Lucy Powell calls for more practical assessment in GCSE computing

Lucy Powell, the education secretary, told MPs on 4 November 2026 that practical GCSEs such as computing should be assessed more through practical work.

She made the comments at her first hearing before the House of Commons education committee. FE Week reported that the government wants new and existing "practical" GCSEs, including computing and drama, to include "a lot more practical assessment". It said the Department for Education will also design new technical qualifications around practical assessment.

Awarding of qualifications and marking should be done by the human eye, because otherwise you can exacerbate prejudice.

Tes reported that Powell named drama, music and computing as subjects that need more practical assessment to "make them fit for purpose". Asked how AI could be used in assessment, she raised concerns about its use in marking. She said marking should be done by "the human eye" because AI could "exacerbate prejudice", according to both reports.

For computing teachers, Powell set no date and described no new rule. The National Centre for Computing Education said in a September blog post that the department is expected to publish a draft refreshed computing curriculum this autumn term. It said the new curriculum is expected to be taught from September 2028. It also told teachers there is no need to make speculative changes now.

Powell did not say what more practical assessment would look like in a computing GCSE. She did not say whether it would mean on-screen programming tasks, more coursework or something else. It is not yet known when the draft curriculum will be published.

Sources

1. FE Week | What we learned from Powell's first education committee hearing
2. Tes | Powell: Ofsted inspection consequences 'need to change'
3. National Centre for Computing Education | Back to school 2026: Making this a year of progress for computing