Meet the parents who relocated to Bali for its ‘hippyish’ schooling 

At The Bridge, a coworking space that is part of the renewable-energy-powered Bali campus, an international mix of pioneer spirits from the world of technology, the arts and independent wealth (think Ted Talks in Birkenstocks) mingle while their offspring learn about sustainability and community.

“It’s marvellous to see how teachers encourage kids in anything they like,” says Alex, who is 51. Last term, Simón, 11, made recycled shoes. He’s now building a motorbike with the help of a local mechanic, when he’s not surfing.

Alex and Lisi, 46, appeared to have it all before they packed a suitcase each (plus another for Lego), rented out their swish home in Barcelona, shut down the branding agency they ran, pulled their kids out of their prestigious international school, and boarded a flight to Indonesia.

“We had a very good life; it’s not like we had anything to run away from,” Lisi says. Yet there was always an itchy-footedness – a yearning to travel that sprung from the couple’s own itinerant childhoods. They wanted broader horizons for their children, including León, eight, whom they had adopted in Ethiopia.

There are no formal exams at the Green School, but credits in traditional subjects go towards a high school diploma that the school says university admissions offices recognise, albeit with some light prodding.