diff --git a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component.html.erb b/app/components/govuk_component/table_component.html.erb
deleted file mode 100644
index 81bfeda2..00000000
--- a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component.html.erb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-<%= tag.table(**html_attributes) do %>
-  <%= caption %>
-  <%= head %>
-  <% bodies.each do |body| %>
-    <%= body %>
-  <% end %>
-<% end %>
diff --git a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component.rb b/app/components/govuk_component/table_component.rb
index 1b0e66b6..cd1c731b 100644
--- a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component.rb
+++ b/app/components/govuk_component/table_component.rb
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ def initialize(id: nil, rows: nil, head: nil, caption: nil, first_cell_is_header
       build(*(head ? [head, rows] : [rows[0], rows[1..]]), caption_text)
     end
 
+    def call
+      tag.table(**html_attributes) { safe_join([caption, head, bodies]) }
+    end
+
   private
 
     def build(head_data, body_data, caption_text)
diff --git a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/body_component.html.erb b/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/body_component.html.erb
deleted file mode 100644
index 38e338b0..00000000
--- a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/body_component.html.erb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-<%= tag.tbody(**html_attributes) do %>
-  <% rows.each do |row| %>
-    <%= row %>
-  <% end %>
-<% end %>
diff --git a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/body_component.rb b/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/body_component.rb
index a8368636..b014ff66 100644
--- a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/body_component.rb
+++ b/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/body_component.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 class GovukComponent::TableComponent::BodyComponent < GovukComponent::Base
-  renders_many :rows, "GovukComponent::TableComponent::RowComponent"
+  renders_many :rows, ->(cell_data: nil, first_cell_is_header: false, classes: [], html_attributes: {}, &block) do
+    GovukComponent::TableComponent::RowComponent.from_body(
+      cell_data: cell_data,
+      first_cell_is_header: first_cell_is_header,
+      classes: classes,
+      html_attributes: html_attributes,
+      &block
+    )
+  end
 
   def initialize(rows: nil, first_cell_is_header: false, classes: [], html_attributes: {})
     super(classes: classes, html_attributes: html_attributes)
@@ -7,6 +15,10 @@ def initialize(rows: nil, first_cell_is_header: false, classes: [], html_attribu
     build_rows_from_row_data(rows, first_cell_is_header)
   end
 
+  def call
+    tag.tbody(**html_attributes) { safe_join(rows) }
+  end
+
 private
 
   def build_rows_from_row_data(data, first_cell_is_header)
diff --git a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/cell_component.rb b/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/cell_component.rb
index 1f880d42..4d5cdf14 100644
--- a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/cell_component.rb
+++ b/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/cell_component.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 class GovukComponent::TableComponent::CellComponent < GovukComponent::Base
-  attr_reader :text, :header, :numeric, :width
+  attr_reader :text, :header, :numeric, :width, :scope, :parent
 
   alias_method :numeric?, :numeric
+  alias_method :header?, :header
 
   WIDTHS = {
     "full"           => "govuk-!-width-full",
@@ -12,11 +13,13 @@ class GovukComponent::TableComponent::CellComponent < GovukComponent::Base
     "one-quarter"    => "govuk-!-width-one-quarter",
   }.freeze
 
-  def initialize(header: false, text: nil, numeric: false, width: nil, classes: [], html_attributes: {})
+  def initialize(scope: nil, header: false, numeric: false, text: nil, width: nil, parent: nil, classes: [], html_attributes: {})
     @header  = header
     @text    = text
     @numeric = numeric
     @width   = width
+    @scope   = scope
+    @parent  = parent
 
     super(classes: classes, html_attributes: html_attributes)
   end
@@ -36,18 +39,37 @@ def cell_content
   end
 
   def cell_element
-    header ? :th : :td
+    header ? 'th' : 'td'
   end
 
   def default_attributes
-    { class: default_classes }
+    { class: default_classes, scope: determine_scope }
+  end
+
+  def determine_scope
+    conditions = { scope: scope, parent: parent, header: header, auto_table_scopes: config.enable_auto_table_scopes }
+
+    case conditions
+    in { scope: String }
+      scope
+    in { scope: false } | { header: false } | { auto_table_scopes: false }
+      nil
+    in { auto_table_scopes: true, parent: 'thead' }
+      'col'
+    in { auto_table_scopes: true, parent: 'tbody' }
+      'row'
+    else
+      Rails.logger.warning("No scope pattern matched")
+
+      nil
+    end
   end
 
