Sudden introduction of cursive writing for all years

[QualifiedMum]

My children's school have just started to teach specific 'letter-join' script to all years. Time is being spent teaching year 5 / 6 how to write. I'm not sure this is a good use of teaching time at this stage of their development and would prefer them to focus on the curriculum and IT (minimum taught at the moment and no more code clubs so far).
They seem to be having to learn how to form all the letters. Feels like we are going back to reception.......

Some of the national curriculum goals include handwriting, so they may be trying to address that. How much time are they spending on it?

New ITAFs released today. Confirmation that, as with last year, legible joined handwriting is a non-negotiable for Year 6 children to attain the Expected Standard in Writing. Not a waste of time.

My dd has just gone into year 1, her school have been teaching cursive writing since reception. I think if the school has only just introduced it then it would be much harder to master.
As dd has been taught this way right from the start she knows no different. I was told by a teacher that this was introduced a fe years ago and has had amazing results.

Children in year 5 and 6 should be able to write using "joined up" letters already. Handwriting is important.

What have they been doing up to now?
And they should already know how to form the letters, it's only the joins and loops that are the main difference.

Letterjoin is script letters when printed - every letter has a leading line and a finishing (leaving?) line.

Some letters are formed differently when they start with a leading line.

I kind of agree with everyone. Handwriting is important but you aren't going to change a handwriting style and nor should you. 15 mins a day won't hurt and is a good opportunity to practice spellings. Any more than that is a waste of lessening time.

Very odd, I thought even old NC required cursive writing.
But I don't think it takes so long for established writer to learn cursive anyway, I learned it in a relatively short period of time around that age, and I am not even native English speaker.

IT was the same in the school I work at , last year. We have all had to learn how to do cursive with it's funny little joins!
In school I write with a cursive hand, outside of school I have an italics based handwriting ( which is how I had to write when I was at junior school!).

KS1 spend more time learning it - the rest of the school practises it.