SIXTH-FORM students at West Somerset College have shown support for their head teacher and the current board of governors by making a Facebook page for people to “discuss helpful and productive ways” to raise standards at the college.

The West Somerset College Support Group has been set up in response to another Facebook page, West Somerset College Raising Standards Discussion Group.

The Raising Standards Group was set up by a number of concerned parents and members of the public who have been campaigning for the principal, Gaynor Comber, to be removed from her position at the college.

Holly Pye, 17, and her friends felt that the Raising Standards page had “turned into a place where only negativity about the college was shared”.

She said: “We were part of the original group on Facebook and it started off as a very positive place, but then it turned into something very negative.

“We wanted to defend the college because they are doing things to raise the standards at the college.”

West Somerset College was rated ‘inadequate’ on all levels in an OFSTED report published this month. Holly added: “The OFSTED report wasn’t great, but we feel that Mrs Comber is the head teacher and as students at the school we should support her.

“The actions taken by them [the Raising Standards Group] have been disruptive at the school.

“When the parents protested outside the school (on October 13, as reported in the County Gazette) they started it at 3pm when we were still in school and everyone was talking about it and nobody could concentrate.”

Holly’s mother, Jo Pye, supports the action taken by her daughter and her friends.

She said: “It is a shame how some of the adults from the group have spoken to the students.

“After all, it’s the students who have to go to the college, and what is posted on the site is so negative.”

A spokesperson from the Raising Standards group said while they “have always supported opinions”, they had “no choice” but to bar some students and parents from accessing the Raising Standards Facebook page, because there had been “personal attacks” on some of those contributing to it.

The spokesperson said: “While we encourage free speech and support for the principal, we do not tolerate personal attacks on individuals.

“We intended to have zero censorship but after the previous week’s attempt at destroying the page from within, and several warnings to stop, we had no choice but to weed out those responsible.

“An improvement in standards is urgent and in all our interests.”

The Raising Standards group has also accused the students of setting up their own page at the request of Mrs Comber.

However, Holly insisted this was not the case, adding: “We haven’t had any contact with the school to do with setting up a page in support of them.”

The college says it has have put together an action plan in order to raise standards, but despite requests for a copy, the County Gazette had not seen the plan by the time of going to press.