The purpose and audience for the project

Understanding health is not just about the clinical details of individual people. The known science of disease is progressing but much of what we know is so uncertain. Is the reason for a disease genetic or environmental or both? This uncertainty sometimes encourages complacency. Health

Understanding health in a community is also about geography. Different places have different health issues. Different places seem to have different attitudes to health. Different places have different lifestyles. Different places have different environmental conditions both past and present.

This is an alternative approach to health education, one that explores the data, one that seeks to understand the issues and allows young people to investigate and suggest solutions too.

This is a project, which involved both Science and Geography teachers.

The purpose of this project was to:

• raise awareness and use of public health public health data in North Staffordshire among teachers, pupils and the communities of schools.

• investigate patterns and processes in public health especially cancer within North Staffordshire and communicate the need for Health Action Zones amongst the communities of schools within North Staffordshire HAZ.

• increase awareness of the decision making process around health in the community and to look at Geographical Information Systems as a means to inform those decisions.

• engage pupils in debate in studying real life issues and dilemmas for North Staffordshire people and the professionals that serve them.

Chris Durbin, QLS Inspector for geography and project co-ordinator

With special thanks to the science and geography teachers and the pupils who were involved

Kevin Allen, Newcastle Community School

Peter Charnley Maryhill High School, Kidsgrove

Carol Dawes, Walton Hall Special School, Eccleshall

Nick Daws, QLS Inspector for Science

Nicola Hand, Sandon High School

Kath Harrison. St. Thomas More Catholic College, Longton

Mike Jones, Epidemiologist with North Staffordshire Health Trust

Pauline Marsden, Sandon High School, Meir

Ian Mutter and Tom Abbott, Biddulph High School

Sue Warn, Chief Examiner, Ed Excel Syllabus B

Rob Whiting, Edensor High School

This project was funded and supported by 

Questions or problems regarding this web site should be directed to kate.russell@staffordshire.gov.uk
Copyright © 2007 [QLS Staffordshire County Council]

This page last updated 23 May 2002