GOVERNORS at West Somerset College - under fire for this year's poor GCSE results - have appealed for parents to support the battle to improve standards.

But the plea from chairman Martin McNeill and vice-chairman Anne Looney calling on parents to work with them, alongside staff and students, has sparked a furious reaction.

And it has led to a campaign group set up in the wake of the ongoing crisis at the college renewing its demand for the principal Gaynor Comber and entire governing body to be replaced.

Parents received a letter from Mr McNeill and Mrs Looney on Monday - just days after Ofsted carried out a two-day unannounced inspection and just over a fortnight after a visit by Government appointed education watchdog Sir David Carter, the Regional Schools Commissioner for the South West.

The governors said they had already acknowledged that the GCSE results - which saw just 38 per cent of teenagers gain five or more A* to C grades, including English and maths - were "not good enough."

In their letter, Mr McNeill and Mrs Looney said since the results came out the college's senior leaders had been very proactive in planning for improvement and accessing all possible external support.

But they said improvement would require hard work from governors, senior and middle leaders, classroom teachers, support staff and students.

"What would make the real difference to us now would be for you to support us in our work," said the letter.

"We would like to think that we can call on all parents and carers, even those who have been our critics.

"We need to be working together to improve the education of our students in West Somerset.

"Governors, staff and students need to know that you are behind us."

But many parents have expressed anger that although the letter refers to a 'raising standards plan', it gives no details of what the plan contains or indication of how the college's fortunes might be turned around.

Jim Butterworth, spokesman for the GCSE Debate Campaign Group, described the letter as "placatory."

He said the group was gratified that in the wake of ongoing criticism the governors had finally decided to make contact with parents but it had not been worth the wait.

"The governors' letter implies that there has been a mutual agreement between the college and Sir David Carter in a 'raising standards plan', said Mr Butterworth.

"Surely any 'agreement' will have been driven by Sir David insisting that current problems at the college must be addressed sooner rather than later.

"But where is this plan - every parent and student would be very interested to read a copy of it."

Mr Butterworth said the group, like all parents, desperately wanted the college to improve and was all for "building bridges."

"But we have considerable difficulty in viewing the governors' recent letter as anything other than a cynical attempt to divert the attention of concerned parents and students away from the failures of the past two years by appearing to want to move forward."

Lisa McCaffrey, a parent and member of the group, said the letter had no meaningful content so it was difficult for parents to see how they could be supportive.

She said she wanted to know the outcome of the Ofsted inspection, what plan had been put in place and the timescale of its delivery.

"The letter has done nothing to progress my faith in either the governors or the principal - it simply serves to add further frustration."

The campaign group has now written to the Education Funding Agency, Ofsted, Sir David Carter, Minister of State for Schools David Laws and local MP Ian Liddell-Grainger calling for the governors and Mrs Comber to be replaced and "rapid action" to take place.

Campaigners said they felt the damage caused to professional relationships inside and outside the college had gone too far to allow a practical salvage operation by the existing management team.

In its letter, the group said that in 2012 the college had been given a 'good' rating by Ofsted, with 49 per cent of GCSE students reaching the Government's benchmark of five A* to C grades including English and maths - above the 40 per cent minimum required.

Inspectors also described the college as improving steadily year on year with GCSE results that had improved faster than the national average.

"It is clear that Mrs Comber, the current management team and board of governors have a long way to go to even restore what might be described as the status quo, let alone improve on it," said the group's letter.

"We remain convinced that for the students and college to be able to achieve the radical level of improvement required, it is essential that the principal and board of governors are replaced as soon as possible and a new management team created to carry the college forward."

The group is also calling for public clarification on any plans that are being put forward to resolve the problems and the timescale in which they are to be delivered.

Meanwhile, as the results of the Ofsted inspection are still awaited, parents and critics are planning a peaceful protest at the college on Monday (October 13) - the day of a scheduled governors' meeting.

Anyone wanting to take part should meet in the grounds at 3pm, with the protest expected to get underway at 3.30pm.