Step 1: Disable notifications to students
- Edit the assignment settings.
- Scroll down and click on Notifications to expand.
- Make sure Default setting for “Notify students” is set to No.
- Click Save and return to course.

Step 2: Hide the assignment dropbox
When you are ready to start marking, you need to hide the assignment dropbox.
- Click Edit next to its title.
- Click Hide.
Step 3: Hide assignment and course total
Even if you hide an assignment, the average mark (Course total) for the whole module will be shown in the Gradebook. The Course total tends to be meaningless, as it averages all grades in the module including formative assessments. You should hide the total because it may give the student an idea of their assignment mark.
- Click the settings cog in the top right of your course.
- Select Gradebook setup and make sure the assignment and course total are hidden there too. Remember to save any changes you make.
Step 4: Untick notify students
When you are grading an assignment, make sure Notify students is not ticked before you save changes from the bottom of the screen.