How to Choose a School in Bali

Choosing a school is usually less about finding the “best” school and more about finding the right fit for your child, your commute, and your budget.

If you’re short on time, use this order:

1. Pick your area first (traffic matters more than you expect).
2. Confirm ages/grade coverage + curriculum (so you’re comparing real options).
3. Then compare total first‑year cost (tuition + one-time fees + recurring extras).

Below is a checklist you can bring to tours, plus a simple call script.

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Tour checklist (print this)

1) Commute + daily rhythm

• How long is the drive at drop-off time and pick-up time?
• Do they offer before/after school care? What are the hours?
• If your child gets tired easily, ask how the day is structured (active vs seated time).

Tip: If you can, do one “practice commute” on a weekday.

2) Ages, classes, and teacher ratios

• What ages/grades are offered on this campus?
• How many students per class? How many teachers/assistants?
• How do they place a new student (trial day, assessment, observation)?

3) Curriculum + language

Ask:

• What curriculum framework do you follow by grade?
• What is the language of instruction?
• If your child is moving from another system (e.g., British → IB), how do transitions work?

Helpful follow-up: “Can you show us a sample weekly timetable for my child’s age?”

4) Learning support

• Do they offer EAL/ELL (English language) support?
• How are learning needs handled? Do they have in-house support or external specialists?
• Are there extra fees for support services?

5) Facilities + safety

• Outdoor play spaces, sports areas, arts/music rooms, science labs (if relevant).
• Shade, hydration, heat policies, and supervision.
• Pick-up/drop-off safety and handover procedures.

6) Community + communication

• How do teachers communicate with parents (app, weekly notes, meetings)?
• How often do parents get progress updates?
• What does the school do to help new families settle in?

7) Fees (the part families underestimate)

Always ask for the full first-year total:

• Tuition
• Registration / enrollment fees
• Uniforms
• Transport
• Meals
• Exams
• Activities and clubs
• Materials / books / devices

If the school shares a fee sheet, ask:

• “Are there any capital fees or building levies?”
• “Are there sibling discounts?”
• “Can we pay term-by-term?”

You can also browse by budget band here: Budget bands.

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Short admissions call script (5–7 minutes)

You can copy/paste this into a note before calling:

1. “Hi — we’re considering your school for a child aged ____. Do you have availability for the next start date?”
2. “What ages/grades do you accept at this campus?”
3. “What curriculum do you follow for that age, and what’s the language of instruction?”
4. “Can you share the full fee schedule, including one-time fees? We want to estimate the total first-year cost.”
5. “Do you offer tours or a trial day? What’s the process?”

If the call goes well, ask for:

• The admissions email
• The fee schedule PDF
• The start dates and deadlines

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A simple way to compare schools

Use a spreadsheet with these columns:

• Area (commute)
• Age coverage
• Curriculum
• Support available (EAL/learning support)
• Tuition range
• One-time fees
• Recurring extras
• Notes from tour

You’ll be surprised how quickly a shortlist becomes obvious once you’re comparing the same fields.

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Next step

If you want a fast shortlist, use the directory to filter by area, curriculum, and budget, then open each school profile for details.

• Directory
• Areas
• Fees overview