Cities / Bali / Green School Bali
Green School Bali
The bamboo campus school in Sibang Kaja founded by John and Cynthia Hardy in 2008, internationally famous for its sustainability ethos and a magnet for the Bali entrepreneur and digital creative crowd.
In brief
The bamboo-campus school in Sibang Kaja founded by John and Cynthia Hardy in 2008, internationally famous for its sustainability ethos and a magnet for the Bali entrepreneur and digital-creative crowd.
Wall-less classrooms, an organic garden curriculum, and a 22-metre bamboo bridge over the Ayung River make this campus unlike anywhere else in the international school world. Around 400 students from 40-plus nationalities, WASC accreditation, project-based learning all the way through. Fees sit at the top end of the Bali market.
Parent voice splits hard. Some families adore the community, the freedom, and the friendships, and stay for years. Others say the academic rigour is uneven, behaviour standards loose, and that a chunk of the parent community treats Bali life as the point and school as the backdrop. Families who thrive here are the ones who genuinely buy into the philosophy, not the ones using it as a regular school with prettier architecture. Worth visiting more than once before committing.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Gecko & Starling (Early Years / Pre-K) | 3 | IDR 185,445,400 |
| Kindergarten | 5 | IDR 219,176,020 |
| Primary Grades 1-3 | 6 | IDR 249,263,690 |
| Primary Grades 4-5 | 9 | IDR 254,894,600 |
| Middle School Grades 6-8 | 11 | IDR 287,350,080 |
| High School Grades 9-10 | 14 | IDR 304,468,000 |
| High School Grades 11-12 | 16 | IDR 328,600,900 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Bridge Membership (annual) | IDR 2,300,000 | |
| Application Fee | IDR 4,000,000 | |
| Local Scholar Levy (per family, annual) | IDR 8,500,000 | |
| Refundable Deposit (one-time) | IDR 30,000,000 | |
| Registration Fee (one-time) | IDR 36,000,000 |
Reviews
Globally famous as the bamboo school in the rice fields outside Ubud, and it lives up to the imagery. The pull is the campus, the regenerative ethos, and a project-based, wall-less day that no other school in Bali tries to replicate. The reservations are consistent: a bespoke high-school diploma rather than full IB, a community that skews toward families on a Bali gap year as much as long-haul residents, and an academic register that asks the child to bring their own drive. Sanjit Sethi joined as Head of Campus in August 2025; the school is also part of a Green Schools network now spanning New Zealand, South Africa and a Tulum campus opening in 2026.
Positives
- Campus and learning environment. The bamboo campus is the real thing, not a marketing prop. Open-walled classrooms, organic garden, aquaponics, river-side learning. Children spend the day outside in a way no other Bali school matches.
- Experiential and project-based learning. Strong on sustainability projects, soft skills and student-led work. Families talk about confident, curious children who present and build in ways that feel rare for their age.
- Fit for self-directed learners. Children who arrive with intrinsic motivation tend to do well. The model rewards independence and creativity rather than drilling.
- Network and alumni reach. Sister campuses in New Zealand and South Africa, with Tulum opening in 2026. Alumni land in interesting places, and graduates have been accepted to selective universities including Ivy League.
Considerations
- Curriculum and university pathway. The default route is a WASC-accredited Green School Diploma, not the full IB Diploma. IB-style courses run for some students in grades 11 and 12. Graduates have moved into universities worldwide, though some families talk about additional foundation-year work being needed depending on destination.
- Academic intensity. Academically lighter than the traditional international schools on the island. Families who want a structured, fast-paced classroom track often move to AIS Bali or Bali Island School. A recurring line is that the school is strong on values and weak on rigour.
- Parent community character. Polarising. Plenty of warm, engaged families. Also a strong contingent of short-stay parents using Bali as a gap year, which makes friend groups transient and the community feel cliquey. Words that come up a lot include cultish, virtue-signalling, and Instagram-lifestyle.
- Fees and total cost. Annual tuition runs roughly IDR 178M to 319M across the year groups, with extra trip and capital fees on top. Sibling discounts step up from the second child. Families also flag that the wider Green School ecosystem, from villa rentals to school-adjacent services, runs at a noticeable premium.
- Local-context and consistency concerns. Sharper recent criticism around classroom culture, treatment of Indonesian staff, and a gap between the sustainability brand and the carbon footprint of 600 families flying in. These are not universal complaints but they are not isolated either.
- Site and access. Sibang Kaja sits north of Canggu and west of Ubud. Morning and afternoon traffic at the school gate is heavy, and families coming from the south coast accept a long daily commute or move closer.
Leadership
Sanjit Sethi
Sanjit Sethi is the Head of Campus at Green School Bali, leading the school in its mission to educate changemakers for a sustainable world. With a background in education and a passion for sustainability, he inspires students and staff alike to engage in meaningful learning experiences.
Accreditations
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges (Accrediting Commission for Schools) 01
Academic results
- Pathway US High School Diploma
- Accreditation WASC
Location
Jl. Raya Sibang Kaja, Banjar Saren, Abiansemal, Badung, Bali 80352, Indonesia