By Hollie Borland

WEST Somerset College has drafted in help from education experts at schools facing “similar challenges” as it looks to turn around its fortunes.

The college announced this week that it is receiving “regular advice from a range of highly experienced leaders”.

The announcement was made on Monday, as a protest by a small number of parents and members of the public took place outside the college gates.

The demonstration was in response to disappointing GCSE exam results last summer, when the school failed to meet the Government’s target of 40% of pupils achieving five A*-C grades including English and maths – only 38% did so.

However, in a statement released this week, the college also said GCSE English coursework from last year has been re-moderated and grades have increased, resulting in 42% of students achieving five A*-C grades.

The college said outside help had been brought in following a visit last month by Sir David Carter, Regional Schools Commissioner for the South West.

Its statement said: “As a consequence of his [Sir David Carter] visit, we are now receiving regular advice from a range of highly experienced leaders in other schools that have faced challenges similar to ours.”

See the full statement on page two. Monday’s protest at the college was held by the West Somerset GCSE Debate Campaign Group (WSGDCG).

Campaigners have called for principal Gaynor Comber to be removed from her position.

Paul Davies, group spokesman said: “While it may be possible for the college to be turned around with the current management team, we are unanimous in our belief that the college will never successfully be turned around under the control of the current principal.”

Lisa Marie Morris McCaffey, who set up the initial petition and has two children already at the school, said: “The management of the school have let their students, our children, down badly.”

Despite organisers expecting over 70 protesters at the demonstration, there were only 25 there when the County Gazette visited on Monday.

Mr Davies said: “The protest was timed for when the students leave school and when the governors arrived for a meeting, which was around the same time that most parents were either still at work, or making dinner.

“But we were there to show the children we are supporting them and the governors that we are acting.”

The college governors did offer to meet with WSGDCG, however the group declined because there was not time for the meeting to take place before the planned demonstration.

Some of the parents were able to sit in on the governors’ meeting after the protest, and Mr Davies told the County Gazette afterwards that he felt reassured that the school was taking the issue of improving standards seriously.

In an unrelated development at the meeting, governors Anne Looney and Martin McNeill swapped roles – they are now chairman and vice-chairman respectively.

Ian Liddell-Grainger, the Conservative MP for West Somerset and Bridgwater, said of the calls for Mrs Comber to go: “Everyone has the right to protest, and unfortunately for Mrs Comber, if you’re the one in the firing line, you are the one getting shot at.

“There is a lot to be done at this school, but when we get the results of the Ofsted report (following an inspection earlier this month) we’ll be in a much clearer position.”

The full statement released from West Somerset College on Monday (October 12):

THE Governors of West Somerset College are meeting to make a number of appointments (including those of chairman and vice-chairman for the new college year) and to discuss the College Improvement Plan and Raising Standards Plan that college leaders have been working on over the last six weeks.

The Raising Standards Plan has been prioritised following the 2014 examination results that showed that too many of our students are not achieving their potential at age 16.

Following re-moderation of English coursework, the percentage of students achieving five A*-C grades at GCSE last summer was 42%. Following initial publication of the results, a number of parents and others launched a petition calling for the removal of the Principal and an immediate inspection by Ofsted.

Ofsted have responded to these requests by visiting the college on October 1 and 2 and we are awaiting their report.

The organisers of the petition have written to the governors expressing a number of concerns.

The current chairman has replied to all the letters and emails and sought to address some of those concerns and correct a number of misunderstandings.

We have also offered to meet the petition organisers, or individual members of the community who have written in independently, to answer questions, address key areas of concern and help to reach a shared understanding and agreed way forward.

This evening, governors will review all the comments that have been received, both critical and supportive.

We will discuss the under-performance in 2014 and agree the college’s actions to raise standards in 2015 and beyond, looking carefully at how we will monitor progress and communicate with our students, staff, parents and wider community.

Governors will also be hearing from the principal about the support that we have been receiving from Somerset Challenge (through the Somerset Association of Secondary head teachers) and from the Regional Schools Commissioner, Sir David Carter, and his team.

In common with other local schools, we responded positively to the announcement of Sir David’s appointment and immediately invited him to visit the college.

As a consequence of his visit, we are now receiving regular advice from a range of highly experienced leaders in other schools that have faced challenges similar to ours.

We will issue a detailed statement before the end of the week setting out the conclusions that governors have reached and the action that we will be taking.

As parents are already aware, we are committed to doing whatever it takes to deliver our mission ‘to meet the needs of all our learners and enable them to thrive’.

If parents or members of the community require any further information, please contact the college via enquiries@west somersetcollege.org or on 01643- 706061.

 -THE County Gazette is awaiting a further update from the college, but this had not been received as we went to press yesterday (Wednesday).

Why parents are making a stand...

SOME of the parents and students spoke to the County Gazette to explain why they were protesting.

Abby Webb, 18, left the college when she was halfway through her A-levels.

She said she she was unhappy with the facilities and felt she did not receive enough support towards her studies.

She said: “I ended up just leaving but I can’t travel the distance to go to any other college.

“I have no idea what I’m going to do next, as I can’t go back, because I’m 18.”

Emma Bradley, who has a daughter in Year 13 at the college, said: “My younger daughter Dellen will be coming here in three years’ time, and she told me that the reason she came here this afternoon is because ‘I want to know that when I get to the college, I’m going to get a good education.’”

Despite not having any connection to the college, Minehead resident Declan Palmer, said: “I’m here because I think it’s a disgrace how results just keep dwindling.

“I didn’t get a good education, I missed out, but I don’t want the local kids to miss out on their opportunities too.”

Simon Sizer’s son sat his GCSE exams last summer, and initially failed to achieve a C grade in English.

Despite being graded a C after re-moderation, Simon is still not happy with the education his son received.

He said: “If there was another school nearby, he would have gone there, but there isn’t.”

Jayne Stove, who has two children enrolled at the college, said: “I think changes need to be made.

It’s not so much the head teacher that’s the problem; it’s the board of governors that need to change.”