A routine in primary school
A steady rhythm helps a school-age child: enough sleep, time to play, a short homework slot, and screens kept in their place. Here is what paediatric bodies advise.
Start from the wake-up time
Children aged 6 to 12 need 9 to 12 hours of sleep in 24 hours. Work backwards from the time your child must wake: for a child who wakes at 6:30 am, that means asleep between 6:30 and 9:30 pm the evening before, and nearer the early end for a younger child.1
The same statement links enough sleep, regularly, with better attention, behaviour, learning and memory.1
A day in blocks, not a timetable
Every family's day is different, so think in blocks rather than minutes, in the same order each day:
- Morning: wake, wash, breakfast, out with the bag packed the night before.
- School.
- After school: a snack and some rest.
- Play, outdoors if you can.
- Homework, in the same place at the same time.
- Family time and the evening meal.
- Wind down, screens off, bed.
Movement and play
The Indian Academy of Pediatrics asks for at least one hour a day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for children aged 5 to 10: running, cycling, skipping, games that leave them out of breath.2
Screens
For ages 5 to 10, the Academy advises less than two hours of screens a day, “the lesser, the better”, and that includes time on screens for schoolwork at home.2
Homework
How much homework there is, and how long it should take, is the school's to say. Your part is the place and the time: a quiet spot, the same time each day, help when asked, and the work left to your child.
“Parents and family are co-partners with the school in the child's learning and development.”
Ask the schoolAsk the school what homework to expect in each class, and how it is set and sent home.
Tiffin and the bag
Pack the bag and the tiffin together the night before, so the morning stays calm, and keep the bag to what the day needs.
Ask the schoolAsk the school about its tiffin and water rules, and how it handles allergies.
Ask the school
Only the school can tell you these. They are good questions for a visit or a call.
- The school day's hours.
- What homework to expect in each class, and how it is sent home.
- Tiffin and water rules, and how allergies are handled.
- Whether children use screens in class, and what the bag should hold.
Sources
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine, in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: a consensus statement (2016).
- Indian Academy of Pediatrics, in Indian Pediatrics, Guidelines on screen time and digital wellness in infants, children and adolescents (2022).
- NCERT, National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage (2022).
Sources read and checked in October 2026. This guide gives general advice from public bodies, not medical advice, and it says nothing about this school that the school hasn't confirmed.
Come and see the school
Call or WhatsApp to arrange a visit, or send an enquiry and the school will get back to you.