Core competencies

The 12 core competencies of SOT are: curiosity, creativity, analytical thinking, personal responsibility, cooperation, empathy, social skills, communication, leadership, self-efficacy, resilience, and self-confidence. Together, these competencies form the foundation for a strong personality and are considered essential life skills. 

In a changing world, cross-disciplinary skills are becoming increasingly important. SOT therefore places great emphasis on fostering skills such as resilience, creativity, self-efficacy, and empathy as essential complements to solid subject knowledge. These skills help students navigate diverse contexts and form an important foundation for their personal and academic development. 

The growth mindset—the belief that skills can be developed through learning and effort—is deliberately integrated into everyday school life at SOT. Students are encouraged to approach challenges constructively, view mistakes as part of the learning process, and develop perseverance. This approach is applied in various learning contexts and supports continuous personal development. 

At SOT, the development of personal responsibility begins as early as kindergarten is built upon in an age-appropriate manner. Within clearly structured learning environments, children are given the opportunity to make their own decisions, take responsibility for their learning, and develop their first steps toward independence. In primary school , this primary school further deepened as students increasingly take responsibility for their learning processes and projects and become familiar with cooperative forms of learning. This continuous development strengthens independence, a sense of responsibility, and the ability to actively shape their own learning. 

Resilience describes the ability to deal constructively with challenges, setbacks, and changes and to learn from them. SOT views resilience as a core competency that is specifically developed in the day-to-day school environment. This includes a supportive and appreciative learning environment in which mistakes are understood as part of the learning process. Students are guided in developing strategies for dealing with challenges, recognizing their own strengths, and gradually building confidence in their own ability to act. At the same time, resilient behavior is also modeled by teachers and made visible in daily interactions. 

At SOT, leadership is understood as both the ability to lead oneself and to play a responsible role in shaping one’s social environment. Students are encouraged, in ways appropriate to their age, to take the initiative, assume responsibility, and put their own ideas into practice. 

Starting in primary school , students primary school responsibilities in their daily school life and engage in cooperative learning. They also carry out their own individual and group projects, thereby developing a sense of personal responsibility, initiative, and presentation skills. In secondary school , this secondary school further deepened through more challenging projects, the presentation of results, and the promotion of entrepreneurial thinking, including through the “Entrepreneurial” program. 

In addition, leadership skills are fostered through project-based learning, teamwork, reflective discussions, and structured feedback processes. Students learn to make decisions, take responsibility for their actions, and be mindful of the impact they have on others. 

The SOT distinguishes between empathy and social competence as two closely related but distinct skills. Empathy describes the ability to perceive and understand the perspectives and feelings of others. It forms the foundation for respectful relationships. 

Social competence goes a step further and encompasses the ability to apply this understanding in social interactions, for example through appropriate communication, collaboration, and the constructive resolution of conflicts. 

Both skills are specifically fostered in the daily school routine and complement each other in their effects.

The 12 core competencies of SOT are aligned with the objectives of Curriculum 21, which encompasses both subject-specific and cross-curricular competencies. SOT specifically addresses these competencies, structures them clearly, and integrates them visibly and consistently into everyday school life. These include, in particular, aspects of personal development, mindset, and key life skills. 

In this way, SOT places a deliberate emphasis within the existing curriculum and creates a clear focus on the holistic development of students. 

At SOT, creativity is understood as the ability to develop new ideas, adopt different perspectives, and independently devise solutions. It is an integral part of instruction and is specifically fostered through various learning formats. These include project-based and interdisciplinary learning, artistic expression, music, and creative methods such as design thinking. 

Students are regularly given the opportunity to develop, test, and refine their own ideas. Open and flexible learning environments support independent work and encourage a willingness to try new approaches. Creativity is thus not viewed as an isolated skill, but as a central component of an active and self-directed learning process.

The development of core competencies is not assessed using traditional grades, but is documented through regular observations, reflective discussions, and personalized feedback. Families receive transparent reports on their child’s progress in these areas. The goal is not comparison, but rather identifying individual growth and providing targeted support.