   def default_classes
     if header
-      class_names("govuk-table__header", "govuk-table__header--numeric" => numeric?, width_class => width?).split
+      class_names("govuk-table__header", "govuk-table__header--numeric" => numeric?, width_class => width?)
     else
-      class_names("govuk-table__cell", "govuk-table__cell--numeric" => numeric?, width_class => width?).split
+      class_names("govuk-table__cell", "govuk-table__cell--numeric" => numeric?, width_class => width?)
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/head_component.html.erb b/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/head_component.html.erb
deleted file mode 100644
index 70d6173a..00000000
--- a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/head_component.html.erb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-<%= tag.thead(**html_attributes) do %>
-  <% rows.each do |row| %>
-    <%= row %>
-  <% end %>
-<% end %>
diff --git a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/head_component.rb b/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/head_component.rb
index 8863f60e..1dd843b3 100644
--- a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/head_component.rb
+++ b/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/head_component.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 class GovukComponent::TableComponent::HeadComponent < GovukComponent::Base
-  renders_many :rows, "GovukComponent::TableComponent::RowComponent"
+  renders_many :rows, ->(cell_data: nil, header: true, classes: [], html_attributes: {}, &block) do
+    GovukComponent::TableComponent::RowComponent.from_head(
+      cell_data: cell_data,
+      header: header,
+      classes: classes,
+      html_attributes: html_attributes,
+      &block
+    )
+  end
 
   attr_reader :row_data
 
@@ -9,6 +17,10 @@ def initialize(rows: nil, classes: [], html_attributes: {})
     build_rows_from_row_data(rows)
   end
 
+  def call
+    tag.thead(**html_attributes) { safe_join(rows) }
+  end
+
 private
 
   def build_rows_from_row_data(data)
diff --git a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/row_component.html.erb b/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/row_component.html.erb
deleted file mode 100644
index 2a156666..00000000
--- a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/row_component.html.erb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-<%= tag.tr(**html_attributes) do %>
-  <% cells.each do |cell| %>
-    <%= cell %>
-  <% end %>
-<% end %>
diff --git a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/row_component.rb b/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/row_component.rb
index 2e827604..000b9df4 100644
--- a/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/row_component.rb
+++ b/app/components/govuk_component/table_component/row_component.rb
@@ -1,23 +1,54 @@
 class GovukComponent::TableComponent::RowComponent < GovukComponent::Base
-  renders_many :cells, "GovukComponent::TableComponent::CellComponent"
+  renders_many :cells, ->(scope: nil, header: false, text: nil, numeric: false, width: nil, classes: [], html_attributes: {}, &block) do
+    GovukComponent::TableComponent::CellComponent.new(
+      scope: scope,
+      header: header,
+      text: text,
+      numeric: numeric,
+      width: width,
+      parent: parent,
+      classes: classes,
+      html_attributes: html_attributes,
+      &block
+    )
+  end
 
-  attr_reader :header, :first_cell_is_header
+  attr_reader :header, :first_cell_is_header, :parent
 
-  def initialize(cell_data: nil, first_cell_is_header: false, header: false, classes: [], html_attributes: {})
+  def initialize(cell_data: nil, first_cell_is_header: false, header: false, parent: nil, classes: [], html_attributes: {})
     @header = header
     @first_cell_is_header = first_cell_is_header
+    @parent = parent
 
     super(classes: classes, html_attributes: html_attributes)
 
     build_cells_from_cell_data(cell_data)
   end
 
+  def self.from_head(*args, **kwargs, &block)
+    new(*args, parent: 'thead', **kwargs, &block)
+  end
+
+  def self.from_body(*args, **kwargs, &block)
+    new(*args, parent: 'tbody', **kwargs, &block)
+  end
+
+  def call
+    tag.tr(**html_attributes) { safe_join(cells) }
+  end
+
 private
 
   def build_cells_from_cell_data(cell_data)
     return if cell_data.blank?
 
-    cell_data.map.with_index { |cd, i| cell(header: cell_is_header?(i), text: cd) }
+    cell_data.each.with_index { |data, i| cell(text: data, **cell_attributes(i)) }
+  end
+
+  def cell_attributes(count)
+    cell_is_header?(count).then do |cell_is_header|
+      { header: cell_is_header }
+    end
   end
 
   def cell_is_header?(count)
diff --git a/guide/content/components/table.slim b/guide/content/components/table.slim
index f36d54ac..35aa596d 100644
--- a/guide/content/components/table.slim
+++ b/guide/content/components/table.slim
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ p Use the table component to make information easier to compare and scan for
     using the `head` argument. If nothing is set, the first row will be used for
     headers.
 
