diff --git a/actions/feedbacks/update.php b/actions/feedbacks/update.php
index b97d4639..baf6f59c 100644
--- a/actions/feedbacks/update.php
+++ b/actions/feedbacks/update.php
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 $feedbackid = required_param('feedbackid', PARAM_INT);
 $finalised = (bool)optional_param('submitbutton', 0, PARAM_TEXT);
 $ajax = optional_param('ajax', 0, PARAM_INT);
-$remove = !!optional_param('removefeedbackbutton', 0, PARAM_TEXT);
+$remove = (bool)optional_param('removefeedbackbutton', 0, PARAM_TEXT);
 $confirm = optional_param('confirm', 0, PARAM_INT);
 
 $params = [
diff --git a/backup/moodle2/restore_coursework_stepslib.php b/backup/moodle2/restore_coursework_stepslib.php
index cba2132e..4d9c6600 100644
--- a/backup/moodle2/restore_coursework_stepslib.php
+++ b/backup/moodle2/restore_coursework_stepslib.php
@@ -24,15 +24,6 @@
 
 class restore_coursework_activity_structure_step extends restore_activity_structure_step {
 
-    // Just a handy way to spit out debugging info while in the bowels of restore
-    static function cheaplog($thing, $append = true) {
-        if ($append) {
-            $append = FILE_APPEND;
-        }
-
-        file_put_contents('/tmp/cheap.log', print_r($thing, true)."\n---------------\n", $append);
-    }
-
     /**
      * Define the structure of the restore workflow.
      *
diff --git a/classes/controllers/controller_base.php b/classes/controllers/controller_base.php
index a383c156..f494cbfa 100644
--- a/classes/controllers/controller_base.php
+++ b/classes/controllers/controller_base.php
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ public function model_name() {
      * @throws \coding_exception
      */
     protected function cancel_button_was_pressed() {
-        return !!optional_param('cancel', false, PARAM_ALPHA);
+        return (bool)optional_param('cancel', false, PARAM_ALPHA);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/classes/controllers/submissions_controller.php b/classes/controllers/submissions_controller.php
index 2d367e75..3698a7b4 100644
--- a/classes/controllers/submissions_controller.php
+++ b/classes/controllers/submissions_controller.php
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ protected function prepare_environment() {
      * @throws \coding_exception
      */
     private function terms_were_agreed_to() {
-        return !!optional_param('termsagreed', false, PARAM_INT);
+        return (bool)optional_param('termsagreed', 0, PARAM_INT);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/classes/export/csv/cells/agreedgrade_cell.php b/classes/export/csv/cells/agreedgrade_cell.php
index 9772e15c..efe1a8c4 100644
--- a/classes/export/csv/cells/agreedgrade_cell.php
+++ b/classes/export/csv/cells/agreedgrade_cell.php
@@ -72,13 +72,13 @@ public function get_header($stage) {
         return $strings;
     }
 
-    public function validate_cell($value, $submissionid, $stageidentifier='', $uploadedgradecells  = []) {
+    public function validate_cell($value, $submissionid, $stageidentifier = '', $uploadedgradecells  = []) {
 
         global $DB, $PAGE, $USER;
 
-        $stageidentifier = 'final_agreed_1';
+        $stageident = 'final_agreed_1';
         $agreedgradecap = ['mod/coursework:addagreedgrade', 'mod/coursework:editagreedgrade',
-                                     'mod/coursework:addallocatedagreedgrade', 'mod/coursework:editallocatedagreedgrade'];
+            'mod/coursework:addallocatedagreedgrade', 'mod/coursework:editallocatedagreedgrade'];
 
         if (empty($value)) {
             return true;
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ public function validate_cell($value, $submissionid, $stageidentifier='', $uploa
             // Has this submission been graded if yes then check if the current user graded it (only if allocation is not enabled).
             $feedbackparams = [
                 'submissionid' => $submission->id,
-                'stage_identifier' => $stageidentifier,
+                'stage_identifier' => $stageident,
             ];
 
             $feedback = feedback::find($feedbackparams);
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ public function validate_cell($value, $submissionid, $stageidentifier='', $uploa
                 $feedbackparams = [
                     'submissionid' => $submissionid,
                     'assessorid' => $USER->id,
-                    'stage_identifier' => $stageidentifier,
+                    'stage_identifier' => $stageident,
                 ];
                 $newfeedback = feedback::build($feedbackparams);
 
diff --git a/classes/export/csv/cells/stages_cell.php b/classes/export/csv/cells/stages_cell.php
index ee7a83e2..5f9d3bdc 100644
--- a/classes/export/csv/cells/stages_cell.php
+++ b/classes/export/csv/cells/stages_cell.php
@@ -49,11 +49,11 @@ public function get_cell($submission, $student, $stageidentifier) {
         $gradedata = [];
         // go through each stage and get a grade, if grade not present then put  a placeholder
         for ($i = 1; $i <= $this->stages; $i++) {
-            $stageidentifier = 'assessor_'.$i;
-            $grade = $submission->get_assessor_feedback_by_stage($stageidentifier);
+            $stageident = 'assessor_'.$i;
+            $grade = $submission->get_assessor_feedback_by_stage($stageident);
 
