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CBE timetable guidelines Kenya schools follow require much more than simply assigning teachers and learning areas to available periods.
Under Competency Based Education, schools must consider lesson duration, the number of lessons allocated to each learning area, reporting times, health breaks, practical activities, non-formal programmes and the appropriate distribution of lessons throughout the school week.
The Ministry of Education’s Guidelines for Timetabling and Curriculum Based Establishment in Competency Based Education provides guidance to schools on developing timetables that support effective curriculum implementation.
This guide from Kisoma School Management System explains the key CBE/CBC timetable requirements for Pre-Primary, Lower Primary, Upper Primary and Junior School in Kenya.
Source: Ministry of Education, Guidelines for Timetabling and Curriculum Based Establishment in Competency Based Education. Last reviewed: October 2026.
What are the CBE timetable guidelines Kenya schools should follow?
CBE/CBC timetable guidelines define how learning time should be organised within Kenyan schools.
The Ministry explains that an effective school timetable should ensure learning areas are adequately covered while maintaining a balance between academic and co-curricular activities.
The timetable should also help schools use teaching and learning time effectively, improve learner engagement and support achievement of intended educational outcomes.
Quick answer
Under the Ministry guidelines:
| School Level | Lessons Per Week | Lesson Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Primary | 25 | 30 minutes |
| Grades 1–3 | 31 | 30 minutes |
| Grades 4–6 | 35 | 35 minutes |
| Grades 7–9 | 41 | 40 minutes |
The number and duration of lessons therefore increase as learners progress through the different levels of basic education.
Who prepares the school timetable?
The Ministry guidelines require schools to establish a timetabling committee.
The committee includes the Deputy Head of the institution as chairperson, a senior teacher, teacher representatives from the relevant school levels, heads of subjects or learning areas, and heads of departments.
The committee should meet at the beginning of every term to either prepare a new timetable or review the existing one.
After preparation, the timetable is submitted to the Head of Institution for approval.
Once approved, it should be displayed in administrative offices and on school notice boards. Teachers should also extract their individual timetables for curriculum implementation.
Pre-Primary CBE Timetable Guidelines
Pre-Primary learners should have five lessons every day, resulting in 25 lessons per week, including PPI or religious programmes.
Each lesson should last 30 minutes.
The reporting time for Pre-Primary is 8:30 am.
Formal lessons begin at 9:00 am and end at 12:00 pm.
The period between 8:30 am and 9:00 am should be used for health checks and roll call. Learners arriving before 8:30 am should be guided through free-choice activities.
Pre-Primary lesson allocation
| Learning Area | Lessons Per Week |
|---|---|
| Language Activities | 5 |
| Mathematical Activities | 5 |
| Creative Activities | 6 |
| Environmental Activities | 5 |
| Religious Activities | 3 |
| PPI / Religious Programmes | 1 |
| Total | 25 |
The guidelines also state that there should be no double lessons at Pre-Primary level.
For the full Pre-Primary breakdown, including a sample daily schedule and an approval checklist, see our Pre-Primary CBE timetable guide.
Creative Activities should be scheduled before a break.
Grade 1–3 CBC/CBE Timetable Guidelines
Grades 1, 2 and 3 should have six lessons per day plus one PPI lesson per week, giving a total of 31 lessons per week.
Each lesson lasts 30 minutes.
Learners report at 8:00 am, with lessons beginning at 8:20 am and ending at 12:30 pm.
The period between 8:00 am and 8:20 am is used for health checks, roll call and assembly.
Grade 1–3 lesson allocation
| Learning Area | Lessons Per Week |
|---|---|
| Indigenous Language Activities | 2 |
| Kiswahili / Kenya Sign Language Activities | 4 |
| English Language Activities | 5 |
| Mathematical Activities | 5 |
| Religious Education Activities | 3 |
| Environmental Activities | 4 |
| Creative Activities | 7 |
| PPI / Religious Programmes | 1 |
| Total | 31 |
Schools should not schedule double lessons at this level.
Creative Activities should also be placed before a break.
Grade 4–6 CBC/CBE Timetable Guidelines
Grades 4, 5 and 6 should have seven lessons per day, with the weekly timetable totalling 35 lessons.
Each lesson lasts 35 minutes.
Learners report at 8:00 am, while formal lessons begin at 8:20 am and end at 2:35 pm.
Grade 4–6 lesson allocation
| Learning Area | Lessons Per Week |
|---|---|
| English | 5 |
| Kiswahili / Kenya Sign Language | 4 |
| Mathematics | 5 |
| Religious Education | 3 |
| Science & Technology | 4 |
| Agriculture | 4 |
| Social Studies | 3 |
| Creative Arts | 6 |
| PPI / Religious Programmes | 1 |
| Total | 35 |
Schools should balance learning areas between morning and afternoon sessions throughout the week.
