Building a Scalable, User-Friendly Website for WJEC / EDUQAS

As Wales’ largest awarding body, WJEC plays a crucial role in providing qualifications to thousands of students every year. With a strong presence in England and Northern Ireland, the organisation needed a website that could efficiently manage content across three distinct public-facing platforms—WJEC, CBAC, and Eduqas.

These sites serve a diverse audience, including teachers, students, and parents, offering essential resources and guidance. However, their existing system required an overhaul to streamline content management and enhance user experience. The challenge was clear: WJEC needed a single solution that would unify their editorial processes while maintaining the distinct identities of their three brands.

The Challenge: Managing Complexity with Ease

The key objectives of the new website build were:

Centralised Content Management: A single interface for content editors to update, while maintaining three separate public-facing sites, each with its own unique design and domain.

Bilingual Functionality: Seamless integration of Welsh and English content for accessibility.

Scalability & Stability: The ability to handle significant surges in website traffic, particularly during exam and results periods.

Resource Migration & Management: Transferring over 19,000 educational resource documents from the old site and allowing bulk uploads of past papers.

Enhanced Search & User Experience: Enabling users to search for qualifications and subscribe to updates for specific subjects.

Seamless Redirection: Ensuring users were directed from old pages to their equivalent locations on the new site.

The Solution: A Custom-Built Umbraco 8 Platform

To meet WJEC’s unique requirements, Aspire Systems developed a robust new website using Umbraco 8, implementing heavily customised features:

Bilingual Content Management: Umbraco 8’s multi-language support allows content editors to publish material in both Welsh and English simultaneously, giving users the flexibility to switch between languages.

Cloud-Based Scalability: Integrating Microsoft Azure’s web load balancer ensures the site can automatically scale up or down based on traffic demand, keeping performance stable even during peak periods.

Efficient Document Storage & Management: Microsoft Azure Blob Storage is directly connected to the Umbraco back-office, allowing content editors to efficiently add, remove, and amend educational resources without compromising site performance.

Automated Uploads for Past Papers: A custom-built API enables the WJEC team to remotely upload batches of past papers, reducing administrative workload.

Advanced Search Functionality: Behind-the-scenes content tagging enhances the search experience, making it easy for students, teachers, and parents to find relevant information quickly.

Personalised User Subscriptions: Umbraco Forms allows users to customise the updates they receive, ensuring they stay informed on relevant qualifications.

Seamless Page Redirection: The user interface enables content editors to add HTTP redirects with ease, ensuring visitors always find the right content, even when pages are moved.

The Outcome: A More Efficient & User-Friendly Platform

The new website delivered significant improvements in efficiency and user experience:

Reduced Administrative Burden: The streamlined system allows editors to manage three sites simultaneously, while the automated past paper upload feature saves valuable time.

Scalability & Cost Efficiency: The dynamic load balancing ensures resources are optimally used, reducing costs while maintaining high performance during peak periods.

Greater Content Flexibility: Pre-built, reusable page components empower editors to create new, brand-consistent content quickly, without needing technical support.

Improved User Experience: The website is now easier to navigate, with enhanced search capabilities and personalised update options. Students, parents, and teachers can effortlessly access the information they need in either Welsh or English.

Final Thoughts

By implementing a tailored Umbraco 8 solution, Aspire Systems provided WJEC with a scalable, efficient, and user-friendly website that meets the needs of their diverse audience. The platform now seamlessly supports high volumes of traffic, ensures content editors can manage resources effectively, and delivers an enhanced experience for all users.

With this new digital foundation, WJEC is well-equipped to continue supporting students, educators, and parents across Wales, England, and Northern Ireland for years to come.