The Guide
Sat, 16 May 2026

Cities / Bali / Bali Island School

Bali Island School

Bali's only full IB continuum school (PYP, MYP, DP), running nearly 40 years in Sanur with CIS and WASC accreditation. Annual fees range from IDR 77M (Preschool half-day) to IDR 330M (Grade 11-12) for SY 2026-2027.


Curriculum
IB PYP, IB MYP, IB DP
Fees, annual
IDR 76850–330265k
Ages
3 to 18
Pupils
~400
Founded
1986

The original Bali international school, opened in 1986 in Sanur, and still the only school on the island authorised to run all three IB programmes from age three through Diploma.

Around 300 to 400 students, full PYP, MYP and DP continuum, dual CIS and WASC accreditation, a 25-metre pool, sports fields and a Balinese-styled campus that long pre-dates the Canggu boom. Families who want a settled IB pathway, rather than the newer experimental schools, tend to start here.

Parent voice splits. Long-standing families talk about strong personal development, capable teachers and a real community feel. More recent reviews carry concerns about composite year-group classes, churn in staffing and the school feeling more commercial than it used to. The IB outcomes and accreditation backbone are real, but anyone joining now should ask hard questions about class composition in the year their child is entering, and about staff retention in that division.


Fee Age Type Amount
Preschool Age 3 (half-day) 3 Annual IDR 76,850,000
Preschool Age 4 (full-day) 4 Annual IDR 92,975,000
Kindergarten 5 Annual IDR 154,035,000
Grade 1-2 6 Annual IDR 234,627,000
Grade 3-5 8 Annual IDR 237,596,000
Grade 6 11 Annual IDR 261,105,000
Grade 7-8 12 Annual IDR 279,506,000
Grade 9 14 Annual IDR 281,199,000
Grade 10 15 Annual IDR 287,332,000
Grade 11-12 16 Annual IDR 330,265,000
Application Fee (new students) One-time IDR 2,500,000
Registration Fee (annual, deducted from tuition) One-time IDR 15,000,000

  • The IB programme and the long-established Sanur campus draw consistent praise; one parent called the IB rollout the cornerstone of the school.
  • Posts on the international teachers forum split. One says avoid at all costs; others list it among the top two in Bali alongside Canggu Community School.
  • Multiple parents on the schools database report the school went downhill after a recent dean change, citing internal friction the board ignored.
  • Composite mixed-grade classes are the most specific complaint. Parents say places promised for the next year were replaced with composite classes staffed by teachers without overseas experience, and one parent said their child found the class boring and was bullied.
  • Staff response to parent enquiries about these issues is described as poor, and several families left mid-programme.
  • One parent summed up the shift bluntly, saying the school put profit above education.

Head of school

Richard Reilly

Welcome you to the website of Bali Island School (BIS), formerly Bali International School. BIS has been established in Bali for over 30 years and continues to earn a reputation as a provider of top-quality education to children of both expat and local families. We are also very proud to be the only school in Bali to offer all three IB International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) programmes that enables our students to have the unique opportunity to seamlessly progress through all three IB programmes: the Primary Years Programme (Kindergarten to Grade 5), the Middle Years Programme (Grades 6 to 10), and the Diploma Programme (Grades 11 to 12).

Accreditations

  • Council of International Schools 01
  • Western Association of Schools and Colleges (Accrediting Commission for Schools) 02

  • IB DP Offered
  • Accreditation CIS, WASC

Jalan Danau Buyan IV No. 15, Sanur, Denpasar, Bali 80228, Indonesia

School website