On this page
Schools in north Bali are a short list, and knowing the shape of it before you move matters more than any single ranking. This page covers two Buleleng primary schools that teach in English alongside Indonesian, the state system, and what families do once a child outgrows primary. Every school named here is confirmed by its own website and by the Indonesian education ministry's register.
In Brief
Two private primary schools in Buleleng are set up for children who need English as well as Indonesian, and both sit in Sukasada district. Singaraja Montessori School at Panji Anom runs three Montessori classes from age two and a half to twelve. North Bali Bilingual School at Panji, founded in 2012 and registered with the Buleleng Regency Education Office, teaches grades one to six on the Indonesian national curriculum with both languages used daily and some classes taught entirely in English. Of the international schools listed for Bali by the International Schools Database, Singaraja Montessori School is the only one in Buleleng, and it stops at age twelve. After primary, families use the Indonesian state system, move south, or educate at home. Registered schools in the regency are listed in the Indonesian education ministry's register, which is the place to check a school before you visit it.
Schools in North Bali at a Glance
- Montessori, age 2.5 to 12: Singaraja Montessori School, Panji Anom, Sukasada
- Bilingual primary, grades 1 to 6: North Bali Bilingual School, Panji, Sukasada
- International schools in Buleleng: Singaraja Montessori School is the only Buleleng school on the International Schools Database list for Bali; the others on it are elsewhere on the island
- State schools: SD, SMP, SMA and SMK across Buleleng, all listed in the ministry register
- Verify any school: the ministry register at referensi.data.kemendikdasmen.go.id, searchable by name or NPSN
- Fees: each school sets out its own; see the school's pages rather than any figure quoted elsewhere
Singaraja, the regency capital. Photo: っ / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
The Two Schools Set Up for English Speakers
Singaraja Montessori School, Panji Anom
Where it is: Banjar Dinas Lebahsiung, Desa Panji Anom, in Sukasada district, Buleleng. The ministry register lists its primary section as SD Montessori Singaraja, NPSN 70010279, a private school.
Who runs it: The school is under the Bali Mandiri School Education Foundation (Yayasan Pendidikan Sekolah Bali Mandiri), and describes itself as an international school using the Montessori method with a bilingual system.
How it is organised: Three classes covering ages two and a half to twelve: a play group for ages 2.5 to 4, a kindergarten for ages 4 to 6, and a primary class for ages 6 to 12. The school sets out each group on its classes page.
Language: Bilingual, with Indonesian as the primary language of instruction and English as the second.
Curriculum: The Montessori method in collaboration with the Indonesian national curriculum, at the pre-school and primary levels.
Beyond the classroom: The school lists traditional and modern dance, music, speech and drama, and sport and swimming lessons.
Admissions: Book a visit to see a classroom in action, or chat online, then fill in the application form to join the waiting pool. The school says a child can enrol at any time during the year. Its enrolment page carries the form, and the school describes a subsidy system that helps finance places for children from families who cannot meet the full cost.
Contact: montessori.one · Map
Best for: Younger children, and families who want Montessori practice.
North Bali Bilingual School, Panji
What it is: A private primary school founded in 2012 and registered with the Buleleng Regency Education Office as SD Dwi Bahasa North Bali Bilingual School; the ministry register lists it under NPSN 69754604 at Jalan Gunung Rinjani, Panji, Sukasada. The school states that it is fully accredited at the highest rating and describes itself as what is commonly called a National Plus school.
Curriculum: The Indonesian national curriculum, which the school says it implements as a combination of the 2013 Curriculum and the national curriculum of 2022, with differentiated instruction and project-based learning, across grades one to six. It runs as a full-day school. The school's story page sets out its founding and its approach.
Language: Both languages are used daily across the school, and the school says some classes run entirely in English.
What else it runs: Co-curricular clubs for grades four to six, including science, dance, art, futsal, newspaper and writing, and chess; a basic special needs programme with one-to-one support or a dedicated classroom and an individual education programme; student guidance and counselling; and an observation day for parents. The clubs page lists the current choices.
Admissions: The registration page sets out the order: siblings first, then families from its affiliated kindergarten, Aura Sukma Insani Bilingual Kindergarten, then an open house for everyone. Grade one runs two classes, registration is first come first served with no formal entrance test, and the school year begins in mid-July. Entry to grades two to six is at the school's discretion.
Contact: nbbs.sch.id · Map
Best for: Primary-age children staying long enough to work inside the Indonesian system, with English maintained.
The State System
Buleleng has the full Indonesian ladder, and the ministry register lists its schools by district: SD for primary, SMP for lower secondary, and SMA or SMK for upper secondary, with hundreds of primary schools and dozens of secondary schools across the regency. State schools teach the national curriculum, and the national education law makes Indonesian the language of instruction.
A family who chooses this route is choosing Indonesian as the child's working language and the Indonesian curriculum, assessment and school year, and a later move to a British or IB school means a transition. Ask the school directly how it enrols a foreign child and what documents it needs.
Registered state schools appear in the ministry register described below, with their address and status.
