Secure Azure-Powered Portal Modernises Student Progress Tracking and Insights

Summary

The Chamonix team partnered with the Department for Education to develop a secure and user-friendly front-end web application for Glenunga International High School’s Embedded BI Portal. This innovative solution, supported by Expose’s development of the Power BI dashboard, allows parents and caregivers to access real-time data on their child’s progress and engagement. By leveraging Azure B2C and Power BI capabilities, the project successfully enabled secure access to the data.

Key Challenges

Glenunga International High School faced a unique use case: securely sharing student data with parents and caregivers outside the Department M365 environment. The school required an agile solution that could protect sensitive data while offering easy access. Additionally, the solution needed to comply with stringent government security standards and integrate with Daymap, a learning and student management system, to ensure dynamic updates for new students and parents/caregivers.

Solution

Chamonix experts implemented a secure and scalable solution leveraging Azure B2C (Business to Customer) for authentication and registration. This provided parents and caregivers with MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) enabled access to the web application.

The front end was developed as a lightweight Angular single-page application with built-in authentication and authorisation aligned with the B2C identity. This securely integrated with Power BI embedded content, ensuring parents could view only their associated student’s data. The application passes authenticated user information to the back-end, which then calls the Power BI portal embedded content, restricting data access appropriately with Row Level Security.

To meet stringent government security requirements, the Azure platform was utilised for its advanced security controls, networking capabilities, and CI/CD pipelines. The team leveraged Azure’s comprehensive suite of features, including:

• Robust security controls
• Best-practice networking and infrastructure configurations
• Wiki-style documentation for improved knowledge sharing
• Secure code repository
• Automated CI/CD processes for efficient deployment and updates

Throughout the implementation, Chamonix worked closely with the Department for Education’s technical architecture and cloud services teams. This collaborative approach ensured that all aspects of the solution aligned with departmental standards and requirements, from initial design to final deployment.

A key feature of the solution was the synchronisation between Daymap and the B2C environment. This integration ensures that new parents and caregivers receive near real-time access to the portal, maintaining an up-to-date user base without manual intervention.

By leveraging the full capabilities of the Azure platform and maintaining close collaboration with the Department for Education, Chamonix delivered a solution that not only met the immediate needs of Glenunga International High School but also established a robust framework for future enhancements and scalability.

Business Benefits

• Parents and caregivers now have secure, 24/7 access to accurate and up-to-date data about their children’s academic progress and attainment across numerous metrics.
• The Embedded BI Portal has transformed parent-school communication, enhancing involvement in students’ educational journeys.
• Improved data transparency between the school and families, fostering a more collaborative educational environment.
• Streamlined access to student performance data without compromising security or privacy.
• Reduced administrative burden on school staff by automating data sharing processes.
• Enhanced compliance with government data protection standards while providing innovative service delivery.