SIR — The local community now needs to get behind West Somerset College. So West Somerset College is now officially performing Inadequately according to OFSTED. As someone whose daughter left the college in 2011 as a well grounded young adult with excellent dexam results and the first winner of the Nick Swann Endeavour Award, it makes me very sad to hear this has happened in such a short space of time. Whatever has led to this, the time is now, it seems to me, for the community, staff at the college, parents and students to stand shoulder to shoulder and do whatever needs to be done to support the college in turning this around. I really feel for the staff and teachers who will be taking the "inadequate" badge personally and to heart. They must be wondering quite how to maintain the respect and full engagement of pupils in the classroom - what a challenge for them. I really hope that parents of students at the college will be encouraging their children to give of their best and work with the staff. To do otherwise would be self-defeating and counter-productive across the board. As the newly-appointed manager of West Somerset Advice Bureau, I have an appreciation of the fairly unique challenges present in the rural West Somerset community and I imagine the college faces similar to ourselves at the bureau. I wish everyone at the college well and I stand ready to support them in any way I can both personally and professionally. Nick Hutt, Quarry Close, Alcombe.