Ethos means the special spirit, character of an institution or group. 
It includes fundamental values and basic orientation.

As a Catholic School in modern Ireland, the ethos of Holy Child School, Killiney involves Gospel values like:  the reign of God, freedom, community, pastoral care and hope.

It incorporates the educational values and ideals of Corneila Connelly, Foundress of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, especially those of trust and openness.  It has an integrated view of life and learning.  It stresses good education, given with professional excellence and involving the holistic development of the students towards a responsible and involved citizenship.

At the heart of hte School there is an integrated curriculum which accepts that every encounter with the world, including the world of learning, is an encounter with God;  that there is no basic dichotomy between religion/science, individual/community and body/spirit.

There is an academic core of Religion, Science and the Arts.  Emanating from this central core are spheres of activity - physical, social and aesthetic - to ensure that the talents of each student are developed in these fields; that they learn to incorporate in their lives the School motto:
"A C T I O N   N O T   W O R D S" that they strive to follow the injunction of Cornelia Connelly:

"Be yourself, but make that self all that God wants it to be", and that, at the end of their schooling, they face the world as free, mature, concerned women who are able to "meet the wants of the age."

Cornelia Connelly