Britain's most senior scribe has welcomed the move by schools, particularly in the independent sector, to return to the simple joys of pen and paper. Timothy Noad, OBE, calligrapher to the Royal Family, or Scribe and Illuminator to His Majesty's Crown Office, believes a return to handwriting in lessons is a good thing.
Noad, who has written official letters for the Royal Family, including permission for Prince William to marry Catherine and the creation of Prince Harry as Duke of Sussex, told the Daily Express: "I think a return to pen and paper in schools is very much a good thing. There is that direct correlation between the brain, the hand and the eye that I believe makes it easier to learn when you write it down."
Specialist tutor sees resurgence in handwriting
Specialist handwriting tutor Cherrell Avery says she has seen a definite upsurge in both children and adults wanting to either learn or rediscover the ancient art of handwriting. "I have been teaching handwriting since I was a primary school teacher in the 1970s and I am pleased to see it enjoying a definite resurgence especially with the interest in journalling now among young people," she said.
Avery believes it is a shame that many schools do not have specific handwriting lessons to teach children this "invaluable skill for life" in the way they once did. She added that there is much evidence that using a pen and paper rather than a laptop in lessons activates broader neural networks, improves memory retention, and reduces digital distractions.
Schools scaling back on screens
Winchester College has abandoned laptops in favour of pens and paper in a crackdown on screens in classrooms. Elizabeth Stone, Winchester's first female head, said the use of laptops in lessons was "distracting." She explained that tackling phones alone would not work if laptops remained accessible, as activity could easily shift from one device to another.
Pupils using a pen and paper for homework are finishing faster because they are not distracted by messaging friends or YouTube, leaving more time for extra-curricular activities like sports and "even conkers," as Ms Stone added with a smile.
Health concerns over screen time
Worryingly, too much screen time in schools is damaging children's speech and eyesight, say 150 clinicians who have written to Education Secretary Lucy Powell. They warn that each additional hour per day of digital screen time was associated with a 21 per cent increase in the odds of myopia, nearly doubling the risk at four hours a day of exposure.
Dr Becky Foljambe, from Health Professionals for Safer Screens, added: "Health professionals can't keep prescribing glasses and speech therapy for a problem that schools are making worse." The letter was backed by Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, who said Labour were "burying their heads in the sand" over the potential damage to children from EdTech.
Royal calligrapher's distinguished career
Noad's love of the ancient skills of handwriting and calligraphy came out of his passion for heraldry. On viewing the Coronation Roll at Buckingham Palace done by Noad, King Charles praised it as the "most marvellous illumination work." He has also been commissioned by or presented to Queen Camilla, the late Queen Elizabeth II and many other royals, distinguished people and institutions.
Noad wrote the letter from the late Queen Elizabeth II to Prince William giving permission for him to marry Catherine and the letter giving Prince Harry the title Duke of Sussex on his wedding to Meghan Markle. He recalled meeting Meghan briefly, saying: "I actually met Meghan briefly and I said to her 'didn't you use to work as a calligrapher?' She smiled and said 'in another lifetime' and walked on."
Meghan worked as a freelance calligrapher, writing celebrity wedding invitations, having learned penmanship during her time at Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles. Avery believes all children should have the opportunity to learn decent penmanship at school, especially in a world where AI is taking over. "Handwriting is individual and totally unique to a person," she said. "Handwriting is from the heart. It is part of you on the page. It contains emotion."
The National Handwriting Association also stresses the importance of the craft in a bland, uniform digital age. A spokesperson said: "Our handwriting is very personal, a part of our self-image and an expression of our personality, just as the way we dress and present ourselves is. To write is to be human."
