Definition
Integration is the placing of a child with SEND into a mainstream setting without necessarily changing the setting to accommodate them. The term has largely been replaced in UK SEND policy by "inclusion", which carries the requirement to adapt the environment to the child rather than vice versa.
In context for parents
Key checkpoints
- Integration is placing a child with SEND into a mainstream setting without necessarily changing the setting to accommodate them.
- The term was dominant in UK SEND policy in the 1980s–90s following the Warnock Report (1978) and the Education Act 1981.
- Largely replaced by "inclusion" in post-2014 policy, which requires the school to adapt to the child.
- Salamanca Statement (UNESCO 1994) reframed the goal: integration produces "in but apart"; inclusion changes the environment.
- The distinction matters in Section F drafting. Inclusion-era Section F specifies environmental and curriculum adjustments, not just TA hours.
Integration was the dominant model in the 1980s and 1990s following the Warnock Report (1978) and the Education Act 1981, which moved many children out of segregated special schools into mainstream provision. The model assumed the mainstream environment was fixed and the child's job was to adapt to it, often with a 1:1 TA bridging the gap.
The Salamanca Statement (UNESCO, 1994) and the SEND policy landscape that followed reframed the goal. Integration produces "in but apart": the child is physically present but socially, academically, or emotionally excluded. Inclusion requires the school to change. The 2014 reforms and the SEND Code of Practice use "inclusion" throughout; "integration" survives mostly in policy documents from before 2014 and in international contexts.
In a Year 4 mainstream classroom, integration looks like the child with autism sitting next to a TA at the back of the room, copying out worksheets the rest of the class is doing, with no adjustments to the lesson design. Inclusion looks like the same child seated as a class member, with a visual schedule on his desk shared by half the class, a fidget tool tolerated, a five-minute movement break scheduled mid-lesson, and a curriculum task designed so the planned outcome accommodates a range of starting points.
The distinction matters in EHCP Section F drafting. Integration-era Section F often specified TA hours and access support. Inclusion-era Section F specifies the curriculum adjustments, the environmental adjustments, and the staff training, alongside the TA hours where needed.
Related terms
The terms parents most often see alongside Integration.
Inclusion
The principle that all children, including those with SEND, are educated alongside their peers with adjustments made to remove barriers. More than integration, it requires changing the environment, not just the child.
Mainstream School
A standard primary or secondary school that admits all children, including those with SEND. Most children with SEND attend mainstream schools, with or without an EHCP.
Reasonable Adjustments
Changes a school or service must make under the Equality Act 2010 to prevent a disabled child being put at a substantial disadvantage. Examples: rest breaks, ear defenders, modified PE.
Where parents ask about this
Parents usually find this page when reading older SEND documents, when a school describes itself as "fully integrated" rather than inclusive, or when wanting to articulate why a proposed mainstream placement is not the right fit. Searches include "integration versus inclusion SEND", "is integration the same as inclusion", and "Warnock Report inclusion". A Beaakon SENCO or advocate can audit a proposed mainstream placement against inclusion criteria rather than just integration criteria, and translate that into Section F wording or a Section I challenge.
References
The primary legislation, statutory guidance, research, and clinical tools this page draws on.