Bogus BBG website clone's claim about 'super-school' merger with Whitcliffe Mount

A link to the copied website was circulated on social media but both schools have swiftly denied its legitimacy and said there is no truth to the claim.

Due to it having such a close likeness to the real BBG site, the fake page was “taken as read” by some, said a spokesman for Cleckheaton’s Whitcliffe Mount School.

A statement released by the BBG Academy in Birkenshaw reads: “This clone site is an unauthorised copy of the BBG Academy website.

“The homepage of the clone site refers to a merger between BBG Academy and Whitcliffe Mount School due to take effect from Easter 2016, with a new “super-school” being created at the Whitcliffe Mount site.

“Both BBG Academy and Whitcliffe Mount School would like to reassure everyone that these assertions are completely false. No such merger is taking place.

“BBG Academy is part of the Rodillian Multi-Academy Trust and Whitcliffe Mount remains a local-authority maintained school.”

The fake homepage claimed Whitcliffe Mount was due to merge with the school under the Rodillian Multi-Academy Trust.

It is understood that the replica website was taken down by 8.30am this morning (Tuesday).

A spokesman for Whitcliffe Mount said that the bogus website is thought to have been copied using an online service that can replicate a page using the authentic website’s URL.