophy.Nethercott took up rowing at Oxford University as a first year student but quickly switched to coxing when it became evident that his body type was more suited to that than pulling an oar.