Moving to Bali With Kids: A Schooling Checklist

Relocating is exciting — and also surprisingly administrative.

The most common mistake families make is choosing a school before they understand their daily commute, start dates, and the full first-year cost. This checklist is designed to keep the process calm and practical.

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8–12 weeks before arrival: build a shortlist

Start broad, then narrow fast.

1) Choose your area first

Traffic changes everything. A school that looks perfect on paper can become exhausting if the drive is long at drop-off.

• Browse areas: /areas
• Compare popular areas: /compare/areas

2) Confirm age coverage + curriculum

Ask:

• Which ages/grades are offered on this campus?
• Which curriculum pathway do most students follow here?
• How do they place a new student who is between grade levels?

Useful hubs:

• Curriculums: /curriculums
• Age bands: /ages

3) Sanity-check fees early

Before you fall in love with a school, confirm the total first-year cost, not just tuition.

• Fees overview: /fees
• Budget bands: /budget

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4–8 weeks before arrival: schedule tours and trial days

Good schools fill quickly around term transitions.

A tour script that gets clear answers

Ask for specifics:

• Class size and teacher support
• How learning is assessed (especially if you are coming from a different system)
• Language support if your child is new to English
• Start date options and onboarding plan

If you want a ready checklist, start here:

• How to choose a school: /blog/choose-a-school

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2–4 weeks before arrival: prepare documents

Requirements vary, but families are usually asked for some combination of:

• Passport copy
• Previous school records (reports, transcripts)
• Vaccination record (if relevant)
• Any learning support notes (optional but helpful)

Admissions timeline + documents guide:

• /blog/admissions-timeline-and-documents

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After arrival: run one “practice week”

If possible, treat your first week as an experiment.

• Do the commute at real school times
• Check how your child feels after the first 3–4 days
• Confirm after-school care and transport routines

If you are deciding between two schools, the compare tool helps:

• Compare schools: /compare

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A note on transitions

Relocation is already a big change. A school with a strong onboarding plan can make the first month dramatically easier.

Ask:

• Do you assign a buddy or mentor?
• How do teachers communicate with parents in the first weeks?
• What does support look like if a child is struggling emotionally?

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If you want help shortlisting

If you share your area, your child’s age, your curriculum preferences, and your budget band, you can get a shortlist quickly.

• Get guidance: /contact