Common Issues
Most problems in MarkBook have a short list of causes. Find your symptom below, then work through the checks in order. If the problem stays, see Getting Help.
Grades offers no subject for a class
You pick a class and the subject list is empty or missing a subject.
Check, in this order:
- Is there a markbook template for this class? Open Configuration → Assessment → Markbook Templates. The template must be in the same academic year and cover the class. A template with no classes named covers every class.
- Is the subject on the template? Open the template, tab Template Content. A subject removed from the template is no longer offered.
- Does the subject's Display in setting allow this class? A subject can be limited to main classes, secondary (option) classes, or chosen classes. A class of the wrong kind is not offered a new markbook.
- Are you allocated to the subject? If the template allocates teachers to subjects, you reach a subject only in classes you teach. Ask an administrator to check the allocation and your class assignment in Kinderpedia. See Leadership Roles.
- Is it a form tutor subject? Only the main teachers of the class (starred in Kinderpedia) can use it.
- Do you have the permission? To open a markbook you need View the marks grid. To create a new one you also need to teach the class or lead it.
A cell is read-only
Hover over the cell. MarkBook gives the reason as a tooltip.
| Reason shown | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Your school has not given you permission to enter marks | Your role lacks Enter and change marks | Ask an administrator to change your role |
| Calculated automatically | The value comes from a formula | Change the source columns instead |
| This column is locked for everyone | The column's type is set to locked | An administrator can change it under Configuration → Assessment → Markbook Templates (the column configurations) |
| Only whoever leads this subject or class can edit this column | A leader-only column | A head of department, coordinator or SLT enters it. See Leadership Roles |
| Locked because the markbook has been published | Marks lock after publishing | See Publishing Reports |
| This reporting period is locked | The period was locked | An administrator with the right permission unlocks it under Configuration → School year → Reporting periods. See Locking a Period |
| Nothing has been recorded for this subject and class yet | No markbook exists | The first entry creates it |
| This column is waiting to be checked | Sent for checking | A leader returns it |
| This column has been approved | Signed off | A leader reopens it. See Checking & Approving Columns |
A child who has left the class keeps a row. Only a leader of that markbook or a manager can edit it.
A report will not publish
- Is it approved? If the workflow requires approval, a report must pass it before it can be published. See Review & Approval.
- Do you have the permission? Publishing needs Publish to parents. Reports officers have it by default. Teachers do not.
- Is it already published? A published report is frozen. Unpublish it first (needs Unpublish), fix it, then publish it again.
- Is the report complete? The completeness check lists missing marks and unapproved columns. Missing marks warn but do not always block.
- Is the PDF still being made? Publishing runs in the background. The screen shows progress. Wait for it to finish.
- Did the page report a problem? If the report could not be drawn (for example, a logo or background image will not load), publishing is refused. Check the images in the report template.
- "Too busy" message. Many people are creating PDFs. Wait ten seconds and try again.
Parents were not e-mailed
Report e-mails are an option, and there are several reasons a parent gets nothing.
- Was the box ticked? On the publish window the e-mail option is off by default. You can send e-mails later from the Reports list. See E-mailing Reports to Parents.
- Is the feature on for your school? If the tickbox and buttons are missing, report e-mails are switched off. Ask your administrator or MarkBook support.
- Which parents does the school e-mail? Under Configuration → Reports → Report e-mails, the school chooses all parents, mothers only or fathers only. Other relatives are never e-mailed.
- Does the parent have an account and an address? Only family members with an account are e-mailed.
- Is the address suppressed? An address that bounced for good, or marked the mail as spam, is blocked for every school. Open Communication to check the address.
- Look at the status. The report's e-mail list shows each parent as queued, sent, failed or delivered. A failed row names the reason.
The link in an e-mail that was already sent keeps working even if e-mails are later paused.
The Activity Calendar is not connected
Symptoms: an empty Timetable, "register" figures missing, or a notice that the Activity Calendar is not connected.
- Open Configuration → Developer. Read the status on the card Kinderpedia Activity Calendar.
- Not connected: connect a key. The key is missing the Activity module: make a new key with that module. Did not recognise this key: replace it. Could not reach Kinderpedia: wait and press Check again.
- Make sure the key was made for your school and shows your school's name when you connect.
Full steps: Activity Calendar Connection. Subjects must also be linked to the calendar; see Configuration → Assessment → Subjects.
A teacher cannot see a class
- Is the teacher assigned to the class in Kinderpedia? MarkBook uses Kinderpedia's class assignments. A teacher sees the classes Kinderpedia assigns them.
- Do they reach the markbook? Their own markbooks, ones they lead, and subjects they are allocated to in classes they teach.
- Do they have a role? After roles are installed, a person without a role gets the default role. Check the Users tab.
- Did someone change the access just now? Changes to access can take up to about 90 seconds to reach a person who is signed in. Reloading after a minute fixes it.
- Is the pupil list short? New enrolments in Kinderpedia can take up to a minute to appear.
For a leader who cannot see a class, check their assignment under Configuration → Users & Roles → Who leads what.
Configuration is not available
Only managers, full-access users, and people with a role that has a configuration permission open Configuration. See Roles & Permissions. Before roles are installed, only managers and full-access users do.
A mark shows in a different form
If a school changes a scale from text to number (or back), older marks keep the way they were saved. MarkBook shows them in the scale's current form. Nothing is lost.
Page does not load or shows a blank screen
- Reload the page. If MarkBook is open inside Kinderpedia, reload the whole Kinderpedia tab.
- Sign out of Kinderpedia and in again. MarkBook uses your Kinderpedia session.
- Try another browser or a private window to rule out an extension.
Still stuck
Collect the details in Getting Help and send them to support.