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What the rules say about AI and student writing

GCSE English is assessed by exams, apart from the spoken language endorsement, so the AI rules bite in two places: the endorsement, and the writing students do between lessons. JCQ governs the first, and the school’s own policy governs the second.

Quick guide for teachers · 4 minute read

Both English GCSEs are assessed by written exams, where students have no access to the internet. The one exception is the spoken language endorsement, which AQA runs as a non-exam assessment (component 8700/C). That is where JCQ’s rules on AI apply, and homework is where the school’s own rules apply.

What JCQ says

JCQ’s AI Use in Assessments was revised on 30 April 2025, and it was still the current edition on JCQ’s site in October 2026. It covers assessments outside the exam hall: “Non-Examined Assessments (NEAs), coursework and internal assessments”.

  • Misuse is defined as using AI without acknowledging it and submitting work “when it is not their own”.
  • Where a student uses AI as a source, the acknowledgement must show “the name of the AI source used and the date the content was generated”.
  • Teachers should, where appropriate, have enough of the work done “in class under direct supervision” to authenticate it with confidence.
  • Detection tools can form part of the picture, but JCQ reminds teachers that they “know their students best”.
  • “Teachers must not use artificial intelligence as the sole means of marking candidates’ work”.

Each school’s written malpractice policy has to cover AI: what it is, when it may be used, how to acknowledge it and how misuse is treated. If misuse is found before a student signs the declaration of authentication, the school deals with it under that policy. If it is found after the declaration is signed, the school must report it to the exam board. The sanctions for a false declaration include “disqualification and debarment from taking qualifications for a number of years”.

The spoken language endorsement

AQA’s notes and guidance (October 2025) discuss how students research their topics, and mention AI directly: “With the availability of ChatGPT, it is possible to gather a significant number of sources together in one place providing the question is precise.” Using AI to find sources is research. A script written by AI and read aloud is someone else’s work presented as the student’s own.

A live presentation is harder to fake than an essay. AQA’s guidance says “Questions should arise out of what has been said and not be pre-prepared”, and that “reading entirely from pre-prepared notes is unlikely to enable them to access the criteria for the higher grades”. A student who did not build the argument is likely to struggle by the second question. Ask students to bring their research notes to the topic approval, to note any AI use in JCQ’s format, and to rehearse in class, where you see the presentation take shape. See Running the spoken language endorsement for the rest of the requirements.

Homework and practice essays

Homework and mock essays are not assessments for a qualification, so JCQ’s rules do not reach them. The Department for Education’s guidance on generative AI in education, last updated on 12 August 2025, suggests that schools “may wish to review homework policies” in light of AI.

The practical answer in English is to set homework that AI cannot do for the student, and to write the long pieces in class. Learning quotations, retrieval questions and reading ahead are tested by what a student can do in the room the next day. A timed paragraph written in a lesson tells you more about a student’s own writing than an essay done at home. Homework in English that is worth setting has examples.

What the DfE says about teachers’ own use

The DfE’s guidance allows for teachers using AI, with conditions:

  • Anything produced “requires critical judgement to check for appropriateness and accuracy”. AI tools “cannot replace the judgement and deep subject knowledge of a human expert”.
  • “It is recommended that personal data is not used in generative AI (artificial intelligence) tools.” Remove names before pasting any student’s writing into a tool.
  • Schools “must not allow or cause students’ original work to be used to train generative AI” unless they have permission or an exception to copyright applies. For a student too young to consent, the permission has to come from a parent or guardian.

The DfE’s support materials on using AI in education settings, updated in May 2026 for the 2026 to 2027 school year, include training modules on safe use for staff.

Steps for an English department

  1. Read the school’s malpractice policy and add one page for English: what AI use is allowed in the endorsement, how students acknowledge it, and what happens if a script turns out not to be their own.
  2. Collect a handwritten timed piece from every student early in Year 10, so you know each student’s writing before any doubt arises.
  3. Write long pieces in class and set short, checkable homework.
  4. Teach the acknowledgement format before students start researching their presentations.
  5. If you use AI to help with feedback, read every script yourself and keep names out of the tool.

Sources

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