Author: Luke Abbott August 2011 (from an original idea taught at Sidegate Primary School Ipswich 2007, then developed by advanced MoE trained teacher for 6 weeks.)
Year group range: Year 5, 6, 7
Curriculum Topic/Theme: HEALTHY LIVING – Science, PHSE, Citizenship focus-food and healthy living.
(Please see Nurturing Circumstances as a mode of enterprise above
Inquiry Questions:What are the basic needs a human being needs to survive on?
- What are the challenges in feeding the world’s peoples?
- What does it mean to be ‘healthy’?
- What factors contribute to the evidences that people live unhealthy lives and knowingly reduce their life expectancy?
- In what ways can ingrained unhealthy life habits be changed?
- Could residential health centres be part of the health service?
- Have any world cultures come up with any answers to feeding huge populations in a healthy way?
Length of time to be allocated: In a 20 hour teaching week for the term the approximate time is 2-3 hours a week for a term of 12 weeks. (Total 24-36 hours depending on depth and breadth required and the inclusion of other linked experiences possible.)
Context:Blue Waters is a day centre as well as offering residential health-care and health enhancing activities. The centre caters for a range of people who are trying to change their life styles for the better and for some the centre is their last chance of changing poor health habits for example the clinically obese. The name derives from the spa waters that flow from a natural spring in the grounds of the house and used in the health pool as well as for washing.
The centre’s motto in Hebrew is:
מה להשתמש גוף בריא ללא נשמות אדם בריא.
‘What use a healthy body without a human soul?’
This motto was set by the founders of the centre many years ago and has influenced the way the centre works with people.
Blue Waters is in beautiful surroundings having once been a large Victorian country home for many years. The house has extensive grounds, boasting an arboretum, a sunken garden (needing repair), a huge lake and a range of buildings in the grounds being converted into accommodation for the ever increasing number of clients.
The ‘health methods’ are based on communal living, exercise, healthy lifestyles and healthy foods. Blue Water’s clients are a mixture of wealthy and less wealthy people. The well trained health staffs discuss in detail the needs of their guests/clients and in person before any placement is offered. There is a newly built specialist swimming pool to cater for a range of people from the very old to those wishing to take part in vigorous swimming activities.
Furthermore, Blue Waters are able to offer ‘no cost’ places to a selected group of people who can apply to the Benefactor Fund. However, people qualified to apply for a free place have to satisfy conditions set by the benefactor family.
The centre has recently had some ‘bad press’ following an incident whereby a wealthy client died after taking part in the centre’s hardest physical activity, that of the health trail of 10 exercise points around the huge acreage of the grounds. Relatives of the deceased began an investigation that resulted in the temporary closure of Blue Waters until the Health.
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