There should be no double lessons.
Creative Arts should be placed before a break, while non-formal programmes should be scheduled after the final lesson at 2:35 pm.
Grade 7–9 Junior School CBE Timetable Guidelines
Grades 7, 8 and 9 should have eight lessons per day plus one PPI lesson per week, resulting in 41 lessons per week.
Each Junior School lesson lasts 40 minutes.
Learners report at 8:00 am, while lessons begin at 8:20 am and end at 3:20 pm.
Grade 7–9 lesson allocation
| Learning Area | Lessons Per Week |
|---|---|
| English | 5 |
| Kiswahili / Kenya Sign Language | 4 |
| Mathematics | 5 |
| Religious Education | 4 |
| Social Studies | 4 |
| Integrated Science | 5 |
| Pre-Technical Studies | 4 |
| Agriculture | 4 |
| Creative Arts and Sports | 5 |
| PPI | 1 |
| Total | 41 |
Junior School differs from the lower levels because selected practical learning areas may have one double lesson.
The learning areas identified in the guidelines are Integrated Science, Creative Arts and Sports, Pre-Technical Studies and Agriculture.
Important CBE Timetable Rules for Kenyan Schools
When creating a CBE/CBC timetable, schools should also observe several general scheduling principles.
First, learning areas covering similar skills, concepts or knowledge should not be placed immediately after one another. The Ministry explains that this helps maintain learner interest and reduces monotony.
Schools should also provide the required health breaks and appropriately distribute learning areas across available morning and afternoon periods.
Creative Activities, Creative Arts and Sports, Psychomotor Activities, Movement Activities and Physical Education should generally be scheduled before a break to give learners sufficient time to prepare for the lesson that follows.
Learning areas placed on the timetable should be based on KICD-approved curriculum designs.
What About Non-Formal Activities?
A school timetable does not only cover classroom lessons.
The Ministry guidelines also provide for non-formal programmes after normal class activities.
These may include games, clubs and societies, guidance and counselling, and community service learning.
For Grades 7–9, for example, non-formal programmes are scheduled after the final lesson at 3:20 pm.
What Is Curriculum Based Establishment?
The same Ministry guideline also covers Curriculum Based Establishment, commonly abbreviated as CBE.
In this context, Curriculum Based Establishment refers to the number of teachers a school requires for effective curriculum implementation.
Schools at Pre-Primary, Primary, Junior School and Special Needs levels are expected to have an approved Curriculum Based Establishment.
Several factors are considered when determining CBE, including:
the learning areas offered, the number of lessons allocated to those learning areas, the number of streams, administrative positions, expected teacher workloads and lesson shortfalls caused by administrative responsibilities.
We will cover Curriculum Based Establishment and teacher requirements separately in another Kisoma guide.
How Kisoma Can Help Schools Manage Academic Timetables
As a school grows, timetable management becomes increasingly complex.
Administrators need to coordinate learning areas, classes, streams, teachers and available lesson periods while reducing clashes and ensuring that the academic structure remains organised.
Kisoma School Management System gives Kenyan schools a digital platform for managing school operations and academic information from one place.
Digitising school administration can reduce repetitive manual work and make it easier for school administrators and teachers to manage academic processes consistently.
Kisoma offers a free one-term trial, then KES 10 per student per month. Read our guides on choosing the best school management system in Kenya and what to check in a free school management system.
Kisoma — Elimu Digitali.
Frequently Asked Questions About CBE/CBC Timetables in Kenya
How many lessons are there in Grade 7 under CBE?
Grades 7, 8 and 9 each follow a timetable of 41 lessons per week, including PPI. Each lesson lasts 40 minutes.
How many lessons should Grade 4, 5 and 6 have?
Grades 4–6 have 35 lessons per week, with each lesson lasting 35 minutes.
How many lessons should Grade 1–3 have per week?
Grades 1–3 should have 31 lessons per week, including one PPI lesson. Each lesson lasts 30 minutes.
How long is a Junior School lesson in Kenya?
A lesson for Grades 7–9 lasts 40 minutes under the Ministry timetable guidelines.
Are double lessons allowed in CBE timetables?
It depends on the school level. The guidelines prohibit double lessons at several lower levels. In Grades 7–9, one double lesson may be scheduled for Integrated Science, Creative Arts and Sports, Pre-Technical Studies and Agriculture for practical activities.
Who is responsible for preparing a school timetable?
Schools should have a timetabling committee chaired by the Deputy Head of the institution. The final timetable is presented to the Head of Institution for approval.