Compass is a K-12 SIS used by Australian schools, particularly in Victoria. PortalHQ’s Compass integration pulls students, parents, staff, classes and timetables.
What PortalHQ reads from Compass
- Students — name, year level, gender, date of birth, status, photo.
- Parents — name, email, phone, relationship to students.
- Staff — name, email, role.
- Classes and courses — class lists, teachers, subjects.
- Timetables — periods, room allocations.
- Terms — calendar.
- Year groups and houses — grouping data.
What PortalHQ writes back to Compass
The Compass integration is primarily one-way. Write-back capabilities are limited and may be added on request. Talk to your PortalHQ representative.
How the sync runs
| Sync | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Full sync | Overnight (daily) |
| Delta sync | Hourly |
Setting up the integration
- Enable the Compass API on your instance.
- Generate API credentials.
- Share credentials with PortalHQ securely.
- PortalHQ configures the connector and runs a test sync.
- Validate test data, then enable the schedule.
Compass-specific notes
- API rate limits — Compass enforces rate limits. PortalHQ throttles requests automatically, which can extend the full sync time for very large schools.
- Year-group mapping — Compass uses Year level numbers (7, 8, etc.). PortalHQ defaults to the same labels but mapping is configurable.
- Photos — supported via the same API. Make sure photo permission is on.
Common issues
| Issue | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Slow nightly sync | Large school + rate limit | Talk to PortalHQ support about parallel sync settings. |
| API auth fails | Credentials rotated | Regenerate and update in PortalHQ. |
| Missing students | Filtered by enrolment status | Update the status filter. |
Monitoring
The integrations dashboard shows sync status, record counts and errors. Compass syncs are stable when configured correctly.
Migration
Moving to Compass from another SIS, or vice versa, is a planned project. PortalHQ can preserve historical data through ID mapping at cutover. Plan with your PortalHQ rep.