🇮🇩 Bali · school guide
International schools in Bali
Bali has distinctive international and alternative schools, but it does not function as one compact school market. Sanur, Ubud and the Canggu–Kerobokan side of the island create different home-school ecosystems.
Last verified 26 August 2026
The short answer
What should families know first?
Bali can suit families who choose one school corridor and build life around it. The market is smaller than Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur, so verify curriculum continuity, secondary pathways and learning-support capacity before the lifestyle decision becomes irreversible.
School-market map
Three places, three different shortlists
These are planning lenses, not school rankings. Availability, provision and route must be checked child by child.
Sanur corridor
An established family area with access to long-running international provision. It can be a practical east-side base when the school and work pattern align.
Ubud corridor
Alternative and sustainability-led education shapes some families' search. Roads are narrow and specialist healthcare or other campuses may be far away.
Canggu / Kerobokan
Popular with internationally mobile families but congestion and rapid development make live route tests essential before taking a lease.
Our market verdict: Bali's strongest schools can support a compelling family life, but island traffic makes a scattered plan fragile. The best shortlist is geographically disciplined and includes an exit route if the child outgrows the available programme.
Published fee benchmarks
Three real schedules to open—not a “best schools” list
The notes below summarise each provider's published material. Follow the link, select the exact year group and retain the contractual currency.
Sibang Kaja · Project-based / sustainability-led
Green School Bali
Publishes a 2026/27 schedule. It is a distinctive educational model, so judge pedagogy and commute—not only fees or brand.
Sanur · IB
Bali Island School
Publishes 2026/27 tuition and capital charges. Confirm first-year, bus, support and activity costs for the exact grade.
East Denpasar · Cambridge / bilingual
Dyatmika
Publishes admissions and fee information; ask how language streams, entry charges and transport apply to your child.
Named schools are transparent examples, not endorsements. Inclusion means a useful public schedule was available for comparison.
Fee anatomy
Build the invoice in layers
A tuition-only comparison can understate both first-year cash and the cost of a second child.
Usually non-refundable; ask whether each child and reapplication are charged.
Before an offerOften non-refundable and separate from any refundable security deposit.
On acceptanceMay be compulsory, annual, one-off or replaced by a debenture; read the current schedule.
Entry or annualUse the exact year group and ask how fees change on moving into secondary or sixth form.
Termly or annualBus, meals, uniform, devices, books, activities and after-school care may be separate.
RecurringEnglish-language or learning support, therapy, exams, trips and one-to-one provision.
As neededA visual decision tool
Bali is a set of school-run rings
Each extra ring adds traffic exposure. Keep the child's ordinary week inside the tightest realistic circle.
Inner ring
School + homeDaily travel should remain reliable in rain and peak traffic.
Middle ring
Work + activitiesTest the whole week, including clubs and both parents' movement.
Outer ring
Hospital + airportOccasional journeys can be longer, but emergency access still matters.
Shortlist discipline
Five questions every school must answer
Is the exact programme verified?
Check the school in the awarding body's directory for the programme and campus your child will actually enter. A logo or candidate statement is not enough.
What happens when we leave?
Ask how records, credits, exam entries and references transfer to a UK or another international school. The best Bali choice should preserve the next step, not only solve September.
Can the school deliver support?
Describe learning, language, sensory, medical and pastoral needs before paying. Ask who provides support, what is excluded and whether charges or capacity limits apply.
What is the complete first-year invoice?
Add application, assessment, registration, deposit, capital or development charges, tuition, transport, meals, uniform, devices, exams, trips and child-specific support.
Does the route work every weekday?
Travel the home-school journey at actual drop-off and collection time in normal term-time conditions. A map distance is not a commute.
Admissions runway
From shortlist to a defensible decision
Popular year groups and specialist provision may fill early. Start ahead, but do not let urgency replace due diligence.
- 01
Build the child brief
Record current year group, curriculum, attainment, language, support, interests and the likely next education system.
- 02
Verify the school
Check local operation, exact programme authorisation, accreditation or inspection, and the date and campus attached to each claim.
- 03
Request the evidence pack
Ask for availability, admissions criteria, complete fee schedule, safeguarding policy, support model, calendar and refund terms.
- 04
Test people and practice
Meet the relevant principal, class or subject lead, safeguarding lead and support team—not only an admissions representative.
- 05
Coordinate status and housing
Confirm lawful study and family status, pay only with the contract understood, then choose a home after testing the route.
Tour past the brochure
Evidence to ask for
- A current safeguarding policy, named lead, reporting route, safer-recruitment process and supervised transport arrangements.
- The exact programme authorisation and campus entry in the IB or Cambridge directory, plus the current inspection or accreditation report where claimed.
- Class-size practice, staff qualifications, leadership and teacher turnover, substitute cover and how complaints reach governors or owners.
- A written support plan showing in-house capacity, exclusions, external-provider coordination, costs and what happens if needs increase.
- Offer, deposit, notice, withdrawal, refund and fee-increase terms—especially if immigration or employment remains uncertain.
Continue the school plan
Compare the pathway, then test the school
Straight answers
Questions about family relocation
How much does international school cost in Bali?
Use about £9,500–£14,000 a year for established international options as an initial planning range, then calculate the child's exact year group from the current school schedule. Entry charges, transport, meals, devices, exams, trips and support can sit outside tuition.
Does ‘international school’ mean the school is accredited?
No. It is not a single regulated quality mark. Check local licensing, programme authorisation, independent accreditation or inspection, and safeguarding evidence separately.
How do I verify an IB or Cambridge claim?
Search the exact school and campus in the official IB World School or Cambridge International directory. For IB, confirm the specific PYP, MYP, DP or CP authorisation rather than assuming one programme covers the whole school.
Should we apply before securing a visa?
You can ask about availability and apply while the move is developing, but read refund and deferral terms before paying irreversible fees. Confirm the child's study status and each parent's separate right to stay and work.
Should we choose the school before the house?
Usually yes. Secure a realistic place, test the route in term-time traffic, and only then take a long lease inside the proven school corridor.
What records should we take from the UK school?
Ask for recent reports, assessment and exam records, attendance, safeguarding-transfer arrangements where relevant, SEN or support documentation, vaccination and medical information, and certified copies requested by the receiving school.
Is Bali one school catchment?
No. Island distances can be deceptive, and congestion, ceremonies, road works and heavy rain can change journey time. Treat Sanur, Ubud and the Canggu side as separate daily-life systems.
Are alternative schools easy to transfer from?
That depends on the curriculum, records, assessment and receiving school. Ask for a written explanation of progression, qualifications and how pupils transition into conventional secondary or university pathways.
Is Bali suitable for older secondary pupils?
It can be if the exact programme, subjects, examination centre and counselling fit. The smaller market makes fallback planning particularly important near IGCSE, A-level, IB Diploma or US diploma completion.
Should we rent near school before buying or signing long term?
Yes. Use a flexible landing period to test traffic, flooding, noise, air, internet and the school route. Bali neighbourhood experience is too local to judge from a map or holiday stay.