Judgement scales

A judgement scale is a fixed list of choices: Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Poor. Teachers pick a value. There are no mark ranges to convert, and the values are not averaged as marks. Use judgement scales for effort, progress, attitude to learning (ATL), behaviour and wellbeing. The same scales are used to judge learning outcomes.

For anything derived from a number or a level of attainment, use Attainment Scales.

Where: Configuration → Assessment → Judgement scales

Who can change this

A manager, or a person whose role includes Grade and assessment scales.

The list

The newest scale is at the top. Each scale shows its name, its Type, and how many values it holds. Actions: Add judgement scale, Edit values, Duplicate, Archive and Unarchive. Archived scales are hidden from pickers. Marks already given stay readable.

Creating a scale

1. Select Add judgement scale.
2. Fill in:
   • Name, for example Effort — Excellent to Poor.
   • Type: Effort, Progress, ATL, Behaviour or Wellbeing. The type helps MarkBook match the scale to the right column. A scale of type Effort is what the standard Effort Grade column picks up by default.
   • Value type: Text or Number. See the next section.
3. Add the values (see below).
4. Select Save values.

The values

Each value has:

Field	Meaning
Label	The full text, such as Excellent. Shown in the report's legend.
Code	A short identifier, such as E.
Weight	The number used for calculations and statistics (averages, sorting). It is never shown to teachers or in reports.
Color	The colour of the value in the grid.
Order	The display order. Drag to reorder.

Under Values you can add as many as you need. At least two are required for a useful scale.

Criteria groups

You can split one scale into named Criteria groups, so an outcome can offer one set without needing a scale of its own. Removing a group keeps its criteria, which become ungrouped.

What teachers see: Text or Number

The Value type decides what a teacher sees in the grid and what reports print.

Value type	Grid	Report
Text	The code, for example CON	The code. The label explains it in the legend.
Number	The value's number (1, 2, 3, never "4.00")	The number. The label explains it in the legend.

A Number scale still stores a code for each value, because every value needs an identifier. That code is never shown.

If you change a scale from Text to Number (or back) after marks exist, old marks are shown in the scale's current form everywhere: the grid, the report, the parent view and exports. Nothing stored is rewritten.

Example: effort

Label	Code	Weight	Colour
Excellent	E	4	Green
Good	G	3	Blue
Satisfactory	S	2	Amber
Poor	P	1	Red

On the grid a teacher picks E for a student. A report that includes the Effort column prints E, and its legend lists "E — Excellent".

The setup wizard offers more ready-made scales: Progress (Below / Expected / Above), Attitude to learning — EYFS (Emerging / Developing / Secure) and Outcomes (Not yet / Working towards / Achieved).

Using a scale

A scale is used in three places:

1. As the Default judgement scale of a judgement column (Column Library (Value Types)).
2. In a template subject, under Judgement scales, which adds that scale's columns beside the grade (Markbook Templates). If none exists, the page says "set them up under Configuration → Judgement scales first".
3. As the scale of a learning outcome framework (Learning Outcomes Overview).

Removing values and scales

• Delete a value. MarkBook warns: "If teachers have already used this value in the markbook or in any report, those entries will become orphaned. This cannot be undone after you save the scale." Prefer to rename a value.
• Delete a scale. MarkBook first tells you what depends on it:

Situation	What you can do
Nothing uses it	Delete.
Used by columns, no grades given yet	Pick a replacement. Columns, value types and overrides move to it, then the old scale is removed.
Already carries grades	Archive instead. It hides the scale from pickers while every grade stays readable.

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