'We were recently subjected to a review of our marking by our link inspector'

Now that just shows how little some idiot who devised this, knows about teaching. If you apply the same criteria to every classbook that you mark, you would make a right bollocks of the task of teaching.

Some children need endless praise and encouragement to even make a start at classwork.

How can an outsider who doesn't know your relationship with the pupil, possibly gauge the effect you are hoping to achieve with the way you mark the book? The whole point is to motivate, as best you can, with what you have.