             if ($this->coursework->allocation_enabled()) {
-                $allocation = $submission->get_assessor_allocation_by_stage($stageidentifier);
+                $allocation = $submission->get_assessor_allocation_by_stage($stageident);
                 if ($allocation) {
                     $gradedata[] = $this->get_assessor_name($allocation->assessorid);
                     $gradedata[] = $this->get_assessor_username($allocation->assessorid);
diff --git a/classes/framework/table_base.php b/classes/framework/table_base.php
index ae36f63f..d6ebc9b7 100644
--- a/classes/framework/table_base.php
+++ b/classes/framework/table_base.php
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ public function reload($complainifnotfound = true) {
      * @param bool $sneakily If true, do not update the timemodified stamp. Useful for cron.
      * @return void
      */
-    public function update_attribute($name, $value, $sneakily = false) {
+    public function update_attribute($name, $value, $sneakily = false): void {
         $this->apply_column_value_to_self($name, $value);
         $this->save($sneakily);
     }
diff --git a/classes/models/coursework.php b/classes/models/coursework.php
index e06a8bf7..f468c88e 100644
--- a/classes/models/coursework.php
+++ b/classes/models/coursework.php
@@ -1041,7 +1041,8 @@ public function validate_and_set_allocation_strategy($allocationstrategy) {
     public function set_assessor_allocation_strategy($strategyname) {
 
         if ($this->allocation_strategy_is_valid($strategyname)) {
-            return $this->update_attribute('assessorallocationstrategy', $strategyname);
+            $this->update_attribute('assessorallocationstrategy', $strategyname);
+            return;
         }
         return false;
     }
@@ -1053,7 +1054,8 @@ public function set_assessor_allocation_strategy($strategyname) {
     public function set_moderator_allocation_strategy($strategyname) {
 
         if ($this->allocation_strategy_is_valid($strategyname)) {
-            return $this->update_attribute('moderatorallocationstrategy', $strategyname);
+            $this->update_attribute('moderatorallocationstrategy', $strategyname);
+            return;
         }
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/classes/sample_set_rule/total_sample_type.php b/classes/sample_set_rule/total_sample_type.php
index ee4d1b01..0ea5ec0e 100644
--- a/classes/sample_set_rule/total_sample_type.php
+++ b/classes/sample_set_rule/total_sample_type.php
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ public function save_form_data($assessornumber = 0, &$order = 0) {
 
     }
 
-    static function compare_key($a, $b) {
+    private static function compare_key($a, $b) {
         if ($a === $b) {
             return 0;
         }
diff --git a/renderers/page_renderer.php b/renderers/page_renderer.php
index 71df5514..2ac96c81 100644
--- a/renderers/page_renderer.php
+++ b/renderers/page_renderer.php
@@ -1184,7 +1184,7 @@ protected function marking_preview_html($ownsubmission) {
      * @return string
      * @throws coding_exception
      */
-    function csv_upload($uploadform, $csvtype) {
+    public function csv_upload($uploadform, $csvtype) {
 
         $html = '';
 
@@ -1212,7 +1212,7 @@ function csv_upload($uploadform, $csvtype) {
      * @return string
      * @throws coding_exception
      */
-    function process_csv_upload($processingresults, $csvcontent, $csvtype) {
+    public function process_csv_upload($processingresults, $csvcontent, $csvtype) {
 
         $html = '';
 
@@ -1254,7 +1254,7 @@ function process_csv_upload($processingresults, $csvcontent, $csvtype) {
 
     }
 
-    function feedback_upload($form) {
+    public function feedback_upload($form) {
 
         $html = '';
 
@@ -1273,7 +1273,7 @@ function feedback_upload($form) {
 
     }
 
-    function process_feedback_upload($processingresults) {
+    public function process_feedback_upload($processingresults) {
         $title = get_string('feedbackuploadresults', 'mod_coursework');
 
         $this->page->set_pagelayout('standard');
@@ -1316,7 +1316,7 @@ function process_feedback_upload($processingresults) {
      *
      * @return string
      */
-    function view_course_index($courseid) {
+    public function view_course_index($courseid) {
         global $CFG, $DB, $USER;
         $o = '';
         $course = $DB->get_record('course', ['id' => $courseid]);
diff --git a/tests/behat/behat_mod_coursework.php b/tests/behat/behat_mod_coursework.php
index 7b325770..d3bfc933 100644
--- a/tests/behat/behat_mod_coursework.php
+++ b/tests/behat/behat_mod_coursework.php
@@ -2496,7 +2496,7 @@ public function visit_page($pathname) {
      * @param bool $ignoreparams
      */
     public function i_should_be_on_the_page($pagename, $ignoreparams = false) {
-        $ignoreparams = !!$ignoreparams;
+        $ignoreparams = (bool)$ignoreparams;
 
         if ($this->running_javascript()) {
             $this->wait_for_seconds(10);