Academic Excellence
& University Preparation

Our students consistently secure places at their chosen universities, demonstrating the exemplary nature of our academic preparation. Recent graduates have earned acceptance to prestigious institutions across Switzerland, Europe, and globally, including ETH Zürich, University of St. Gallen, Harvard, and other distinguished universities. This accomplishment stems from our comprehensive university preparation programme that begins early, establishing robust academic foundations whilst cultivating the critical thinking and research capabilities that universities value.

Our University Preparation Programme offers a meticulously structured pathway that begins in Year 10 and intensifies through to graduation. The programme artfully combines academic excellence with practical preparation, ensuring students are thoroughly equipped for university success. Beginning with initial career exploration and university research, students collaborate with dedicated counsellors to develop personalised roadmaps aligned with their aspirations. Students receive comprehensive support in portfolio development, interview preparation, and application strategy. The programme additionally encompasses essential life skills preparation—from academic writing and research methodologies to time management and independent living skills.

The OBS curriculum stands on four robust pillars that combine proven educational foundations with innovative approaches to create a comprehensive learning experience. From Early Years through Grade 9, the Swiss Lehrplan 21 provides the strong academic backbone, ensuring students master essential competencies while meeting rigorous Swiss educational standards. Starting in Grade 10, students can choose between two distinguished paths: the Swiss Matura program, preparing them for Swiss universities, or the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, offering a globally recognized qualification. Both paths maintain our foundational approach enriched through systematic implementation of Bloom’s Taxonomy, which guides our teaching methodology from basic knowledge acquisition through to complex analysis and creative application – a progression perfectly exemplified in our ILO (Input, Learning Activities, Output) teaching strategy. The McKinsey DELTAS framework contributes a future-oriented perspective, identifying and developing seven distinct elements crucial for future success: Determination (drive and motivation), Energy (physical and mental capacity), Leading others (social and emotional intelligence), Talent development (personal growth mindset), Ambition (goal setting and achievement), Strategic thinking (analytical and problem-solving capabilities), and Situation navigation (adaptability and resilience). These elements are systematically integrated into our curriculum through targeted activities, projects, and assessments. What makes our curriculum truly unique is our integration of direct student feedback as the fourth pillar, ensuring our educational approach remains responsive to learners’ needs and experiences. Through our learning management system, regular surveys, and student council input, we continuously refine and adapt our teaching methods. This comprehensive approach ensures students develop not just academic excellence but also the personal qualities and skills essential for future success in any field, regardless of whether they choose the Swiss Matura or IB pathway.

The DELTAS framework specifically guides our approach to:

• Determination: Through challenging projects and Advanced Learner opportunities
• Energy: Via balanced academic schedules and physical activities including Aikido
• Leading others: Through group projects and student mentoring programs
• Talent development: Via personalized learning paths and specialized academies
• Ambition: Through goal-setting exercises and achievement recognition
• Strategic thinking: Via complex problem-solving in our specialized programs
• Situation navigation: Through real-world projects and adaptive challenges

Our proprietary OBS ILO (Input, Learning Activities, Output) Teaching Strategy represents a sophisticated, research-based approach to learning that maximises student engagement and knowledge retention whilst developing crucial analytical and practical skills.

• During the Input phase, teachers present new concepts using multiple modalities—oral, written, tactical—ensuring that every student, regardless of their learning style, can grasp fundamental concepts. This might involve interactive presentations, real-world examples, expert videos, or hands-on demonstrations.
• The Learning Activities phase transforms passive understanding into active mastery through carefully designed exercises that encourage students to engage with the material in meaningful ways—from laboratory experiments and project work to peer teaching and problem-solving challenges. This phase is highly differentiated, allowing advanced learners to dive deeper whilst providing additional support to those who need it.
• The Output phase goes beyond traditional testing, requiring students to demonstrate their understanding through practical applications, presentations, project outcomes, or real-world problem-solving. This three-phase approach ensures that students don’t just memorise information but truly understand and can apply it in practical situations.

The OBS ILO Teaching Strategy systematically addresses all levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy through its three-phase approach. The Input phase targets the foundational levels of ‘Remember’ and ‘Understand’ through multi-modal presentation of concepts, interactive demonstrations, and immediate comprehension checks that ensure strong foundational knowledge. The Learning Activities phase engages the middle levels of ‘Apply’ and ‘Analyse’ through hands-on exercises, laboratory work, and data interpretation activities, where students actively work with concepts in practical contexts. This phase also incorporates ‘Evaluate’ through peer review sessions and critical analysis of methods and results. Finally, the Output phase focuses on the highest level of ‘Create’ by challenging students to develop original solutions, design innovative projects, or produce creative works that demonstrate mastery of all previous levels.

Our integrated curriculum ensures students excel across all academic areas, not just their preferred subjects. Through our ILO framework, the majority of students achieve above-average results in standardised tests and assessments. For instance, our mathematics students regularly participate in and achieve high standings in national and international competitions like the Kangaroo Tests, while maintaining strong performance in languages and humanities.