Computational thinking sits at the heart of the new statutory programme of study for Computing. The new Computing curriculum has an enriched computer science element. Computer science is an academic discipline with its own body of knowledge that can equip pupils to become independent learners, evaluators and potentially designers of new technologies.

In studying computer science, pupils gain not only knowledge but also a unique way of thinking about and solving problems: computational thinking. It allows the pupils to understand the digital world in a deeper way: just as physics equips pupils to better understand the physical world and biology the biological world.

Core concepts involved in computational thinking include:

• Algorithmic Thinking
• Evaluation
• Decomposition
• Abstraction
• Generalisation

To support classroom teachers, Computing At School published an assessment framework called ‘Computing Progression Pathways’ which sets out the major knowledge areas of computing including:

• Algorithms
• Programming & Development
• Data & Data Representation
• Hardware & Processing
• Communication & Networks
• Information Technology

and gives specific indicators of increasing levels of mastery of the subject in these areas.

It is an interpretation of the breadth and depth of the content in the 2014 national curriculum for the computing programme of study. This breadth affords an opportunity to view the subject of computing as a whole, rather than the separate subject strands of computer science, digital literacy and information technology proposed by the Royal Society.

Click on the following image to get a special interactive version of the pdf of the Computing Progression Pathways document that takes you to linked cs4fn and Teaching London Computing resources, click on the cells or titles of the following pdf to get linked resources.