+    The `first_cell_is_header` parameter can be used to change the first column
+    in the table body to header cells with `scope='row'`.
+
 == render('/partials/example.*',
   caption: "Table with resized columns",
   code: table_with_resized_columns) do
diff --git a/guide/lib/examples/table_helpers.rb b/guide/lib/examples/table_helpers.rb
index 06921b86..a5177cf2 100644
--- a/guide/lib/examples/table_helpers.rb
+++ b/guide/lib/examples/table_helpers.rb
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def table_with_header_column
 
     def table_from_arrays
       <<~TABLE
-        = govuk_table(rows: data, caption: "Pokémon species and types")
+        = govuk_table(rows: data, caption: "Pokémon species and types", first_cell_is_header: true)
       TABLE
     end
 
@@ -68,11 +68,11 @@ def table_data
       <<~TABLE_DATA
         {
           data: [
-            ["Name", "Primary type"],
-            ["Weedle", "Bug"],
-            ["Rattata", "Normal"],
-            ["Raichu", "Electric"],
-            ["Golduck", "Water"]
+            ["Name"   , "Primary type", "Catch rate", "Other types"],
+            ["Weedle" , "Bug"         , 255         , "Poison"],
+            ["Rattata", "Normal"      , 255         , "Dark"],
+            ["Raichu" , "Electric"    , 75          , "Psychic"],
+            ["Golduck", "Water"       , 75          , "No other types"]
           ]
         }
       TABLE_DATA
diff --git a/lib/govuk/components/engine.rb b/lib/govuk/components/engine.rb
index 9353617c..6ea59926 100644
--- a/lib/govuk/components/engine.rb
+++ b/lib/govuk/components/engine.rb
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ def reset!
     # +:default_warning_text_icon+ "!"
     #
     # +:require_summary_list_action_visually_hidden_text+ when true forces visually hidden text to be set for every action. It can still be explicitly skipped by passing in +nil+. Defaults to +false+
+    # +:enable_auto_table_scopes+ automatically adds a scope of 'col' to th elements in thead and 'row' to th elements in tbody.
     DEFAULTS = {
       default_back_link_text: 'Back',
       default_breadcrumbs_collapse_on_mobile: false,
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@ def reset!
       default_link_new_tab_text: "(opens in new tab)",
 
       require_summary_list_action_visually_hidden_text: false,
+      enable_auto_table_scopes: true,
     }.freeze
 
     DEFAULTS.each_key { |k| config_accessor(k) { DEFAULTS[k] } }
diff --git a/spec/components/govuk_component/configuration/table_component_configuration_spec.rb b/spec/components/govuk_component/configuration/table_component_configuration_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3c0c1f3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/components/govuk_component/configuration/table_component_configuration_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+RSpec.describe(GovukComponent::TableComponent::CellComponent, type: :component) do
+  let(:text) { 'Content' }
+  let(:kwargs) { { text: text, header: true, parent: 'tbody' } }
+  let(:component_css_class) { 'govuk-table__cell' }
+
+  describe 'configuration' do
+    describe 'disabling automatic scopes' do
+      context "when enable_auto_table_scopes: true" do
+        subject! { render_inline(GovukComponent::TableComponent::CellComponent.new(**kwargs)) }
+
+        specify "renders a scopeless table cell" do
+          expect(rendered_content).to have_tag("th", text: "Content")
+          expect(html.at_css('th').attributes.keys).to match_array(%w(class scope))
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "when enable_auto_table_scopes: false" do
+        after { Govuk::Components.reset! }
+
+        before do
+          Govuk::Components.configure do |config|
+            config.enable_auto_table_scopes = false
+          end
+        end
+
+        subject! { render_inline(GovukComponent::TableComponent::CellComponent.new(**kwargs)) }
+
+        specify "renders a scopeless table cell" do
+          expect(rendered_content).to have_tag("th", text: "Content")
+          expect(html.at_css('th').attributes.keys).to match_array(%w(class))
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/components/govuk_component/table_component_spec.rb b/spec/components/govuk_component/table_component_spec.rb
index e95fed5d..b5530a42 100644
--- a/spec/components/govuk_component/table_component_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/govuk_component/table_component_spec.rb
@@ -22,7 +22,10 @@
   end
 
   specify "renders a table with thead and tbody elements" do
-    expect(rendered_content).to have_tag("table", with: { class: "govuk-table" })
+    expect(rendered_content).to have_tag("table", with: { class: "govuk-table" }) do
+      with_tag('thead', with: { class: "govuk-table__head" })
+      with_tag('tbody', with: { class: "govuk-table__body" })
+    end
   end
 
   specify "table has the provided id" do
@@ -141,7 +144,9 @@
           specify "renders one header row" do
             expect(rendered_content).to have_tag("table", with: { class: component_css_class }) do
               with_tag("thead", with: { class: "govuk-table__head" }) do
-                with_tag("tr", with: { class: "govuk-table__row" }, count: 1)
+                with_tag("tr", with: { class: "govuk-table__row" }, count: 1) do
+                  with_tag("th", with: { class: "govuk-table__header", scope: "col" }, count: 4)
+                end
               end
             end
           end
@@ -193,9 +198,17 @@
         render_inline(GovukComponent::TableComponent.new(**kwargs.merge(head: head, rows: rows, first_cell_is_header: true)))
       end
 
-      specify "renders the header content in table header (th) cells" do
+      specify "renders the table header" do
+        expect(rendered_content).to have_tag("table > thead") do
+          head.each do |heading|
+            with_tag('th', text: heading, with: { class: 'govuk-table__header', scope: 'col' })
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
+      specify "renders the header column in table body cells" do
         expect(rendered_content).to have_tag("table > tbody") do
-          with_tag('th', text: row_header_text, count: number_of_rows)
+          with_tag('th', text: row_header_text, count: number_of_rows, with: { scope: 'row' })
           with_tag('td', text: row_cell_text, count: number_of_rows * 2)
         end
       end
@@ -203,6 +216,15 @@
       specify "the header is always first" do
         html.css('tbody > tr').map(&:elements).each { |r| expect(r.first.name).to eql('th') }
       end
+
+      specify "all header cells in the tbody have a scope but no data cells do" do
+        attributes_per_element_type = %w(th td).each.with_object({}) do |element, h|
+          h[element] = html.css(element).map(&:attributes).map(&:keys)
+        end
+
+        expect(attributes_per_element_type["th"]).to all(eql(%w(class scope)))
+        expect(attributes_per_element_type["td"]).to all(eql(%w(class)))
+      end
     end
   end
 
@@ -220,7 +242,7 @@
             body.row do |row|
               row.cell(text: "row-#{i}-col-1")
               row.cell(text: "row-#{i}-col-2")
-              row.cell(text: "row-#{i}-col-3")
+              row.cell(text: "row-#{i}-col-3", scope: "bananas")
             end
           end
         end
@@ -235,7 +257,7 @@
       expect(rendered_content).to have_tag('table') do
         with_tag('thead') do
           with_tag('tr', with: { class: "govuk-table__row" }, count: 1) do
-            with_tag('th', with: { class: "govuk-table__header" }, count: 3)
+            with_tag('th', with: { class: "govuk-table__header", scope: "col" }, count: 3)
           end
         end
       end
@@ -252,6 +274,10 @@
         end
       end
     end
+
+    specify "scopes can be set to arbitrary values" do
+      expect(rendered_content).to have_tag("td", with: { scope: "bananas" }, count: 3)
+    end
   end
 
   context 'when some data is numeric' do
@@ -402,10 +428,47 @@
 
 RSpec.describe(GovukComponent::TableComponent::CellComponent, type: :component) do
   let(:component_css_class) { 'govuk-table__cell' }
-  let(:kwargs) { {} }
+  let(:kwargs) { { scope: nil } }
 
   it_behaves_like 'a component that accepts custom classes'
   it_behaves_like 'a component that accepts custom HTML attributes'
+
+  describe "controlling scopes" do
+    subject! do
+      render_inline(GovukComponent::TableComponent::RowComponent.new(parent: 'thead')) do |row|
+        row.cell(
+          text: "ABC",
+          scope: false,
+          header: true,
+          html_attributes: { class: "scope_is_false" },
+        )
+        row.cell(
+          text: "DEF",
+          scope: true,
+          header: true,
+          html_attributes: { class: "scope_is_true" },
+        )
+        row.cell(
+          text: "GHI",
+          scope: "custom",
+          header: false,
+          html_attributes: { class: "scope_on_td" },
+        )
+      end
+    end
+
+    it "suppresses the scope attribute when scope: false" do
+      expect(html.at_css('th.scope_is_false').attributes.keys).to match_array(%w(class))
+    end
+
+    it "doesn't suppress the scope attribute when scope: true" do
+      expect(html.at_css('th.scope_is_true').attributes.keys).to match_array(%w(class scope))
+    end
+
+    it "sets the custom scope when scope: 'custom'" do
+      expect(rendered_content).to have_tag('td', with: { class: 'scope_on_td', scope: 'custom' })
+    end
+  end
 end
 
 RSpec.describe(GovukComponent::TableComponent::CaptionComponent, type: :component) do