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.
In brief
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.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Preschool Age 3 (half-day) | 3 | IDR 76,850,000 |
| Preschool Age 4 (full-day) | 4 | IDR 92,975,000 |
| Kindergarten | 5 | IDR 154,035,000 |
| Grade 1-2 | 6 | IDR 234,627,000 |
| Grade 3-5 | 8 | IDR 237,596,000 |
| Grade 6 | 11 | IDR 261,105,000 |
| Grade 7-8 | 12 | IDR 279,506,000 |
| Grade 9 | 14 | IDR 281,199,000 |
| Grade 10 | 15 | IDR 287,332,000 |
| Grade 11-12 | 16 | IDR 330,265,000 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee (new students) | IDR 2,500,000 | |
| Registration Fee (annual, deducted from tuition) | IDR 15,000,000 |
Reviews
The oldest international school on the island, run as a non-profit foundation, and the only Bali campus with the full IB continuum from PYP through Diploma. The 2025 cohort posted a 100 percent IB pass rate with a 33.5 average and a strong showing on the Bilingual Diploma. A new head took over for the 2025-26 year after a stretch of parent unhappiness about administration and class composition; how quickly that resets is the open question.
Positives
- IB programme depth. Full PYP, MYP and DP authorisation under one roof, with a long-running Diploma cohort. The 2025 results sat well above world averages on both pass rate and mean points, and more than a quarter of graduates took the Bilingual Diploma.
- Scale and community. Around 200 to 300 students across all year groups, which keeps teachers and families on first-name terms. Balinese design across the Sanur campus and a stated effort to blend local culture into assemblies and service learning.
Considerations
- Sanur location. Calm, family-oriented part of the island with an established expat base. Families in Canggu or Ubud face long daily drives and usually need a driver, which narrows the catchment in practice.
- Administration and class structure. Parents have flagged composite mixed-grade classes and frustration with how leadership handled complaints. A new head of school started in 2025 with a brief that includes resetting that relationship; the most recent parent comments suggest the unease has not fully cleared yet.
- Cost. Tuition runs into the hundreds of millions of rupiah at the senior end, with sibling discounts from the second child and an early-payment incentive. Mid-pack for Bali rather than the cheapest IB option.
Leadership
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
Academic results
- IB DP Offered
- Accreditation CIS, WASC