Ethos describes the atmosphere or environment in which an activity takes place. A Catholic school is called to generate and maintain an ethos based on living out the values of Jesus, which leads the community and the individual members to grow. It is this ethos which gives a Catholic school its distinctive religious character.

A Catholic school is a school community, recognised by the local Bishop, which through its general programme of education, and especially its Religious Education classes and religious practices, exercises the right to live and learn the values displayed by Jesus Christ, as upheld by the Catholic Church. Such a school provides this values-based education for the Catholic community, as well as for those from the wider community who seek an education in harmony with the aims of the school.

• Respecting the uniqueness of every person
• affirming and respecting the different religious identities, backgrounds and traditions of learners
• Promoting the holistic growth of all learners, with a particular emphasis on religious and moral formation
• Proposing the life and teaching of Jesus Christ as the model for life
• Giving active witness to social and environmental concerns
• Practicing and promoting of moral values by the school’s Executive Head and staff
• Maintaining a high standard of teaching and learning
• serving both the Catholic and the wider community with a concern for all people, especially the poor and marginalised
• Working in partnership with parents, the local church and the wider community
• Being a model of Christian freedom, justice and love in its administration, teaching and relationships between educators, learners, parents and community.

St Patrick’s CBC is a member of both the Catholic Institute of Education (CIE) and the Edmund Rice Network (ERN). The CIE empowers Catholic educators in South Africa to root their pupils in strong intellectual, spiritual, Christian and social foundations. The ERN is a worldwide network of people, stretching back 250 years, who have been touched by the spirit of Edmund Rice and want to connect with each other and nurture Edmund’s dream for a more just, compassionate and equitable world. community

Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice was a Roman Catholic missionary and educationalist. After a tragic accident which killed his wife and left his daughter disabled, he devoted his life to education, serving the poor and promoting national well-being. He was the founder of two religious institutes of religious brothers: The Congregation of Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers.