diff --git a/src/govuk/components/header/template.njk b/src/govuk/components/header/template.njk
index b54d9cc423..c0f9b0ab55 100644
--- a/src/govuk/components/header/template.njk
+++ b/src/govuk/components/header/template.njk
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@
     {% endif %}
     {% if params.navigation %}
     <button type="button" class="govuk-header__menu-button govuk-js-header-toggle" aria-controls="navigation" aria-label="{{ params.menuButtonLabel | default('Show or hide navigation menu') }}">Menu</button>
-    <nav>
-      <ul id="navigation" class="govuk-header__navigation {{ params.navigationClasses if params.navigationClasses }}" aria-label="{{ params.navigationLabel | default('Navigation menu') }}">
+    <nav aria-label="{{ params.navigationLabel | default('Navigation menu') }}">
+      <ul id="navigation" class="govuk-header__navigation {{ params.navigationClasses if params.navigationClasses }}">
         {% for item in params.navigation %}
           {% if item.text or item.html %}
             <li class="govuk-header__navigation-item{{ ' govuk-header__navigation-item--active' if item.active }}">
diff --git a/src/govuk/components/header/template.test.js b/src/govuk/components/header/template.test.js
index 3446d6f972..da864590c5 100644
--- a/src/govuk/components/header/template.test.js
+++ b/src/govuk/components/header/template.test.js
@@ -121,18 +121,18 @@ describe('header', () => {
       const $ = render('header', examples['with navigation'])
 
       const $component = $('.govuk-header')
-      const $list = $component.find('ul.govuk-header__navigation')
+      const $nav = $component.find('nav')
 
-      expect($list.attr('aria-label')).toEqual('Navigation menu')
+      expect($nav.attr('aria-label')).toEqual('Navigation menu')
     })
 
     it('allows navigation label to be customised', () => {
       const $ = render('header', examples['with custom navigation label'])
 
       const $component = $('.govuk-header')
-      const $list = $component.find('ul.govuk-header__navigation')
+      const $nav = $component.find('nav')
 
-      expect($list.attr('aria-label')).toEqual('Custom navigation label')
+      expect($nav.attr('aria-label')).toEqual('Custom navigation label')
     })
 
     it('renders navigation with active item', () => {