School have asked year 4 children to switch from Cursive

[Rp735]

This is causing me stress so worth getting the opinion of MN. DD went to first day of year 4 today and her teacher has told the class that they are not to use cursive or joined handwriting anymore and need to practice broken. I have checked with other children too who have confirmed. They have been in the school from reception and are quite competent in writing cursive by now. The class as a whole has been struggling due to lack of learning during covid and many teachers leaving in the years following that. I was really hoping this would be the year the would finally be able to catch up. However, this new change will set them back considerably, in my opinion. Also annoying that there was no communication regarding this. AIBU to be angry and to complain?

This thread is ridiculous.

Joined handwriting IS a requirement of the Y6 curriculum. Source: National Curriculum 2014.

Cursive simple means joined up handwriting. Source: the first several online dictionaries when you Google including Oxford Languages.

Cursive is not a special form of joined handwriting. Just because you think it's the American style, doesn't mean it is. There are several styles of joined writing taught in the UK. None is called 'cursive'. They are all types of cursive. In schools though, we generally say joined writing or a joined style.

@Confetto so is there a specific style that should be taught (ie like in the Carol Vorderman book) or can schools choose?
Because the "joined up writing" my daughter was taught was like something out of a Victorian school (or the popular American style) and was mostly difficult to read (not just her handwriting - but most of the class).

Finally got to ask the teacher at drop off this morning. I work so don't get a chance often. They are indeed stopping because some children cannot form letters well. They "may" come back to cursive/joined up if they deem it appropriate. She said she was struggling with the decision too. This thread misconstrued my original concern into a battle of superiority for one or the other. My concern was that my daughter and her friends I know already have good handwriting but struggle at English. I was concerned that writing a different way now will shift their focus from what to write to how to write. I am OK with the teacher's answer for now.I may not return to this thread and am thankful for the original answers I received which gave me some perspective.

It seems insane to stop it altogether just because some children can't form letters well. Surely it would make more sense to leave the children who are comfortable with writing cursive to carry on, and take whatever steps they consider necessary with the others? Otherwise it will hold children like your daughter back if she's concentrating on her writing and not on her English.

It might be worth asking for a year group meeting with the Head and whoever is in charge of literacy to discuss this further.

Schools are able to choose. It's basically a choice between lead ins or not. Writing with lead ins looks complicated if you've not learned it like that yourself and I think is hard for KS1 children to learn. I've never seen a school teach the style that is more common in the US - if you look at how they form their capital letters, they are entirely different. Most capitals are more complicated but also things like a capital a just being a tall version of lower case a. Also look at how lower case r is formed (similar to in France etc.)

@Confetto that's interesting.
My daughter's school (South London regular LA primary) called it "cursive" and it was more American style.
I added it to my mental list of "really....is this important" stuff the school was obsessed about 😂
They recently had a bad Ofsted and I have noticed the last year they have changed a few things (I still know people at the school) so maybe they will see the light of what is actually important and what isn't.

@Rp735 please ask the teacher/school when your child will start cursive and whether they are allowed to use cursive.

They will need it before secondary school ; if they already have it I would want them to stick to it. It sounds like the school needs to run a cursive and non-cursive set.