This article is intended for schools that import their classes and students via CSV (see this article if your school uses MIS import).

Single Sign-On (SSO) enables teachers and students to log in to multiple websites using one set of login details.

The main benefits of using SSO are:

It's simpler to get your students started with Sparx Maths, as they won't need to go through the process of setting up a new username and password
Password reset requests are likely to reduce, as students won't need to remember another username and password. This reduces interruption for students and saves you time.

Requirements

Before setting up SSO, ensure:

Your school provides Microsoft Office 365 or Google accounts to teachers and/or students
You have student emails ready to upload via CSV
Your school's technical contact will need to be involved in the setup process as they will be asked to approve our request to enable SSO for your school. Many schools provide their technical contact with a login in Staff Manager to help manage SSO settings.

Setup guide

Add your student email data

Download our CSV template from the Sparx Maths site
Ensure student email addresses are included in column 5 of your CSV
Upload the CSV following our standard import process
Check for any import errors and correct them as needed

Configure SSO settings

Go to Management > School Settings > Single Sign-On (SSO)
You will see a "problems found" message if any students are missing school addresses. Download the report to identify affected students so you can update your CSV with any missing or incorrect email addresses and re-upload
Choose your SSO provider (Microsoft or Google)
Enter your school's SSO domain (e.g., if [email protected] is your email format, enter example.com)
Optionally enter a different domain for students if needed
Enable SSO for teachers first and click 'Save'

Test teacher access

Log out of Sparx Maths
Attempt to log in using SSO
Teachers will need to verify their email address the first time they use SSO (students will not need to do this step)
The first SSO login attempt will trigger an approval request through your SSO provider - your school's Google/Microsoft administrator will need to approve this.

Enable Student Access

Once teacher SSO is working, return to School Settings
Enable SSO for students
Choose whether to allow both SSO and username/password login, or SSO only
- We recommend only allowing SSO to simplify the process for students and reduce teacher workload

Frequently Asked Questions

Will enabling SSO create new accounts for my students?

No, SSO simply provides another way to log in to existing accounts.

Can students still use their existing Sparx usernames and passwords?

Yes, unless you choose to disable username/password login.

What should we do if our SSO domain changes?

You'll need to:

Temporarily disable SSO
Update the domain in School Settings
Update teacher emails in Staff Manager
Update student emails by uploading a CSV with the new details
Wait for the next sync or perform a manual sync

What does this look like from the student's perspective?

If you are only using SSO, students will see a screen similar to this one. Clicking the login button will direct them to a Google/Microsoft login page where they will need to enter their school login details. If they are already logged into their school account on their device, they will be directed straight to their account: