DS1's school basically teaches them to write in a sort of tails both sides of the letter way, which (school reckons) will help them learn to do full-blown cursive writing more easily at a later age.
DH & I don't like it. We virtually never use cursive writing; scientists don't. And I'm American, where I was taught that cursive was the only "correct" way to write, but I always had messy writing. I can't believe that Jolly Phonics reckons that cursive is somehow better because it "improves better spelling" (HOW does that work??). Only people with naturally good writing do cursive voluntarily, I reckon. Books -- and computer text, like what I'm writing now, is plain "printing" text. So what is the value of cursive text? It looks very odd when DS1's teacher writes that way, and he doesnt' get much practise reading it because anything else he has to read, like his homework sheets, etc., are all in simple typeface!!
I suppose I'm having a bit of a rant, just wondered what your school does....