Facts4Life FAQs
Below are the Facts4Life FAQs we have been asked by teachers, health professionals, parents and carers.
If you have more questions about Facts4Life, please let us know via the contact form.
If we teach about illness, isn’t this upsetting for children?
I’m qualified as a teacher, not a doctor. How can you expect me to teach about illness?
The curriculum is already too full. How will I find the space for Facts4Life?
OR
The resource is very versatile and can be delivered in a variety of ways that can enhance the curriculum without demanding additional timetabling.
How is this going to help children in National Curriculum tests?
I’m expected to measure children’s progress. How can you measure understanding about illness and wellbeing?
Patient: When I visit my GP I’m looking for answers to problems. I have complex medical needs and I don’t understand all the details about my condition. I can’t interpret blood tests and things like that. Isn’t it the GPs responsibility to look after these issues for me?
HP: I’ve got enough to do seeing 30 patients a day. How can I find the time to educate them as well as treat them?
HP: Whose idea is this?
Dr Hugh van’t Hoff has spent many years developing the core principles of Facts4Life and they have been tested in schools. We have shown that we can alter children’s attitudes to illness so that they feel happier about taking on more responsibility. With this evidence we have gained funding from the Gloucestershire CCG and Gloucestershire County Council (Public Health) for a roll out of the project to half the schools in Gloucestershire.
HP: Hang on a minute you're trying to teach medicine to children aged 5-11yrs. Most people find this information very complex even at medical school and you need three A's to get in!
HP: Aren't you going to end up frightening children about their own death, cancer, illness in their parents, dementia and all sorts of other incurable illnesses?
HP: Won't you destroy the doctor patient relationship?
HP: What's in it for me?
Facts4Life doesn’t involve any input from Health Professionals other than an acknowledgement that the project is taking place locally and, hopefully, brief endorsement of the ideas. You will be in the vanguard of change in medical care. This is a unique and groundbreaking project. We have looked around the world and have found no one else doing anything similar.
My older children did health education at school. How is Facts4Life different?
My child may not want to talk about illness in the family. Is that ok?
Children can explore the illnesses that they are interested in, but there is no compulsion for children to share their own experience of illness. Some choose to do so through an imaginary family they can create, but teachers will respect children’s privacy.
Is learning about mental health problems appropriate for a child at primary school?
All learning about health within the programme is sensitive to a child’s age. For younger children, learning about mental health may mean understanding that feeling sad is normal and what helps them if they feel different emotions.
If my son/daughter learns about illness, isn’t this going to make them more likely to want to stay off school if they are not 100%?
We teach children about the ups and downs of health, that most of the time we get better from most illnesses without the need for medicines and GP help. We are not always 100% and that is quite normal. We have found that children find this message reassuring and can feel confident in managing their own daily lives when not 100%.
What do GPs think about Facts4Life teaching?
We hope you found what you were looking for in our Facts4Life FAQs. If you would like more help, please contact our friendly team at info@facts4life.org.