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Circle Centre

Ofsted: Outstanding
(Jul 2025)
·The Old School, Middle Claydon, Buckingham, MK18 2ET · Buckinghamshire
Number of places
10 places
Age range
2–5 yrs
Last inspected
Jul 2025
Local authority
Buckinghamshire

About this day nursery

Circle Centre, located in Buckingham, offers a nurturing and highly specialised childcare environment for children aged 2 to 5 years. Operating term-time, the nursery is dedicated exclusively to providing care and education for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), particularly autistic children or those with sensory, communication, and interaction differences.

Leaders and staff at Circle Centre, rated Outstanding by Ofsted on 14/07/2025, are deeply committed to maintaining an extremely high-quality provision and continuously improving their practice. They create a calm, purposeful, and enabling environment where children are curious and eager to explore, with a strong focus on individualised support.

The nursery boasts a unique and ambitious curriculum, designed to meet the specific needs of the children who attend, and staff use highly effective methods, including pictorial and visual aids, to support communication and self-advocacy. The team is passionate about providing rich and appropriate experiences, designing routines around individual needs with recent considerations for how children's energy levels impact regulation.

Children benefit from a highly effective key-person approach and a multidisciplinary focus, including input from a specialist teacher, occupational therapist, and speech and language therapist. Children also have opportunities for outdoor learning, engaging in sensory activities in the garden or bouncing on the trampoline to help develop their self-regulation skills and manage transitions effectively.

The nursery also provides holistic support to families, offering strategies and advice to help parents and carers support their children at home.

What it's like

Leaders have a deep commitment to maintaining an extremely high-quality provision and for continuous improvement. The nursery only offers care and education for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), specifically autistic children or those with sensory, communication and interaction differences. Leaders and staff provide a very calm, purposeful and enabling environment where children are curious and eager to explore.

Unique SEND curriculumExpert multidisciplinary teamIndividualised routinesCommunication supportSensory outdoor play

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds

Key facts

Term time / All Year

Term Time

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Circle Centre

Last inspected 14 July 2025 · Clare Perry

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Outstanding
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding

What it's like to attend

Leaders have a deep commitment to maintaining an extremely high-quality provision and for continuous improvement. The nursery only offers care and education for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), specifically autistic children or those with sensory, communication and interaction differences. Leaders and staff provide a very calm, purposeful and enabling environment where children are curious and eager to explore.

Inspector highlights

  • Leaders have created a very unique curriculum, designed to meet the needs of the children who attend, which is well sequenced and extremely ambitious.
  • Leaders and staff use highly effective and varied methods to support children's ability to communicate and develop language and to advocate for themselves, including pictorial and visual aids.
  • Leaders and staff are incredibly passionate, going above and beyond to provide rich and appropriate experiences, designing routines to meet individual needs.
  • Practice is always evolving, with recent consideration given to how children's energy levels impact regulation and understanding feelings in ways suited to them.
  • A highly effective key-person approach is in place, alongside a multidisciplinary focus involving a specialist teacher, occupational therapist, and speech and language therapist.
Inspection #10398383 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

The nursery only offers care and education for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). More specifically, they care for autistic children or those with sensory, communication and interaction differences. Children also benefit greatly from input from the occupational therapist and speech and language therapist.

Outdoor space

Some children choose sensory activities in the garden, while others choose to bounce on the trampoline. This helps children to develop their self-regulation skills and manage transitions.

Inspection history

Date: November 2013

  • July 2025Outstanding
  • October 2019Outstanding
  • November 2013Outstanding

Frequently asked about Circle Centre

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This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more