After Primary: The Honest Position
Neither English-friendly school in Buleleng goes beyond primary, and the International Schools Database lists no other school in the regency. Families with teenagers who want an IB, Cambridge or British pathway have three options, and each has a real cost.
Move south for school years. The International Schools Database listing for Bali is the place to compare curricula and ages across the island's international schools, from Ubud and Sanur to Canggu and Denpasar. From the north coast that is a drive over the mountains, so it is a relocation rather than a commute.
Use the state system through SMP and SMA. Workable when the family is settled, the child has Indonesian, and university plans allow for it.
Educate at home with an accredited programme. Settle which programme will issue the qualification your child needs, and what your own country's education system requires of a child learning abroad, before the move rather than after it.
Deciding this before you commit to a house is the single piece of advice worth repeating. Moving to north Bali covers the rest of the relocation, and long-term rentals in north Bali covers the housing side.
Checking That a School Is Registered
Pasar Banyuasri in Singaraja. Photo: DayakSibiriak / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Indonesia gives every registered school an NPSN, a national school identity number, and the education ministry publishes the register online. Before you visit a school, look it up.
- Open the ministry's Data Referensi Pendidikan and type the school's name or NPSN into the search, or browse by level, then province, then regency, then district to reach Buleleng.
- A district list gives each school's NPSN, registered name, address, village and status (negeri for state, swasta for private).
- Opening the NPSN shows the full entry, including the foundation that runs the school and its operating permit.
Both schools on this page appear there: SD Montessori Singaraja (NPSN 70010279) and SD Dwi Bahasa North Bali Bilingual School (NPSN 69754604), both in Sukasada. If a school you are considering is not in the register, ask it why before you enrol.
Practical Notes for Families
- Sort the visa before the school. The Bali visa guide covers the categories long-stay families use.
- Check the daily run. Both schools on this page are in Sukasada district, at Panji and Panji Anom; work out the drive from where you plan to live before you sign a lease.
- Ask for the school calendar. North Bali Bilingual School's year begins in mid-July; ask each school for its own calendar and holidays.
- Know where the medical care is. Healthcare in north Bali covers the clinics, the regional hospital and when families head south.
- Learn the language with the children. Both schools teach in Indonesian first; Balinese words and phrases covers the local layer on top of it.
- Know the village. How the banjar works explains the community association that organises ceremonies and village life around the school run.
FAQ
Are there international schools in north Bali?
Singaraja Montessori School at Panji Anom describes itself as an international school and is the only Buleleng school on the International Schools Database list for Bali. It teaches ages two and a half to twelve. North Bali Bilingual School, also at Panji, is a National Plus primary teaching the Indonesian curriculum in two languages.
What school options do expat families in Lovina have?
Singaraja Montessori School for ages two and a half to twelve, North Bali Bilingual School for grades one to six, the Indonesian state system, a school in the south of the island, or education at home with an accredited programme.
Can foreign children attend Indonesian state schools in Buleleng?
Ask the school directly how it enrols a foreign child and what documents it needs. Teaching is in Indonesian, so it works best for children who will stay long enough to become fluent.
How do I check a school in Bali is registered?
Search the ministry's register at referensi.data.kemendikdasmen.go.id by school name or NPSN. The entry shows the registered name, address, district, status and the foundation that runs it.
When does the school year start?
North Bali Bilingual School's year begins in mid-July, and registration for grade one opens well before it. Singaraja Montessori School says a child can enrol at any time during the year.
What language will my child be taught in?
Indonesian is the primary language at both schools, with English as the second, and some classes at North Bali Bilingual School run entirely in English. State schools teach in Indonesian.
Sources
- Singaraja Montessori School, home, about us, our classes and enrolment (Banjar Dinas Lebahsiung, Desa Panji Anom; three classes from 2.5 to 12; bilingual instruction; Montessori method with the national curriculum; Bali Mandiri School Education Foundation; extracurriculars; visit, application and waiting pool; enrolment during the year; subsidy system), read September 2026
- North Bali Bilingual School, home, our story, system of student registration, co-curricular clubs and special needs programs (founded 2012, registered as SD Dwi Bahasa North Bali Bilingual School, accreditation, grades 1 to 6, 2013 and 2022 curricula, full-day, bilingual with some classes in English, registration order, school year from mid-July, clubs, special needs support), read September 2026
- Kementerian Pendidikan Dasar dan Menengah, Data Referensi Pendidikan, with the Sukasada primary-school list, SD Montessori Singaraja, SD Dwi Bahasa North Bali Bilingual School and the Buleleng counts for primary and lower secondary and upper secondary, Indonesian, read September 2026
- JDIH BPK, Undang-Undang Nomor 20 Tahun 2003 tentang Sistem Pendidikan Nasional (Article 33: Indonesian as the language of instruction in national education), Indonesian, read September 2026
- International Schools Database, international schools in Bali (the island's listed international schools, their curricula and ages; Singaraja Montessori School the only one in Buleleng), read September 2026
Next: moving to north Bali for the rest of the relocation, healthcare in north Bali for the medical side, and north Bali with kids for what children actually do here.
