Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/3-1-1-computational-thinking [Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [Primary](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary.md) › [Computer Science](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science.md) › [Computing: Year 5 & 6 National Curriculum](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum.md) › Computational Thinking # Computational Thinking Computing: Year 5 & 6 National Curriculum, topic 3.1.1 ## Computational Thinking ### What is computational thinking? ![What is computational thinking?](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2025-07/4ce07d21-7693-4db2-a204-847a4e7e8ce4/df504a6a-a63d-46ce-8a55-46cbd1d45d92.png) - Computational thinking is a way of solving a task by breaking it into smaller parts. ### Simple steps ![Simple steps](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-09/c977bfe3-b773-4af4-b488-95bc83ca8ff7/step-by-step-.png) - Computational thinking gives you clear steps to solve a problem. - These steps can be followed in order. ### No computer required! ![No computer required!](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2025-07/e58cdcb5-9b3b-4681-a3a7-6d0d01b1f550/eee23d93-cc0b-44c0-b3b7-ec99a04ad88f.png) - You do not need a computer to do computational thinking! ## Test yourself on Computational Thinking - Do you need a computer to do computational thinking? - What type of thinking breaks a task into chunks and gives clear steps to follow? - What does computational thinking help you do? - What is computational thinking? - What does computational thinking do? [Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/19eff8d0-37ca-47d8-89d9-9810d0f53c27/section/c75cb263-88b3-4730-9471-cde11dc771fd/session) - Previous topic: [2.3.8 Getting Help](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/2-3-8-getting-help.md) - Next topic: [3.1.2 Decomposing Tasks](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/3-1-2-decomposing-tasks.md) ## Computing: Year 5 & 6 National Curriculum contents ### 1 Using Computers - 1.1 Computers as a Tool - [1.1.1 Uses of Computers](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/1-1-1-uses-of-computers.md) - [1.1.2 More Uses of Computers](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/1-1-2-more-uses-of-computers.md) - [1.1.3 Advantages of Information Technology](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/1-1-3-advantages-of-information-technology.md) - [1.1.4 More Advantages of Information Technology](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/1-1-4-more-advantages-of-information-technology.md) - 1.2 Data - [1.2.1 Storing Data](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/1-2-1-storing-data.md) - [1.2.2 Databases](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/1-2-2-databases.md) - [1.2.3 Sorting & Filtering Data](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/1-2-3-sorting-and-filtering-data.md) - [1.2.4 Interrogating Data](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/1-2-4-interrogating-data.md) - 1.3 Plagiarism & Illegal Sharing - [1.3.1 Plagiarism](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/1-3-1-plagiarism.md) - [1.3.2 Copyrighted Content](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/1-3-2-copyrighted-content.md) ### 2 Networks & the World Wide Web - 2.1 Networks - [2.1.1 Parts of Networks](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/2-1-1-parts-of-networks.md) - [2.1.2 The Internet](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/2-1-2-the-internet.md) - [2.1.3 The World Wide Web](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/2-1-3-the-world-wide-web.md) - 2.2 Searching Online - [2.2.1 Searching the World Wide Web](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/2-2-1-searching-the-world-wide-web.md) - [2.2.2 Searching Tips](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/2-2-2-searching-tips.md) - [2.2.3 Reliable Information](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/2-2-3-reliable-information.md) - 2.3 Protecting Yourself Online - [2.3.1 Your Digital Footprint](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/2-3-1-your-digital-footprint.md) - [2.3.2 Being Safe](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/2-3-2-being-safe.md) - [2.3.3 Online Safety](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/2-3-3-online-safety.md) - [2.3.4 Viruses](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/2-3-4-viruses.md) - [2.3.5 Malware](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/2-3-5-malware.md) - [2.3.6 People Online](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/2-3-6-people-online.md) - [2.3.7 Your Feelings](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/2-3-7-your-feelings.md) - [2.3.8 Getting Help](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/2-3-8-getting-help.md) ### 3 Computational Thinking - 3.1 Computational Thinking - [3.1.1 Computational Thinking](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/3-1-1-computational-thinking.md) - [3.1.2 Decomposing Tasks](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/3-1-2-decomposing-tasks.md) - [3.1.3 Algorithms (1/2)](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/3-1-3-algorithms-12.md) - [3.1.4 Algorithms (2/2)](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/3-1-4-algorithms-22.md) - [3.1.5 Logical Reasoning & Debugging](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/3-1-5-logical-reasoning-and-debugging.md) ### 4 Computer Languages - 4.1 Coding - [4.1.1 Code](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/4-1-1-code.md) - [4.1.2 Programs](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/4-1-2-programs.md) - [4.1.3 Writing Programs](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/4-1-3-writing-programs.md) - [4.1.4 Writing Your Own Program: Input, Outputs, Design](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/4-1-4-writing-your-own-program-input-outputs-design.md) - [4.1.5 Turning an Algorithm into an App (1/2)](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/4-1-5-turning-an-algorithm-into-an-app-12.md) - [4.1.6 Turning an Algorithm into an App (2/2)](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/computer-science/computing-year-5-and-6-national-curriculum/4-1-6-turning-an-algorithm-into-an-app-22.md)