This year, Amity International School, Noida, sent 10 of its children to Sri Ram College of Commerce — India’s best commerce college, where the last student to get in had scored 94 per cent.

Excelling in academics is part of the culture for the 15-year-old school that began with 450 students. The number has reached 6,000 today.

Both teachers and students agree that Amity puts them through the grind. And it is not just academics that students are expected to excel in, they also pursue national-level sports and cultural activities with equal severity.

“We have a good balance of academics and co-curricular activities. Our sports teams have been playing national-level basketball, tennis, cricket, gymnastics, karate and hockey for four to five years now,” says principal Mohina Dar.

“We have coaches for each sport and students practise early morning or after school,” Dar said.

The school also boasts of Math Olympiad and junior chess champions. It also offers a host of co-curricular activities like painting, dance and sculpture. However, there is immense pressure on young minds who are expected to excel in academics, sports and co-curricular activities.

Shramik Rawal, a Class 5 student of Amity, is a national-level junior player and has also got a ranking (partial) of 1700 from the World Chess Federation.

He attends school, does his homework and practises chess for four to five hours daily.

“I don't get any time to play. Sometimes I get irritated,” the 12-year-old says.

For parents who want their children to be all-rounders, the school provides all kinds of opportunity, both in academics and sports.

At the junior level, students have innovative reading classes and smart boards, which help them understand difficult concepts through pictures and graphics. At the senior level, Math Labs make learning and understanding of Maths interesting and easy.

While academics is at the centre of the school ideology, students are also encouraged to follow their interests.

There is also good news for parents who have children with learning difficulties. The school has a learning enhancement section for children who suffer from dyslexia, dyscalculia, and language problems.

But the ones who expect personal care of their children could be disappointed.

With such large numbers, there are as many as 10 sections in each class, with strength ranging from 35 to 40 students.